A mini crash course on Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials alongside University of Miami Libraries cataloging guidelines for the Special Collections Department

1. Descriptive Cataloging
for Special Collections
University of Miami Libraries
Mini Crash Course & Cataloging Guidelines

2. Hesitant to Say “Rare Book Cataloging”
What is a “rare book”? A book that’s rare. That’s helpful.
Definitions consider: scarcity of extant copies, uniqueness of physical features, age,
beauty/relevance to art or design history, cost, condition/preservation concerns
“Any book which has value primarily as a physical object” – How to Catalog a Rare
Book / Paul Shaner Dunkin
Object cataloging?
Descriptive cataloging?

3. Descriptive Cataloging
“Descriptive cataloging describes what the information object is, not what it is about. ‘Aboutness’ is the
purview of subject cataloging.” -- LIS Wiki
DCRM(B) (Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books)) draws on some techniques of descriptive
bibliography to document the book as artifact.
“Descriptive bibliography: the close physical description of books. How is the book put together? What sort
of type is used and what kind of paper? How are the illustrations incorporated into the book? How is it
bound? …The descriptive bibliographer must have a good working knowledge of the state of the technology
of the period in order to describe a book’s physical appearance both accurately and economically.” --
Bibliography Defined / Terry Belanger

4. Subject Knowledge in Book History
Doing descriptive bibliography requires subject knowledge in book history, including
the techniques and materials of the book arts.
“As the book as artifact comes under closer scrutiny by historians, students, and
scholars of literary criticism, an understanding of just how its component parts came
together should provide greater insight into its overall material functionality. An
appreciation for the basic production methods of bookmaking allows for the
recognition and acknowledgement of anomalies when they appear.” – Why Book Arts
Matter / Kathleen Walkup

5. Some Good Places to Start
“Glossary of Bibliographical Terms”
David L. Gants: an overview of vocabulary terms related to book structures, format, papermaking, type, and printing
ABC for Book Collectors
John Carter and Nicolas Barker: antiquarian-bookseller-ese
A New Introduction to Bibliography
Philip Gaskell: descriptive bibliography
The Book: The Life Story of a Technology
Nicole Howard: history of the book artifact
How to Operate a Book: From Punch to Printing Type [videorecording]
Book Arts Press: printing a hand press period book
ABC of Bookbinding: An Illustrated Glossary of Terms for Collectors and Conservators
Jane Greenfield: identifying bookbinding features

6. Edition
Issue & State, too!

7. Levels of Description
FRBR: WEMI
Work: distinct intellectual or artistic
creation
Expression: specific intellectual or artistic
form that a work takes each time it is
'realized.'
Manifestation: physical embodiment of an
expression of a work
Item: single exemplar of a manifestation
DCRM: EDITION, ISSUE, STATE
Edition: all copies printed from roughly
the same setting of type
Issue: group of copies from an edition
published “as a consciously planned
printed unit”
State: variant within an edition and/or
issue

8. Edition Statements
Transcribe as on the resource: do not transpose, shorten, or repeat elements
When helpful, supply an edition statement from an external resource (enclosed in square
brackets). Add a note about the source, e.g.:
250 _ _ [Sixth edition]
500 _ _ Edition statement from: ...

9. Publication, Printing &
Distribution

10. General Guidelines
Transcribe all names, places, and dates given on the title page, including publishers,
printers, and distributors. Use redundant MARC fields (264) and subfields as needed.
If no publisher or printer information is given on the title page, look for this information in
the colophon, other preliminaries, covers, dust jacket, and external resources (in that order
of preference)
If information is not taken from the title page, name the source in a note
e.g., “Printer information from colophon on page 54″
Only enclose information in brackets if it is supplied by the cataloger. Use a question mark
if the information is estimated. Describe the rationale for estimate or the other source of
information in a note

11. Place Names
Transcribe place names as given on the original source. If additional information is necessary
for clarity — e.g., the modern form a non-recognizable place name, or its fuller form — add
this information in brackets following the transcribed name
Resource: RBMS/BSC Latin Place Name list
Supply larger jurisdictions and/or transcribe full address if considered important for
identification or access

