MARC Holdings Examples

Introduction

This document is intended to provide examples of recording holdings data for single part monographs, multipart monographs, and serials. The holdings examples illustrate principles given in the document Holdings Records in the HOLLIS Catalog: Standards and Guidelines, authored by the Harvard University Library Continuing Resources Working Group (CRWG). The examples generally pertain to printed materials - in Alma, most electronic resources do not require holdings records (except for Harvard-digitized resources, which remain under discussion).

This is not a training document - it assumes familiarity with the MARC Holdings Format, how prediction patterns work, and so on. Further information about the tags, indicators, and subfield values used in this document can be found in the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data. The format can also be found in Cataloger’s Desktop. Information about the public display of holdings is given in the ANSI/NISO Z39.71 standard Holdings Statements for Bibliographic Items.

Please note that for some data elements, the principles followed in holdings records are not based on RDA, but rather the ANSI/NISO Z39.71 standard, and that those elements may be recorded differently in bibliographic records.  For example, types of dates may be used in the 86X field differently than how those same types of dates are recorded in specific elements of bibliographic records.

Please also note that the examples found in this document contain bibliographic data from both real and fictitious records. The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of various types of holdings situations, and while it is not intended to prescribe solutions, it does recommend best practices for various holdings situations. When in doubt, specific cases and questions should be brought to the attention of cataloging supervisors, and, when necessary, to Steven Riel, Manager of the ITS Serials Cataloging unit, for review and comment/discussion.

General Information Regarding the Input of Data in MARC Holdings Records

A. Square brackets are used around supplied enumeration and chronology in the 86X field. Otherwise, do not add punctuation in the 86X field, such as quotation marks, dashes and brackets.

B. Items without sequential designations are designated “(unit)” in the 85X field. These items are described in the 86X field in terms of the number of units held, e.g.: 1 v., 1 score, 2 audio discs, approx. 1000 pieces, etc. Use RDA carrier types or units of extent when possible.

C. In the examples below, ^ represents a blank.

D. When a level of enumeration lacks a caption, enter an asterisk enclosed in parentheses in the appropriate subfield of 853, i.e. (*).  Do not combine this symbol with other text in the same subfield.

E. When indicating ordinal numbering (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd), use “+” before the caption: e.g., +ed., or on its own if there is no caption, in 85X subfields, and record the cardinal number (1, 2, 3, etc.) in 86X subfields. As of 2018, HOLLIS displays ordinal numbers and chronological terms in English, regardless of the language coding in the holdings 008. Code records correctly in anticipation of correct display in the future. (Ordinal designations may be displayed as cardinal numbers (ANSI/NISO Z39.71, sec. 5.5.4.3).)

F. In the 852 and 863-865 fields, use |x for nonpublic (staff only) notes and use |z for public notes that will display in HOLLIS.  In fields 853-855, subfields |x and |z have other definitions.

G. When roman numerals appear on the piece, record them as arabic numbers in the 863-865 fields (ANSI/NISO Z39.71, sec. 5.5.4.3).

H. Note that enumeration captions continue to be abbreviated in holdings records under RDA, even though the corresponding terms are now spelled out at the bibliographic level. For example, a work in volumes is described in the bibliographic record as (300 |a volumes), whereas the caption "volume" is recorded in the holdings record's fields 853-855 as "v."

I. A hyphen in fields 863-865 is interpreted to mean a range of numbers or dates, so it should not be used to record a single issue or volume, even if the source uses a hyphen. Use a slash to record combined issue numbers, dates, etc. For example, if the source says "no. 3-4", record it as 3/4.  If the date is "January-June 2011", record it as |i 2011 |j 01/06. If a volume of an encyclopedia is designated "A-C", record it as A/C. (ANSI/NISO Z39.71, sec. 5.5.4.3 and 5.5.5.2)

J. Captions are not capitalized unless the word would be capitalized in the language of the captions, e.g. Bd., Jahrg., n.F. (ANSI/NISO Z39.71, sec. 5.5.4.2).

