NB: this page has recently undergone a reorganization (May 2024). Please leave comments below should you have requests or comments about the structure of this page.

This page is largely, but not exclusively, maintained by the Metadata Standards Advisory Group.

If you would like to request that a metadata best practice be addressed or updated, please leave a comment on the Metadata Best Practices Suggestions page page.

For information related to our Library Service Provider, Alma, please see Alma documentation

Authority related work

Names
Name Access Points in Alma, June 12, 2018 (rev. 2018-08-14)
- Harvard University Archives documentation re: Name Access Points in Alma best practice (2018)
Subjects
- Harvard Library and SACO
- Best Practices Manual for Culturally Correct Subject Headings 2023-05
Series
- Guidelines for Handling Numbered Series that Become Unnumbered (or Vice Versa)) (rev. 2018-04-12)
Titles
- Best Practice for Cataloging Partial Compilations of a Single Author (2021-07)
General
- Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources

General Cataloging

Encoding Levels at Harvard (2020-07-13)
Transliteration of Materials in non-Latin Scripts (2020-05)
Best Practice for RDA LC-PCC Policy Statement Conflict

Subject/Genre/Form

- Best Practice for Genre/Form Added Entries (2018-11-01)
- Best Practice: Genre Term for Web Archives (2019-02-08)

Holdings

Holdings Examples (2018-12-07)
Best Practice For 33x and 007 Fields in Alma (2021-03-18)
Best Practice for MARC Fields with Privacy Indicators in Alma (2018-11-01)
Best Practices for Recording Gift Information in Holdings Records (2019-02-07)
ITS Instructions for Working with Retention Commitment Statements in Items and Holdings (2020-07-01)
LTS: ReCAP Shared Collection – Alma coding for items and holdings (2023)
LTS: Collection Management - Policy for Suppression and Deletion

Items

MARC fields/subfields and related issues

Best Practice for Use of ISBD Punctuation (2019-03-28)
Best Practice for Subfields Zero and One ($0 and $1) (2019-06)
Best Practice for use of 914 (NO-WORLDCAT) 2023-02-08

Special Fields/Topics

- Hierarchical Place Name (MARC 752) (rev. 2018-02-18)
- Best Practice for Recording Audience and/or Creator/Contributor Characteristics (MARC21 fields 385 and 386) (2023-10-17)
- Best Practice for Foreign Language Summaries in Bibliographic Records (2024-03-12)
- Citations for Répertoire international des sources musicales (RISM) (2019-05-22)

Local Fields

Best Practice for Use of Local Headings at Harvard (2021-02-05)
Best Practice for MARC21 Coding of Local Collection Names at Harvard (2024-03-21)
Best Practice for MARC 21 Fields Describing Local Information (2019-06-20)
Best Practice for Books Acquired through the Library of Congress European Mission (2022-09-08)

LTS Information

- Alma Merging Algorithms and Protected Fields (LTS–includes list of valid Harvard local library codes)

Reproductions

Best Practice for Commercially Produced Tangible Reproductions (Microforms, CD-ROMs, etc.) (2019-07-22)
Best Practice for Locally Produced Reproductions (updated 2024-03-12)
- Best Practices for NET Holdings for Locally Digitized Materials (2021-09-24)
Best Practice for Unpublished Print Reproductions (Photocopies, etc.) 2022-07-07
- Best Practice for Stand-Alone Unpublished Print Reproductions 2022-07-07
- Best Practice for Holdings Records for Print Preservation Facsimiles 2022-07-28

Theses and Dissertations

Cataloging Theses & Dissertations (Best Practice) (rev. 2019-04)
- Best Practice for E-Theses and Dissertations

Archival Description

Archival Description / ArchivesSpace Best Practices (rev. 2016-07-19)

Batch Jobs and Imports

LTS Guidance for Jobs and Batch Processes

Macros, etc.

The Metadata Standards Working Group recommends the use of macros, text strings, and other tools that will create greater consistency of metadata while reducing repetitive stress injuries.