Scope: This is a worksheet for a collection-level record describing manuscripts or mixed material (that is, material in more than one format, such as a collection of personal papers including correspondence, pamphlets, and photographs). This is the type of record created by LTS RMC staff who are accessioning or cataloging a collection of manuscript or archival materials.
Contact: Margaret Nichols
Unit: RMC
Date last updated: 04/02/08
Date of next review: March 2009
Fixed Fields
Variable Fields
Holdings Records Fields
A. Fixed fields
Leader [click on “Leader” button]
Record Status: n (for a new record)
Type of Record: p
Bib Level: c for collection, m for individual item
Encoding: [blank]
Type of Control: a
008 [Double-click on the “008” button]
Publication Status [i.e. type of date(s) for the collection]: i for inclusive dates, s for a single date, q for questionable date(s)
Date 1: Single date, or beginning date if there is a range of dates
Date 2: Ending date if there is a range of dates
Place of publication: use the MARC Country Code for the location of the repository here, namely nyu ( New York State, U.S.)
Form of Item: [blank], usually
Language: usually eng for English
Modified Record: [blank]
Cataloging Source: d
B. Variable fields [_ used to denote blank indicators]
040 __ NIC$cNIC$edacs
099 _9 [collection number]
1xx xx Creator [100 1_ for individual, 100 3_ for family, 110 2_ for organization, 111 2_ for conference]
245 00 Title, $f Dates $g [Bulk dates, if any]
Example: French revolution collection, $f 1668-1868 $g (bulk 1780-1820)
300 __ Extent [usually in cubic feet or number of items]
545 __ Biographical/Historical Note
520 __ Content description/scope/summary [if 2 or more paragraphs, tag the 2nd and subsequent paragraphs 520 8_]
506 __ Restrictions on access, if any
540 __ Restrictions on use, if any
546 __ Language(s) of the item
555 0__ Finding aids (e.g." Unpublished guide" or "Box list," etc.)
524 __ Preferred form of citation (machine generates "Cite as:"): [Creator]. [Title], #[collection number]. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
6xx:xx: Subject heading:
650: 0: Topic
651: 0: Place
600:10: Individual person
600:30: Family
630:00: Publication
610:20: Organization
611:20: Conference
Subdivisions for topics, places, individuals, families, or organizations:
$x [ topics]
$z [ places]
$y [ time period]
$v [form]
Example: 651: 0: France $x History $y Revolution, 1789-1799 $v Periodicals.
Form/genre (with $2aat or $2rbgenr at end, depending on whether the term you're using comes from the Art & Architecture Thesaurus or from RBMS Genre Terms
7xx x_ Added entry (Correspondent, Other author, etc.)
700:1 : for an individual
710:2 : for a group
C. Holdings Records Fields
541 0_ Immediate source of acquisition (subfields bolded below are the ones we usually use):
$8[Field link and sequence number, beginning with 1.1\a for the first 541 field]
$a[Source] $b[Address] $c[Method of acquisition, e.g. gift or purchase]
$d [Accession date, e.g. 12/15/07]
$e[Accession no.: see LTS Procedure 80, "Accession Numbers," on how to construct one]
$f[Owner]
$g[Purchase price]
$n[Extent, e.g. 2]
$o[Extent units of measurement, e.g. cubic ft.]
583 0_ Actions taken (subfields bolded below are the ones we usually use):
$8[Field link and sequence number, beginning with 1.2\a for the first 583 field, if you’ve used 1.1\a for the first 541 field]
$a[Action]
$c[Date of action taken, or of future action to be taken, e.g. 3/14/08]
$i[Method, e.g. Picked up for a collection recently received]
$j[Site of action]
$k[Agent]
$l[Status: physical condition, or processing status, etc.]
$n[Extent]
$o[Extent units of measurement]
$b[Action identification, e.g. a project code]
$d[Action interval]
$e[Contingency for action, e.g. After 2010]
$x[Non-public note]
852 80 $brmc $kArchives $h [collection no.]
901 __ $a (numbers and sizes of boxes, e.g. 3-16” boxes)
