541 Immediate source of acquisition

As of November 1, 2020 we no longer record purchase price or addresses in this field. This field will display in HOLLIS.

Indicators: 

   1^st       1        Not private [public note]

Subfields:        $$3 - Materials specified (NR)

                       $$c - Method of acquisition (NR)

                       $$a - Source of acquisition (NR)

                       $$d - Date of acquisition (NR)

                       $$e - Accession number (NR)

                       $$h - Fund used (if purchase) (NR)

                       $$5 - Institution to which field applies (NR)

puncuation:     Follow each lettered subfield with semicolon except the last, which ends with a full point.

Use a 561 note to provide a fuller custodial history.

Acquisition in this field means the acquisition of the item by the Harvard College Library. If the item is a transfer from Widener, then this field refers to Widener’s acquisition (by gift, purchase, etc.), not Houghton’s. See the example below. The fact that it is a transfer can then be recorded in 852 $$x. However, if the transfer was from a non-HCL library, e.g., the Semitic Museum, Law School, etc., then use "Transfer" in subfield $$c here, and the information refers to that transfer. Any information about how that library acquired the manuscript will count as “Provenance” (561).

If an item was acquired from more than one source (unusual for single items), this field should be repeated, using subfield $$3, which will display at the beginning of the field, to specify to which part each 541 field refers. Omit any subfield that does not apply.

$$3 Materials specified

Use only if materials have more than one source. Use at the beginning of each new 541 to indicate to which part of the material this field applies.

$$c Method of acquisition

Enter “Purchase”, “Gift”, “Bequest”, “Deposit”, or “Transfer”, as required. If the method of acquisition is unknown, do not use this subfield.

$$a Source of acquisition

Enter the name of the dealer (if purchased) or donor or depositor. If a transfer, list both the transfer information and, parenthetically, the original Harvard acquisition if known. If the source of acquisition is unknown, designate as "source unknown".

$$d Date of acquisition

Enter the date in this form: year month day (e.g., 1975 November 3), spelling the month out. If a transfer, give information on the original date of acquisition parenthetically. If the date of acquisition is unknown, designate as "date unknown".

$$ e Accession number

Enter the accession number here, minus the initial asterisk. This subfield is also used for a former call number, which enable searchability. If the old call number is within Houghton, then the Houghton accession number follows it, in parentheses, still with no asterisk. See the example below. If an old call number includes an asterisk, delete the asterisk. (Asterisks interfere with searching on this field.) If the accession number is unknown, do not use this subfield.

$$h Fund used (if purchase)

Enter the fund name without parentheses. This field is not repeatable so if purchase came from several funds, separate each by a comma. If the item is a gift, do not use this subfield.

$$5 Institution to which field applies

punctuation:    Ends with no punctuation.

For Houghton materials use the form:   $$5 hou

For Harvard Theatre Collection use the form:  $$5 the

For Woodberry Poetry Room materials housed at Houghton used the form: $$5 poe

Note: Materials marked with a $$5 poe, have an 852 $$b HOU.

examples:

541 1_ $$c Purchase;  $a Thierry Bodin; $$d 2000; $$e 2000M-100; $$h Amy Lowell fund.  $$5 hou

541 1_ $$c Purchase; $$a Maggs; $$d 2002 September 2; $$e 2002M-1; $$h Books for Houghton fund, funds presented by David Goldberg ’54. $$5 hou

541 1_ $$c Bequest; $$a Philip Hofer; $$d 1984; $$e 84M-1. $$5 hou

541 1_ $$c Purchase; $$a source unknown; $$d 1923 March 19; $$e 24278.116; $$h Degrand fund; $$5 hou [for an old Widener manuscript; note the Widener call number in $$e]

541 1_ $$c Deposit; $$a Semitic Museum; $$d 1959. $$5 hou

541 1_ $$c Gift; $$a Lawrence Lader; $$d 2003; $$e 2003M-35. $$5 hou

541 1_ $$a Source unknown; $$d date unknown. $$5 the