12. Dates
Transcribe dates as they appear, including the day and month, if present, and in whatever form
the date takes on the item in hand
If the date appears in roman numerals, transcribe as it appears, omitting internal spaces and
punctuation. Supply the year in arabic numerals in square brackets, e.g., “MDCCCXII [1812]”
Special circumstance: if the date appears only as a chromogram, or in a very long form, such as
a sentence, supply the date in arabic numerals in brackets, with a note describing how the date
is originally printed/worded, where it is located on the resource, and transcribe if possible
Fictitious or incorrect dates: transcribe as they appear on the resource, and note correct date
or other information about falsehood in a note
Copyright date: contrary to DCRM(B) 4D6, include copyright date preceded by copyright
symbol (c) as per RDA guidelines

13. Physical Description

14. Extent
In statement of extent, account for all printed pages, and accurately represent pagination
statements on the original work
Example: [2] leaves, iv, 422 pages, [8] leaves of plates
— for an item that has 2 leaves preceding the numbering sequence i-iv
Example: xx, [1], 829 pages
— for an item that has an unnumbered, printed page on the verso of p. xx

15. Illustration Processes
Illustration processes are named in parenthesis (when the cataloger can identify them)
following the statement of illustration types
e.g., “illustrations, portraits (lithographs)”
For a reference guide on identifying illustration processes, see:
Gascoigne, Bamber. How to identify prints (London [and NY]: Thames and Hudson, 2004)
Image Maps of Printmaking Techniques / Spencer Museum of Art
Graphics Atlas : Identification / Image Permanence Institute

16. Dimensions
For monographs and serials, there are no special instructions for cataloging
dimensions.
For graphic materials, however, note exactly what is being measured, e.g., sheet, plate
mark, volume, etc.
Example: 48 prints (in 1 box) : engravings ; plate mark 4 x 2 cm.
Example: 5 drawings (in 1 portfolio) : charcoal ; sheet 20 x 22 cm + 1 print on cover

17. Format
Using evidence such as general size, direction of chainlines, location of watermark, and
number of leaves per gathering, identify the format of books where paper has been folded
and cut to create gatherings (typically, pre-1820 imprints). Note this in a parenthetical
statement following the dimensions.
e.g., “16 cm (4to)”
Book format is abbreviated as follows: Folio (folio), Quarto (4to), Octavo (8vo), Duodecimo
(12mo), (18mo), (32mo), etc.

18. Signature Statements
Signature statements are given in a General Note (MARC field 500), with introductory
language, “Signature statement: …”
Used for books where gatherings are signed, and the signatures reflect the actual folding and
gathering of sheets (note: many nineteenth-century imprints present signings that do not
reflect actual gatherings; this is a superfluous, residual practice that need not be cataloged)
In general, account for the sequencing of signed and presumed signatures
[A]4 B-C4 D2 E-G4 H2
– signature A is in brackets because it is unsigned, but assumed
A-C4 D4 (-D3) E-F4
– for a book where leaf D3 is missing

19. Indexing

20. Form/Genre Headings
Neither MARC nor Dublin Core element sets differentiate between materials and
techniques. Both are intermingled under “form” or “format.” Dublin core does
differentiate between intellectual genre (type) and physical form (format).
MARC:
655 Genre/Form Heading
Dublin Core:
Format: File format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource (size, duration)
Type: Nature or genre of the resource

21. Choosing Form/Genre Headings
RBMS Controlled Vocabularies
Binding terms (rbbin)
Genre terms (rbgenr)
Paper terms (rbpap)
Printing & Publishing evidence (rbpri, rbpub)
Provenance evidence (rbprov)
Type evidence (rbtyp)
Art & Architecture Thesaurus (aat)
Artists’ Books Thesaurus (local)
U.Miami Local Vocabs (local)

22. Names
Publishers, printers, binders, former owners, and other makers/manufacturers are
traced (in MARC fields 700/710), with appropriate relationship designator for:
All pre-1800 imprints
Contemporary rare and/or handmade materials

