V.6. Accompanying Material

Owned by Vernica Downey
Last updated: Jan 13, 2023 by Linda Isaac

Many books have material added that is not inherent to the original publication. The two most prevalent categories are manuscript annotations and inserted ephemera. Houghton has developed a variety of routine local strategies for addressing such classes of material.

V.6.1. Manuscripts in books

Printed items often contain manuscript markings. Routinely, these are noted in the 561 or 562 of the holdings record and, if applicable, the name of the former owner or annotator is traced in the bibliographic record in an added entry, with the appropriate relationship designator(s). (See RDA Appendix I, the RBMS list of relationship designators, and MARC Code List for Relators for vocabulary and usage.) However, on occasion, an item will often be found to contain significant manuscript additions or insertions. Treat these as noted below.

Historical note:  It was a local practice in the past to add an 006 control field for manuscript language material to book records containing manuscript material.  In light of problems this creates with OCLC matching, as well as concerns over the appropriateness of the field for this purpose, this step is no longer followed.

Manuscript markings in books:

  1. Describe the annotations in a 562 note (or in a 561 note if related to provenance).
  2. Add the appropriate 655 fields, with subfield 5, to the bibliographic record:
    • 655 _7 $$a Annotations (Provenance) $$2 rbprov  $$5 hou
    • 655 _4 $$a Manuscripts in books. $$5 hou [if extensive]
    • 655 _7 $$a Authors' copies (Provenance) $$2 rbprov $$5 hou [if extensively marked up by the author]
  3. If the item is annotated by an identifiable person (in which case, the note goes in the 561), add to the bibliographic record a 700 for the person with an appropriate subfield $$e (typically $$e annotator or $$e inscriber) and subfield $$5 hou; more than one relationship designator may be used if a person fills more than one function (e.g., $$e former owner, $$e annotator).
  4. If considered important due to fragility or other handling concerns, consult with the appropriate curator to see if restricted access is desirable. If so, create a 506 note in the holdings record according to Houghton's Restrictions Policy and make sure that the routing slip is annotated so that end processors know to note the restriction below the call number on the tab or spine label.

Manuscripts tipped or bound in:

If the manuscript is loose, partially detached, or otherwise in jeopardy, consult with the appropriate curator as to whether it should be removed. If the manuscript is securely attached to the item:

  1. Follow steps 1-4 above, and
  2. Add a 700 for the author of the manuscript (if different from the author of the printed work) and the recipient (if any), with subfield $$e "correspondent" or "recipient," as appropriate, and subfield $$5.

V.6.2. Loose material

(with the exception of detached leaves, which are treated differently; see /wiki/spaces/HoughtonTechnicalServices/pages/41156704)

Loose material in books can either be removed from the volume and treated separately, or retained with the item. Below are some guidelines for how to handle such material; when in doubt, always consult the appropriate curator for a decision on how to handle loose material from a given item or collection.

Removing loose material from books:

Loose manuscripts inserted

Loose manuscripts such as original autograph or typescript letters may be removed from the item and forwarded to the Manuscript Section together with a copy of the item's cataloging record. The holdings record should include a 562 note stating that the manuscript was present at the time of cataloging and was removed to the Manuscripts Section for separate cataloging. (Usually, this means accessioning as a manuscript, a note in the manuscript record about its original location, and insertion into the Autograph File.) The Manuscript Section will later amend this note to include the new location for the manuscript material.

For example:

562 $$a Three leaves of manuscript material inserted; removed to manuscript collection. $$5 hou

Historical note: Earlier practice was to add notes of this nature to the 852 subfield $$z; the 562 is now standard at Houghton, owing to better searching and display. When editing legacy records, move 852 $$z notes to the 562 (or other appropriate 5XX) for purposes of improved discovery.

Loose printed material

All other material – such as bibliographical notes, calling cards, anonymous scraps of notes, bookmarks, prospectuses, unrelated printed ephemera – may be put in the Houghton Bibliographic File (or the Printing and Graphic Arts Department Curatorial File, if appropriate) with a 562 note to this effect.  Optionally, if deemed not useful, consult with appropriate curator to see if it can be discarded. Do not send these to the Manuscripts Section.

For example:

562 $$a Publisher's prospectus inserted; removed to Bibliographic File. $$5 hou

Historical note: Houghton no longer keeps physical dealer descriptions in the bibliographic file.  Dealer descriptions can be discarded once the materials have been cataloged and the information has been transferred to the bibliographic and/or holdings records.

Retaining loose material with books:

Loose manuscript and printed material

In some cases, loose material is intrinsic to or otherwise associated with the publication: a purposefully loose leaf in an artist's book, for example, or a former owner's notes or correspondence referring to the text.  In these instances, keep the material with the book and request that a case be made; the routing slip should have the phrase "(LOOSE MATERIAL)" added on the line below the call number so that end processing can include this warning on the tab or spine label.

Note the presence of loose material in a 562 note, if the bibliographic record does not already describe it; and in the case of manuscript material, include the local "Manuscripts in books" form/genre term.  Retention of loose material with books is situational, and consultation with the appropriate curator is advisable.

Loose objects

Objects/Specimens such as feathers, dried flowers or leaves found in books should be housed appropriately in acid-free envelopes/sleeves.  Mylar sleeves may be appropriate in most cases, and the conservation staff can provide appropriate training; however, due to each object's varying stage of degradation, it is always best to consult the conservation staff to examine the specimen and its fragility (some may require the use of tweezers to transfer).  If the specimens appear too fragile, or if there are more than two or three specimens, always consult the conservation staff first, as multiple Mylar sleeves can add thickness to the book and cause strain on the binding.