Important:
Standards are very much in flux in our current environment. These instructions represent national best practice as of the date of official release of this wiki page. They do not supersede any community-specific practices, for example PCC programs, OLAC or MLA best practices, or future changes to RDA LC-PCC PSs. Please notify one of the Metadata Standards Working Group co-chairs (listed here: https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/x/fwGlCg) if updates to RDA or companion standards conflict with any information given below.
Recommendation
In response to its charge to provide guidance and coordination in the review of issues surrounding the process of moving from Harvard’s current Single Record Approach to a Multiple Record Approach, the Multiple Record Implementation Task Group recommends that Harvard Library continue to use a single record approach for describing locally reformatted materials while we remain in a MARC-based cataloging environment.
NET and RDM Holdings
In order to provide consistent metadata for these materials, please consult the NET holdings for locally digitized materials for further guidance. There you will find guidance and information about Alma templates to assist in cataloging.
Life cycle of a locally digitized item
Please note that although Harvard attatches the locally digitized item to our print holdings, that NET holdings is associated in OCLC with a provider neutral record for digital formats.
Local Records
NET holdings representing the digitized file are attached to the bibliographic record of Harvard's print version.
OCLC Connexion
NET holdings are sent out to OCLC via Data Sync: these holdings are placed on a provider neutral record for that manifestation, and will usually include the 533 with our reproduction information.
NB: Catalogers should NOT manually associate our digitized version to a record in OCLC. This association happens via Data Sync processes.
What this best practice does not cover
Commercially reformatted reproductions
Commercially reformatted reproductions and their related print materials fall under Harvard’s newly implemented Multiple Record Policy for all prospective cataloging. As a result, all microform, CD-ROM, or other purchased or acquired reproductions should be cataloged on a separate record from any related print resource. Please see Best Practice for Commercially Produced Reproductions (Microforms, CD-ROMS, etc.).
Note about Photocopies and Print Preservation Facsimiles
Please note that photocopies and similar unpublished reproductions may present unusual challenges in cataloging depending on their purpose. For cases where Harvard owns an unpublished print reproduction of an item/manifestation, but we do not own the original item from which the unpublished print reproduction was made, please see the Best Practice for Unpublished Print Reproductions (Photocopies, etc.) For print presentation copies of Harvard Library materials made to be used in place of a fragile or damaged original copy, please see Best Practice for Holdings Records for Print Preservation Facsimiles.
Relationship with commercially produced digital reproductions
Please note that Harvard often has access to both a locally produced and commercially produced digital reproduction of the same manifestation. If our locally digitized object is associated with the provider neutral record in OCLC used by a vendor providing us with access via a Community Zone record, we may see our local Harvard reproduction information on this Community Zone record as well, even though it almost always represents a different item of the same manifestation.
Example:
MMS ID 99154275677803941: Validity of slave marriages / opinion by James B. Bradwell, probate judge
This is a Community Zone record associated with an OCLC provider neutral record that represents all digitized versions of this manifestation
OCLC number: 905662001
Please note the presence of the following 533: Electronic reproduction. $b Cambridge, Mass. : $c Harvard College Library Digital Imaging Group, $d 2021. $f (Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation, and Freedom: Primary Sources from Houghton Library). $n Copy digitized: Houghton Library: US 5272.35. $7 s2021####maun#s $5 MH
MMS ID 990040497510203941: Validity of slave marriages / opinion by James B. Bradwell, probate judge
This is an Institutional Zone print record with 2 holdings for print as well as a NET holding for a digitized version of our Houghton item.
OCLC number for Print: 30556679
OCLC number for NET located in 014 of holdings: 12523586484 (merged in OCLC with 905662001) (same as CZ record)