23. Notes
Bindings, Provenance, Type Evidence, Illustrations

24. Colophons
For works where a colophon includes information on printing, type, paper, binding, etc., a
transcription of the colophon may be preferable over individual notes about these elements.
You may choose a note (MARC field 500): “Colophon: …”
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

25. Bindings
Binding descriptions are placed in a Binding Note (MARC field 563)
Include introductory text, “U.Miami Special Collections copy bound …”
Binding descriptions have a two-fold purpose:
1) to identify the copy
2) to serve as a starting point for researchers interested specifically in bindings
At very least, aim to fulfill the first objective

26. Building a Binding Note
Binding notes may include description of: covering materials, decoration, added elements, edge
treatments, endpapers, headbands, colors, and sewing structures
Cover materials are typically either leather, cloth, or paper, and sometimes plain wooden
boards. It is sufficient to simply note these material types with their basic color where relevant,
(e.g., “blue cloth”).
When describing color, choose from one of the following: black, blind, blue, brown, gold, gray,
green, orange, pink, red, tan, silver, white, yellow

27. Binding Decoration
Decoration may consist of an illustration, decorative borders and tooling, patterned motifs, and
simple titling. Generally, note the decoration type, color, and method. You may name styles where
you are able to identify them
Example: “Brown leather, with blind tooling, Cambridge style”
Example: “Yellow cloth, with Art nouveau style illustration of trees”
Example: “Red cloth, with titling information on paper onlay”

28. Edge Treatments
Typical edge treatments include: gilding, marbling, staining, sprinkling, and fore-
edge paintings. Headbands may be sewn or stuck-on. Endpapers may be a plain
color, printed, illustrated, marbled, paste papers, etc. Include a description of
interesting edge treatments, headbands, and endpapers in your binding note
Example: “Brown leather, with blind tooling, sewn headbands, marbled edges,
and green endpapers”
Image source: Wikimedia Commons Image source: Wikimedia Commons

29. Sewing Structures
Sewing structures are usually eclipsed by covering material, and are difficult to
describe. When sewing structures are exposed, you may note: style, sewing
patterns, number of sewing stations, and materials
Example: “Coptic-style binding with two linen threads worked over four stations”
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

30. Identifying Binders and Designers
For more recently published material, the name of the binder and/or cover designer may be given
alongside other information about the book’s manufacture, usually on the title page verso, or
colophon for artists’ books.
Designers of publishers’ cloth bindings (ca. 1815-1930) often signed their work with their own
monograms or names, and sometimes hidden within the piece. The Publishers’ Bindings
Online website provides a handy guide to identified signatures
Binders will sometimes add a “ticket” (small label) on or near the endpapers of a book. They may
also stamp their name/firm onto the outside covers, endpapers, or box

31. Provenance & Ownership History
Provenance information regarding an item’s original manufacture, binding, etc. is given in a
Provenance Note (MARC field 561)
Additional indications of ownership history, reader engagement, research, and use (such as
marginalia), are also described in a Provenance Note (MARC field 561) with introductory text,
“U.Miami Special Collections copy: …”
Donation/purchase information is given in an Acquisition Note (MARC field 541)
ǂc Purchase; ǂa Book dealer’s name; ǂd Date. [OR] Donation; Donor’s name; ǂd Date.
When describing marks of ownership, note the kind/type of mark (e.g., “signature”,
“bookplate”, or “annotations”), its place within/on the item (e.g., “front pastedown” or “page
5″), and transcribe as appropriate or relevant to researchers
Example: U.Miami Special Collections copy: ownership inscription on front free endpaper,
recto, “Joe Smith, August 1950″

32. Indexing Provenance Evidence
Where relevant, subdivide index terms geographically, chronologically, and/or by a name
(authorized form), e.g.:
Bookplates (Provenance) |z United States |z Florida |y 21st century |2 rbprov
Bookplates (Provenance) |x O’Dell, Allison Jai, 1983- |2 rbprov
Trace former owners with relationship designator, “former owner”
Trace donors with relationship designator, “donor”

