300 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: books
Introduction | Copy Cataloging Instructions | Reference Information and Examples
Introduction
The physical description portion of the bibliographic record (MARC 300 field) describes how long the book is (extent); what the distinctive physical characteristics (physical details) are; and, how big the book is (dimensions). This field may include a brief description of items that accompany the book such as a teacher’s manual or maps in a back pocket of the book (accompanying material). The physical description field helps identify different editions of the same textual content and gives the user additional information to evaluate the usefulness of the content. For example, a title with hundreds of pages, illustrations, and maps inserted in a pocket may be more useful for a researcher than a book on the same topic with 80 pages and no illustrations.
The physical description field consists of four sections.
Extent
This section is used to record the number of pages and/or number of volumes using the terminology suggested by the publication. The most common terms are pages, leaves, volumes and columns for books. The term “volume”, abbreviated as “v.”, is used for most multiple part items.
Physical details
This section contains details about illustrations that appear within the item. The most common term used is “ill.” There are additional terms that can be used, particularly if illustrations are predominately of one kind or are considered to be important.
Dimensions
This section contains information about the size of the book. The size can help differentiate editions and may dictate where the item is housed in the collection based on unique space needs.
Accompanying material/s
Accompanying material is material issued with, and intended to be used with, the item being cataloged. Examples include teacher’s manuals, groups of unbound maps or plates, CDs, etc.
Copy Cataloging Instructions
General Instructions
In records created by other agencies or libraries, generally accept the information already in the record unless it is obviously wrong. For situations not covered in the Instructions or Reference information and examples consult a librarian.
Subfields
|a Extent
Complete the subfield if not present or incomplete. Record the last number of each numbered sequence followed by the appropriate word or abbreviation.
|b Physical details
Complete the subfield if incomplete or not present and there are illustrations. Give “ill.” for an illustrated work unless all illustrations are of one type. Give the specific term in that case. Give preference to the inclusion of maps when there are illustrations and maps recording the statement as “ill., maps”.
|c Dimensions
Complete the subfield if not present. Record the size in centimeters. If the height is 29 cm. or more use the appropriate location code in the holdings record. See Voyager Location Codes for more information about oversize locations.
|e Accompanying material
Give the number of physical units in Arabic numbers and the name of the accompanying material. If the accompanying material is issued in a pocket inside the cover of the publication, give its location in a note. See 5XX NOTES and MFHD and Item Records for Accompanying Materials for more information.
Reference Information and Examples
For complete coding information consult OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards, 300.
Subfields
|a Extent
The table below gives common examples of extent statements.
|
Number |
Terminology |
Description |
|
327 |
p. |
1 numbered sequence of pages, Arabic numbers |
|
321 |
leaves |
1 numbered sequence of leaves, Arabic numbers |
|
381 |
columns |
1 numbered sequence of columns, multiple columns on each page, Arabic numbers |
|
xxiv, 414 |
p. |
2 numbered sequences, 1 in Roman numerals & 1 in Arabic numbers |
|
A-Z |
leaves |
1 sequence of leaves lettered A-Z |
|
1 |
v. (various pagings) |
1 volume with multiple pagings that are irregular or complicated |
|
1 |
v. (unpaged) |
Pages/leaves are not numbered |
|
3 |
v. |
Publication is complete in 3 volumes |
|
|
v. |
Multipart set; publication not complete |
|
8 |
v. in 5 |
Eight bibliographic volumes published in 5 physical volumes |
Terminology
Leaf: A single physical leaf consists of two pages, one on each side, either or both of which may be blank.
Page: One side of a leaf of a book.
Columns: One of the narrow divisions of a sheet of paper, page of a book, etc., formed by vertical lines or separating spaces.
Plate: A plate is leaf containing illustrative matter, with or without explanatory text. It does not form part of either the preliminary or the main sequence of pages or leaves (i.e., the pagination does not reflect their presence). Although the plates contain illustrative matter it is their extent that is recorded in subfield |a.
Unnumbered Pages or Leaves
Unnumbered pages or leaves are recorded when the cataloger wants to give a clearer record of the extent of the item/s or needs to refer to one or more of the pages or leaves in the bibliographic description.
|
[25] p. |
Count reveals 25 pages (printing on both sides) |
|
33, [31] leaves |
First 33 leaves are numbered; the last 31 unnumbered |
|
[8], 155 p. |
8 unnumbered preliminary pages, 155 numbered pages; 500 Note: Includes bibliographical references (6th preliminary p.) |
Plates
|
xi, 124 p., [43] p. of plates : |b ill. |
|
iii, 325 p., 14 leaves of plates : |b ill. |
Multivolume Sets
If a set of volumes is continuously paged, give the pagination in parentheses after the number of volumes. Ignore separately paged sequences of preliminary matter in volumes other than the first.
|
2 v. (xxx, 892 p.) |
Vol. 1 is paged i-xxiv and includes p. 1-352; vol. 2 is paged xxv-xxx and includes p. 353-892. |
|b Physical details
If the illustrations are predominately one or more types and are considered to be important the specific term(s) or abbreviation(s) may be used. Give the appropriate term(s) or abbreviation(s) in alphabetical order: coats of arms, facsimiles, forms, genealogical tables, maps, music, plans, portraits (use for both single and group portraits), samples. If none of these terms adequately describes the illustrations, use another term as appropriate. Tables containing only words and/or numbers are not illustrations. Illustrated title pages and minor illustrations are usually disregarded.
The following examples are the most commonly used.
237 p. : |b ill.
2 v. : |b ill., maps
|c Dimensions
Measure the height in centimeters rounding up to the next centimeter (i.e., record 17.2 centimeters as 18 cm.). If the width is less than half the height or greater than the height record as [height] x [width]. If the volumes in a multi-part item differ in size, give the smallest or smaller and the largest or larger size, separated by a hyphen.
129 p. : |b ill., |c 18 cm. (book measured 17.4 cm.)
2 v. : |b ill., maps ; |c 38 cm. (dependent on oversize standards the items may be labeled for oversize shelving)
326 p. ; |c 18 x 27 cm. (width is greater than height)
v. : |b ill. ; |c 22-35 cm. (Multi-volume set with volumes of differing sizes)
|e Accompanying material
Accompanying material is most commonly described in subfield |e of the 300 field or in a 500 field note. The subfield |e of the 300 field is used when the materials can be described briefly while the 500 field is used when further detail is needed, e.g., there is a separate title for the accompanying material.
387 p. : |b ill. ; |c 27 cm. + |e 1 set of teacher’s notes
32 p. : |b ill. ; |c 28 cm. + |e 7 maps
200 p. : |b ill. ; |c 25 cm. + |e 2 computer disks
If more detail is desired, give the physical description of the accompanying material using ISBD punctuation.
271 p. : |b ill. ; |c 21 cm. + |e 1 atlas (95 p. : 85 col. maps ; 32 cm.)
If the accompanying material is issued in a pocket inside the cover of the publication, give its location in a note.
500 _ _ |a Four maps in pocket.
500 _ _ |a Two charts on folded leaves in pocket.
cil 09/09/2009
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Last updated 09/15/2009