*** This version of Confluence is for testing only and contains a copy of content from June 29th 2026. No changes will be preserved. ***
Scope: This document describes the differences between cataloging a bound manuscript and cataloging a book or loose manuscripts. If a given field is not mentioned below, treat it the same as you would when cataloging a book. For further details on how different fields are used, see Procedure 91, Details on Fields Used in 107, Single Manuscript Cataloging . Worksheet. Note: This procedure describes entering the bibliographic record in OCLC, but creating the holdings record in FOLIO.
Contact: Margaret Nichols
Unit: Cataloging & Metadata Services in RMC
Date last updated:
Date of next review: January 20182025
...
Bibliographic Records Record
Item Record
...
Anchor A A
Bibliographic
| A | |
| A |
...
Record (in OCLC)
Leader
Type of record: t Bibliographic Level: m
008 field
Publication DtSt (Date status): s for single date, m for a range of dates (beginning date goes in Date 1, ending date in Date 2), or q for a questionable date (with the beginning date of the probable date range in Date 1, and the end date of the probable date range in Date 2).
Ctry (Place of publicationpublication0: enter the country code for where the manuscript comes from.
040 field: $a NIC COO $b eng $c NIC COO $e dcrmmss
We now use DCRM(MSS) (Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Manuscripts)), freely available at http://rbms.info.dcrm/dcrmmss, when when describing a single manuscript or small collection (roughly 10 or fewer items) , whether bound or unbound.
099 _9 field: Local call number
Put the collection number and bound manuscript number here, e.g. 4605 Bd. Ms. 1. You need not include the size designation here.
in certain cases: a bound manuscript, a folder in collection 6532 (Medieval manuscript fragments), or a folder in a collection of mutually unrelated manuscripts, such as collection 4600 (Miscellaneous manuscripts) or 4634 (French 19th-century manuscripts). Accession and process all other manuscripts in ArchivesSpace.
Overall, follow the procedure Overall, follow the LTS Procedure for cataloging a single manuscript, LTS Procedure 107. Below is the information that is specific to bound manuscripts.
Specifics for bound manuscripts
300 field
...
: physical description
If the pages are unnumbered, it's usually sufficient to describe the extent of the item as "1 volume" (or "(number) volumes" for a multivol). Do not abbreviate; spell out "volume," "pages," etc. If the manuscript has numbered leaves or pages, itIt's helpful to also give the extent in terms of the number of leaves or pages, if they are numbered. If the pages are not numbered, you may give either an exact or an approximate total number of leaves or pagesor pages. If the text of the manuscript ends before the last numbered page, give the number of the last numbered page in the 300 field and make a 500 note about the blank pages at the end (e.g. "Pages 50-75 are blank").
Examples:
300 1 volume.
300 1 volume (164 pages).
300 1 volume (approximately 400 leaves).
300 6 volumes.
You You also have the option to mention illustrations , if the manuscript is illustrated, and physical dimensions. For a bound manuscript, if you choose to give its dimensions(it's helpful to do so). For the manuscript's physical dimensions, give height x width of the binding in centimeters. If the dimensions of the manuscript itself differ significantly from the dimensions of its binding, specify both if considered important.
...
For more details on the extent statement, see DCRM(MSS) 5B-5E.
561 field: Provenance (coded with first indicator 1 to display to the public)
Use this field for the provenance note if the item has a signature, bookplate, stamp, etc. with a previous owner's name, or the previous owner is known based on other evidence. There's no need to code this or other item-specific notes in the bib record with a $5 NIC at the end; because this is a manuscript, all the notes are item-specific notes, and in fact the whole bib record is at the item level as well as the work level.
561 1_ Provenance: Joseph R. White (bookplate).
561 1_ Provenance: Formerly part of the Duveen Lavoisier collection.
Examples:
300 1 volume ; $c 28 x 22 cm
300 1 volume (164 pages) : $b illustrations ; $c 18 x 16 cm
300 1 volume (approximately 400 leaves) ; $c 26 x 32 cm
300 6 volumes : $b illustrations, portraits ; $c 25 x 18 cm
6xx fields: Subject headings
Use LC subject headings as usual. Remember to hit the F11 function key in OCLC to control the subject headings and subdivisions (that is, to link them to their respective authority records).Note: Use LC subject headings as usual, but don't use "special files fields" for the date or place of the work (650 _4 or 651 _4). We use those fields for printed works, not for manuscripts.
