IV.14. 500 : Notes

FORM

The form of 500 notes given in AACR2 and DCRM(B) retains some of the vestiges of the catalog card era with notes generally given in as concise a form as possible, often in "catalogese."  It is more helpful to phrase notes in a fuller form since space is no longer a significant issue in records.  Avoid using abbreviations whether the standards used in cataloging is RDA or DCRM suite.  Notes should be intelligible to catalog users, not only to catalogers.  Use colons, parens, quotes, or dashes in citing materials in order to construct the most intelligible notes. 

Follow the guidelines outlined in DCRM(B), Area 7, or DCRMR, Chapter 9.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Houghton policy is to describe illustrations in some detail (some projects, however, require only brief indication of the presence of illustrations in the 300 field).  Items cataloged for Printing & Graphic Arts usually need further description. Illustrators and those who prepared the illustrations for printing (e.g., engravers), as well as the process itself should be noted in 500: "The plates are engraved by W. Faithorne after designs by F. Cleyn."  If there are numerous illustrators, use judgment and note only the more important and/or predominant ones.  Illustrators named in the 500 note should be traced in 7XX fields, with the appropriate relator term added; if an artist is both the illustrator and engraver, apply both relator terms to the field, as $$e is repeatable.  For the use of form/genre terms, see section IV.21.

TITLE-PAGE VIGNETTE

When employing the DCRM(B) standard, Houghton traditionally used the term "title page vignette" to signify a scene or device.  "Printer's device" or "publisher's device" may be used if considered important.  Add "woodcut," "engraved," etc., as appropriate.  Decorative printer's ornaments and fleurons are not noted unless necessary for distinguishing variant editions or issues.