Aleph limits the size of each MARC field in bibliographic, authority, or holdings records to 2000 characters. When the 505 (Contents) field exceeds this limit, it must be 505s can be either basic (second indicator blank), with all contents in a single subfield $$a, or enhanced (second indicator 0), with contents encoded using subfields $$t, $$r, and $$g. When producing original records, create enhanced 505 notes whenever possible. Basic 505 notes are abundant in existing records; there is no obligation to enhance them.
Catalogers may encounter older records in which the 505 is divided into two or more 505 fields, with 1st first indicator 0 for the 1st 505 first 505 note, and 1st indicator first indicator 8 for the subsequent 505 field(s).
When records are imported from a utility, Aleph breaks over-long 505 fields into two or more 505 fields, adding a subfield 9 containing "^^" to all fields after the first. Before saving these imported records to the server, be sure to remove the subfield 9 and correct end-of-field punctuation as needed, and check formatting.
This practice owed to a 2000-character limit per MARC field in Aleph, Alma's predecessor. In Alma, no such limit applies, and newly-created 505 notes should be kept to a single field; again, there is no obligation to update existing notes.
Supplied information should be in the language of the manifestation. See RDA 2.3.2.11,: "Use the language and script appropriate to the content of the resource being described, except where instructed to use specific terminology,"; and the LC-PCC PS Alternative, : "Devise a title in a language and script preferred by the agency preparing the description." Houghton catalogers have chosen to interpret the latter as, we prefer The Rare Book Section interprets these instructions to mean that the language of the manifestation in this instance.505s can be either formatted or unformatted. When creating original records, prefer the formatted. In updating records, there is no obligation to change unformatted ones (of which there plenty!) to formattedis preferable.