655 _7 field: Form/genre or other thesaurus terms
Form/genre terms for manuscripts can be drawn from the Art & Architecture Thesaurus, or (less commonly) from RBMS Controlled Vocabulary, or Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT). We used to subdivide RBMS terms by country and century (or by country and decade for common 20th-century genres works such as novels). "Diaries" is a valid term in both thesauri, but it's helpful to use the RBMS version so you can subdivide it by country and century (we have many, many diaries). See the LTS Procedure on special files fields for more information., but in keeping with RBMS current practice, we no longer do.
Examples:
655 _7 Diaries $z Germany $y 20th century. $2 rbgenrrbmscv
655 _7 Photograph albums. $2 aat
655 _7 Gay fiction. $2 lcgft
If the item has an especially interesting binding or the like, you can use a term from one of the other RBMS Controlled Vocabularies to the RBMS Controlled Vocabulary to describe it, as you would for a book. See LTS Procedure 88, "Thesaurus Terms Commonly Used for Rare Books."
Example:
655 _7 Clasps (Binding). $2 rbbinrbmscv
7xx
...
fields: additional access points
Make added entries additional access points for co-creators of the manuscript, or other contributors such as editors, translators, copyists, etc. If the volume is a letterbook, for example, trace the compiler of the letterbook as the creator in a 100 field, and the predominant correspondents in 700 fields.
If the volume has a bookplate, signature, inscription, stamp, etc. of a former owner, besides adding a note in the 561 field, trace the former owner's name in a 700 or 710 field with the appropriate $e at the end:
...
$e associated name (use this when the nature of the person's relation to the manuscript is unclear)
...
Example: 700 1_ Dejours, Pierre, $e former owner.
Note that you need not add $5 NIC at the end of these 7xx fields to show that they are specific to Cornell's copy, as you would do for books. The manuscript is unique; there are no other copies.
...
Anchor B B
Holdings
| B | |
| B |
...
Record (in FOLIO)
Once you've imported the OCLC record into FOLIO and edited the instance record, click on Add holdings to create a holdings record.
Holdings type: Monograph (it's still a monograph, even though it's unpublished); or, if it's a multivol, Multipart monograph.
Location / Permanent location: RMC, or RMC Annex
Call number type: Other scheme
Call number prefix: Archives (except that if the item is going to RMC Annex, there's no call number prefix)
Call number: (collection no.) Bd. Ms. (no.), e.g. 8748 Bd. Ms. 1
Call number suffix: put the size designation here if needed, e.g. +, tiny, mini, etc.
If the bound manuscript has only one volume, make
852 8_ $b [location, usually rmc] $k [sublocation, usually Archives] $h [collection no.] Bd. Ms. [no.] $m [size designation if oversize or tiny]
In general, for RMC bound manuscripts, use the location $b rmc $k Archives.
If there is only one bound manuscript in this collection, make it Bd. Ms. 1. Additional bound manuscripts may be added to the collection in the future.
Examples:
852 8_ $b rmc $k Archives $h 4600 Bd. Ms. 53 $m ++
852 8_ $b rmc,hsci $k Lavoisier $h 4712 Bd. Ms. 24
If you have a multivolume manuscript, use 852 81 and add an 866 field as you would for a book.
Example:
852 81 $brmc,hsci $k Lavoisier $h 4712 Bd. Ms. 27
866 41 $8 0 $av.1-4
fill in Holdings details:
--Number of items: number of physical volumes
Click on Add Holdings statement
--Holdings statement: volume holdings, e.g. v.1-3
Holdings notes: This is where most copy-specific notes go, including provenance notes and gift notes. To make a note staff-only, click on the "Staff only" box at the end of the field.
Use the Note type Source of acquisition for a gift note; for most other notes, use Note type Note. If you are creating a holdings record for the 2nd or subsequent title in a volume of bound-withs, use Bound with item data as the Note type for the note containing the volume's barcode number.
Item Record (in FOLIO)
Enter the same information for a bound Code the Leader and 008 fields on the holdings record for a multivolume manuscript as you would for a multivolume book:
Leader
Type of record: v Encoding level: 4
008
Receipt status: 2 if we have the complete set of volumes, 5 if we don't
Completeness: 1 if the set is complete, 2 if it isn't, including Material type: Book (because physically it's a volume).