K. Harvard holdings are recorded in paired fields 853/863, 854/864, and 855/865 to the extent possible.  Alma automatically generates holdings statements in fields 866, 867, and 868 from these paired fields.  Fields 966, 967, and 968 may be used for manually generated holdings statements in exceptional cases.

L. Legacy holdings records may contain chronology patterns in which the name of the chronological element is repeated, e.g., |i (year/year). This former practice was used to indicate that a chronological designation spanned more than one year, month, etc. It is not necessary to update such repeated chronology pattern elements.  

Contents/Examples

Part 1: Monographic Holdings Examples 

1a. Single-part monographs
Example 1: Single-part monograph
Example 2: Single-part monograph bound with another monograph 

1b. Multipart monographs
Example 3: Non-print materials
Example 4: Made-up collection
Example 5: Multipart monograph with replacement volumes
Example 6: Multipart monograph with individual titles consisting of dates
Example 7: Multipart monograph with individual titles and parts published out of order
Example 8: Multipart monograph with multiple levels of enumeration 

1c. Supplementary material 
Example 9: CD-ROM in pocket
Example 10: DVD with booklet
Example 11: Monograph with accompanying material
Example 12: Monograph with single-part accompanying material (nonprint example)
Example 13: Monograph with multipart accompanying material without sequential designation
Example 14: Monograph volume with various kinds of accompanying material
Example 15: Multipart set with accompanying unnumbered supplement
Example 16: Numbered index volume and material in pockets
Example 17: Multipart monograph with supplements to individual issues and indexes
Example 18: Multipart bibliographic item with replacement volumes, extra numbered volumes, unnumbered volumes, and pocket parts
Example 19: Supplement cataloged on its own bibliographic record
Example 20: Work with cumulative supplements 

1d. Loose-leaf publications and services
Example 21: Single-volume loose-leaf
Example 22: Loose-leaf service with multiple sections, transfer binders, updates, etc. 

Part 2: Monographic Series Examples 
Example 23: Multipart volumes within a series – Basic example
Example 24: Multipart volumes within a series – Complex example
Example 25: Multipart volumes within a series – No date on piece
Example 26: Multipart work published out of order in a monographic series and classed together
Example 27: Series numbering vs. subseries numbering
Example 28: Publication date used as chronology for monographic series 

Part 3: Serial Holdings Information
Example 29: Serial containing volumes in different editions
Example 30: Regular frequency with extra issue
Example 31: Combined issues
Example 32: Expanding abbreviated numbering and chronology
Example 33: Incomplete volumes and breaks
Example 34: Publication patterns that can be compressed but not expanded
Example 35: Numbering inconsistent
Example 36: Error in numbering
Example 37: Missing numbering — unnumbered issues in numbered volumes
Example 38: Continuous numbering as second level of enumeration
Example 39: Alternative numbering
Example 40: Missing Captions
Example 41: Captions — New series in captions
Example 42: Captions — Captions in different languages
Example 43: Captions — Ordinal numbers
Example 44: Captions — Roman numerals
Example 45: Chronology spanning a calendar year
Example 46: Chronology — Multi-year coverage
Example 47: Chronology — Issues spanning a calendar year
Example 48: Recording gaps
Example 49: Chronology as enumeration
Example 50: Publication date used as chronology
Example 51: Using coverage and publication dates
Example 52: Chronology — Date identified by year, month, day
Example 53: Chronology — Seasonal subdivisions
Example 54: Chronology — Non-astronomical seasons
Example 55: Chronology — Two-week subdivisions
Example 56: Limited retention
Example 57: Serial with some issues bound with another serial 

3a. Supplementary Material for Serials
Example 58: Describing supplementary material with its own numbering
Example 59: Describing supplements without their own numbering
Example 60: Recording the type of supplement or the title of a supplement 

3b. Indexes
Example 61: Coding the 855/865 fields
Example 62: Recording the type of index or the title of an index