[updated 03/12/2014]
The final count of boxes and/or volumes will not be determined until the end-processing is completed. The cataloger will insert a provisional count at the end of the descriptive work. When the end-processing is complete, the manuscript assistant will inform the cataloger of the final “count” and the cataloger will change the Aleph record, and the OASIS finding aid.
NOTE: An item/volume that is over 28 cm. high, is a folio
An item/volume that is over 46 cm. high, is a portfolio
300 Physical description. (DACS 2.5) Required
This field contains the physical description of the collection, including its extent. Punctuation is conventional in this field and is noted below.
Do not abbreviate words.
This field displays as ‘Description:’ in the OPAC.
indicators: both blank, undefined.
subfields:
$$a Extent. “Number of physical pages, volumes, total playing time, etc., of each type of unit.” Record the inclusive extent of the whole collection The first (or sometimes the only) 300 field, should record the total size of the collection.
First record the total linear feet of the containers. We count total linear feet by measuring the depth of the material included, not the measurement of the shelf space taken up. Traditionally Houghton is interested in recording the amount of material the reader can expect to have to read through. We do not use abbreviations and we use the words “linear feet” for extent; and “linear foot” only in the case of “1 linear foot.”
Examples:
5 linear feet
.3 linear feet
1 linear foot
.03 linear feet
Next add the number of physical containers (recorded with a second $$a and inside parentheses) usually boxes (but can be volumes or other “counted” materials). Use of the word "box" denotes any type of box-like container such as (but not limited to) a black box, Hollinger box, Paige carton, etc… Variant types of housing should be separated by a comma. See full examples below.
$$f Type of unit. We do not use subfield $$f (type of unit) as we do not keep statistics on the type of container
$$3 Materials specified. Part of the described materials to which the field applies. Place this word, followed by a colon, immediately before the physical description data, but only in the additional 300 fields, when multiple 300s are used [it also is allowed by MARC to be after].
Example:
300 $$a 2 linear feet $$a (4 boxes)
300 $$3 Includes photographs: $$a .5 linear feet $$a (1 box)
Punctuation for field 300: Ends with a period or may end in no punctuation when another mark of punctuation or closing parenthesis is present.
Full examples of a single 300 field:
300 $$a 12.5 linear feet $$a (30 boxes, $$a 15 volumes)
300 $$a 11.5 linear feet $$a (27 boxes, $$a 2 portfolio boxes)
300 $$a 1 linear foot $$a (2 boxes)
300 $$a 1.25 linear feet $$a (3 boxes)
300 $$a .5 linear feet $$a (1 box)
Expanding a 300 and using multiple 300 fields
If the collection includes material that might require reformatting and/or conservation in the future it should be mentioned in the extent based on the following rule:
DACS 2.5.6: "…qualify the statement of physical extent to highlight the existence of material types that are important"
Therefore, as of 2014, the Manuscript Section is capturing the following information in the 300 field for statistical purposes [reports will be run in ALEPH to capture these statistics]:
- Total extent in linear feet
- Extent of photographic material
- Extent of audio/visual material
- Extent of digital material
If there is easily measurable material, of significant amount (over 10 items) it should be split-out and recorded in its own 300 field.
Examples of use of multiple 300s:
300 $$a 1.5 linear feet $$a (3 boxes)
300 $$3 Includes photographs: $$a .5 linear feet $$a (1 box)
_______________________
300 $$a 10 linear feet $$a (6 boxes, $$a13 volumes)
300 $$3 Includes audiocassettes: $$a .5 linear feet $$a (40 items)
300 $$3 Includes negatives: $$a .1 linear feet.
300 $$3 Includes film reels: $$a .2 linear feet $$a (10 reels)
_______________________
300 $$a 5 linear feet $$a (5 portfolio boxes)
300 $$3 Includes prints: $$a (25 items)
300 $$3 Includes photographs: $$a (12 items)
________________________
300 $$a 7 linear feet $$a (7 boxes)
300 $$3 Includes CD-Rs: $$a8 items $$a (5400 MB)
300 $$3 Includes floppy disks: $$a2 items $$a (2.8 MB)
$$b Other physical details
If the material is not easily measurable (such as single photographs scattered throughout correspondence files), but is definitely worth mentioning [i.e. over 10 items], then mention the format word within the inclusive 300 field in a subfield $$b and use the word “uncounted”
Examples of materials not easily measurable, but important enough to mention:
300 $$a 1.25 linear feet $$a (3 boxes) $$b includes uncounted photographs, $$b includes uncounted negatives.
The types of materials that should be highlighted include [list may be added to]:
From AAT:
audiotapes
audiocassettes
compact discs
CD-ROMs
photo CDs
DVDs
magnetic disks
floppy disks
microfilms
motion pictures (visual works)
phonograph records
photographs [and all related visual materials such as negatives, etc…]
videotapes
videocassettes
Born digital material in the 300
As we acquire and catalog born-digital material, it should be noted that there will be a description of the digital storage requirement of the material, but there may not be a physical container taking up shelf space [e.g., acquisition of a website]. In these cases, the field will be formatted with a term from AAT describing the documents (not the file or encoding format) and an expression of the storage requirement in MB as follows:
300 $$3 Web pages (document genres): $$a (2.8 MB)
300 $$3 Digital images: $$a (300 MB)
300 $$3 Digital art (visual works): $$a (30000 MB)
300 $$3 Electronic mail: $$a (467 MB)
300 $$3 Database: $$a (53 MB)
336 Content. (RDA) Optional
337 Media. (RDA) Optional
338 Carrier. (RDA) Optional
It was decided at a Manuscript Section meeting of 12/5/2013, that the Houghton Manuscript Section would not use these new RDA fields in our collection-level MARC records until the archival community arrives at a more clear consensus on how they should/or should not be used in our records.