1. Descriptive Cataloging with RDA
Notes
Now we move into the notes area. Unlike areas of the record such as the title and statement of responsibility, we are allowed to draw information for our notes from any source: the work itself or other resources that tell us about the work.
There are two kinds of notes:
Required: RDA requires us to make certain notes. For example, if an item lacks a preferred source of information you’ll need to record the source where you found the information you’re recording in your record: if there is not title page and you take the title from the cover you must include a note.
Optional: These are notes that are not required but are used to give additional information you as a cataloger feel would be helpful to your patrons.
Brevity is the soul of wit: Too much data in a record obscures important information. Be concise. Include only important information. Your catalog record shouldn’t have screen after screen of long notes.
Part 1

2. This is a revision of an earlier work with a slightly different title.
Title page
Title page verso
This is a revision of an earlier work with a slightly different title.

3. Zoom In
The earlier work was written by Michels, Wilkinson, and Rice.
Rev. ed. of: Retinal detachment / Ronald G. Michels, Charles P. Wilkinson, Thomas A. Rice

4. RDA , A.8
Sources of Information
Take information for notes on manifestation or item from any source.
A.8 Capitalize the first word or abbreviation of a word in a note ... or cataloguer’s note...
If a note consists of more than one sentence, capitalize the first word of each subsequent sentence. Capitalize a title as instructed at A.4.
[See examples at and of introductory wording.]
(alk. paper)
245 _ _ Michels retinal detachment / ‡c Charles P. Wilkinson, Thomas
A. Rice ; art coordinator and medical illustrator Timothy C.
Hengst ; assisted by Diane T. Hodgkins.
nd ed.
264 □ 1 St. Louis : ‡b Mosby, ‡c [1997].
xv, 1163 pages : ‡b illustrations ; ‡c 29 cm.
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
500 Revised edition of: Retinal detachment / Ronald G.
Michels, Charles P. Wilkinson, Thomas A. Rice.
1990.
504 Includes bibliographical references and index.
Sources of Information
Take information for notes on manifestation or item from any source.
A.8 Capitalize the first word or abbreviation of a word in a note ... or cataloguer’s note...
If a note consists of more than one sentence, capitalize the first word of each subsequent sentence.
Capitalize a title as instructed at A.4.
(See examples at and of introductory wording)
The 500 field is a “general” note field. Other fields are specified for particular types of information, as we’ll see later.

5. 5xx - Note Fields 500 - General Note (R) …
504 - Bibliography, etc. Note (R)
505 - Formatted Contents Note (R)
520 - Summary, etc. (R)
538 - System Details Note (R)
There are many note fields, most beginning with a 5 (we’ll an exception in a few minutes.
The 500 field is the general note field. If we do not have a specialized note field for the information we wish to record, we use a 500 field.
Notice that these fields are repeatable. You can have many note fields in a record.

6. Notes can take a variety of forms.
Title page
Title page verso
Notes can take a variety of forms.
One such form is a quote directly from the work itself.

7. Preface, p. xi
This is hard to see but the last paragraph has been enlarged on the next slide.

8. Zoom In
This gives some information beyond what was included on the preferred source of information (the title page). We learn that the current edition has additions and revisions.

9. [The quotation is not from the preferred source of information.]
RDA
Quotations
Record quotations from the resource or from other sources in quotation marks. Follow the quotation by an indication of its source, unless that source is the preferred source of information for the identification of the resource
245 _ _ Victoria / ‡c Stanley Weintraub.
264 □ 1 London : ‡b John Murray, ‡c 1996.
xi, 692 pages, [20] pages of plates : ‡b illustrations ; ‡c 24 cm
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
500 First published:
“Additions and revisions ... update this edition extensively, and add to
its accuracy.”—Preface.
Includes bibliographical references ( p )
and index.
Notice that the cataloger has put the quote in quotation marks and noted where the quote was found in the piece. Citing where the information was found is necessary when the information does not come from the preferred source of information for the work.
This is followed by another note. Each note is preceded by a full stop.
[The quotation is not from the preferred source of information.]

10. Title page
Title page verso
We also make a note if a work is a translation. This work was originally published in German.