33. Illustrations & Illustrators
For full guidelines on the description of graphic materials, especially at the item level, consult DCRM(G). General guidelines for describing
illustrations within bibliographic works follow here.
A General Note (MARC field 500) may be used to describe illustrations, illustration processes, signed illustrators, etc.
For monographs and serials where appropriate, indicate “illustrations” in the statement of extent, along with specific illustration types as
usual. When known, add the graphic process or technique in parenthesis,
Example: “illustrations, portraits (lithographs)”
For graphic materials, the entire physical description will pertain to illustrations:
x prints/drawings/pictures/etc (in x volume/box/etc) : illustration process ; dimensions of sheet/plate mark/etc., written as a x b cm + |e
additional material (if necessary)
Example: 48 prints (in 1 box) : engravings ; plate mark 4 x 2 cm
Example: 5 drawings (in 1 portfolio) : charcoal ; sheet 20 x 22 cm + 1 print on cover

34. Latin in Illustrator Signatures
(Compiled by Elisabeth Fairman, Curator of Rare
Books and Archives, Yale Center for British Art)
after = original design by
a.f., aqua forti = etched it
caelavit = engraved it
composuit = designed it
delin(eavit), delineator = drawn by
exc, excud(it) = published by
f., fec(it) = (usually) etched it (also, engraved it)
figuravit = drew it
formis = published it
imp(ressit) = printed it
inc., incid(it) = engraved it
inv., inven(it) = designed it
pictor = painter
pinx(it) = painted it
sc., sculp(sit) = engraved (also etched) it
sculptor = engraver

35. Paper
Paper stock, if relevant bibliographically, historically, or materially, may be described
in a General Note (MARC field 500), with introductory phrase: “Paper: …”
Paper notes may include description of sheet size, fibers, color and colorants, mold
(‘laid’/'wove’ paper), watermarks, associated mills, and more
Papers used as covering and binding material will be described in the Binding Note
(MARC field 563)

36. Indexing Paper
Watermarks are subdivided by the images they portray,
Watermarks (Paper) ǂx Lion. ǂ2 rbpap
Monograms should be indexed simply as, “Watermarks (Paper) ǂx Monogram. ǂ2 rbpap” with
initials spelled out or described in the paper note
For books and prints made from the mid-19th c. onward, handmade paper is unique, and
should be indexed: Handmade papers (Paper) ǂ2 rbpap
To provide subject access to the production of specific mills and papermakers, add a name
subject heading (MARC field 600 or 610) with subdivision “Specimens”, e.g.:
Cartiere Miliani Fabriano ǂv Specimens.
For providing access to fiber content (especially for books that feature paper samples), index
fibers as a subdivision under “Handmade papers (Paper)”
Handmade papers (Paper) ǂx Cotton fibers. ǂ2 rbpap

37. Indexing Fibers
Abaca fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Bamboo fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Cotton fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Cotton linters fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Esparto grass fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Flax fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Floral fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Gampi fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Grass fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Hemp fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Jute fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Kozo fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Linen fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Manila hemp (Fiber) ǂ2 aat [USE abaca fibers]
Mitsumata fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Mulberry fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Straw fibers ǂ2 rbpap
Synthetic fibers ǂ2 local
Woodpulp fibers ǂ2 rbpap

38. Type Evidence & Typefaces
When the name of a typeface is given or known, include a note (MARC field 500),
“Typeface: …”
When type design, features, etc. are historically relevant, you may include this
information in a note (MARC field 500), “Type evidence: …”
Indexing: subdivide the RBMS term “Typefaces (Type evidence)” with the name of
the face, e.g.:
Typefaces (Type evidence) ǂx Baskerville. ǂ2 rbtyp

39. More on the Intranet!
CatalogingforU.Miami
SpecialCollectionsDepartment
Allison Jai O’Dell | Special Collections Cataloging & Metadata Librarian | a.odell@miami.edu