11. Zoom In
We know about the previous publication from the title page verso.

12. RDA J.1, J.3.2 Translation of: Bekenntnisse des
J.1 General Guidelines on Using Relationship Designators
The defined scope of a relationship element provides a general indication of the nature of the relationship between works, expressions, manifestations, or items (e.g., related work, related item).
J.3.2 Derivative Expression Relationships
translation of - An expression of a work that has been translated, i.e., the text expressed in a language different from that of the original work.
(pbk.)
245 _ _ Confessions of Felix Krull : ‡b confidence man : the early years / ‡c Thomas Mann.
st Vintage International ed.
264 □ 1 New York : ‡b Vintage International, ‡c 1992.
264 □ 4 ‡c ©1955.
384 pages ; ‡c 24 cm
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
Translation of: Bekenntnisse des
Hochstaplers Felix Krull.
500 Originally published: New York : Knopf, 1955.
This is a standardized formal note.
We make a note if a work is a translation or adaptation and this is not apparent from the rest of the description.
[A translation/adaptations note is recorded in Field A language of the item note is recorded in Field 546 (Language Note).]

13. Relating RDA/FRBR Entities
Work
Bekenntnisse des
Hochstaplers Felix Krull
Expression
German-language novel
English-language novel
Manifestation
What we are doing here is relating the various expressions of a work. [click]
The work was first expressed as a German-language novel. [click]
Which then appeared as various manifestations. [click]
It was then translated into an English-language novel. [click]
Which has also appeared as various manifestations. We are cataloging a manifestation of the English-language novel. [click]
We are indicating the relationship between two expressions: the original German-language novel and the English-language translation of that novel.
Item 13

14. Cover
Page 2 of cover
This work doesn’t have a title page. The cataloger has used the cover as a substitute for the title page.

15. RDA 2.20.2.3 _ _ Greening the government : ‡b closing
Title Source
Make a note on the source from which the title proper is taken if it is not one of these sources:
the title page, title sheet, or title card (or image of it) of a resource consisting of multiple pages, leaves, sheets, or cards (or images of them)
_ _ Greening the government : ‡b closing
the circle : a guide to implementing
executive order
264 □ 1 [Washington, D.C.?] : ‡b [Office of the
Vice President], ‡c [1996?]
ii, 97 pages : ‡b illustrations ; ‡c 28 cm.
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
500 Title from cover.
Some notes are required. For example, if we take the title from somewhere other than the prescribed source of information, we must note that.
This is a very brief note. But for someone familiar with a MARC record it is sufficient.

16. Title page
Title page verso
Here we have a case where we have one title on the title page and a different title on the cover.
Notice that the title on the title page is “What you should know about selling and salesmanship.”

17. The title on the cover is just “Selling and salesmanship.”

18. RDA 2.3.6.3 246 _ 4 Selling and salesmanship
Recording Variant Titles
Record variant titles that are considered important for identification or access by applying the basic instructions on recording titles at 2.3.1
245 _ _ What you should know about selling and
salesmanship / ‡c by Milton B. Burstein.
246 _ 4 Selling and salesmanship
264 □ 1 Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : ‡b Oceana
Publications, ‡c 1969.
x, 85 pages ; ‡c 20 cm.
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
Business almanac series ; ‡v number 18
“Oceana book number ”—Title page verso.
Business almanac series ; ‡v number 18
The cataloger has recorded the title from the title page in the 245 field.
The title on the cover is recorded as a variant title in the 246 field.
The 4 in the position of the second indicator tells the computer that this variant title is a cover title. The first indicator (not shown here) governs whether the system will generate a note and use the information in the field as an access point for the record. Don’t worry about that at present.
[In addition to creating a note, the first indicator value in Field 246 would be either ‘0’ or “1” depending or whether the cover title is to be made an access point in the catalog (‘1”) or not made an access point (“0”). The print constant “Cover title:” is provided when the 2nd indicator value of “4” is used.]

19. Title page
Title page verso
As you recall, we transcribe our statement of responsibility from the title page. In this case our title page statement of responsibility names the Subject Cataloging Division of the Processing Services section of the Library of Congress. So we will record that information in our 245 field.
However, we have some additional information about someone responsible for the production of this work elsewhere in the work.

20. Page iii
Here is page 3 of the front matter. This is hard to read but the next slide will show a section enlarged.

21. Zoom In
Notice that we have additional information about who prepared the work.
Now, we don’t record Jolande in our 245 field because she wasn’t mentioned on the title page. But we can record her contribution in a note.

22. RDA 2.20.3.3 500 “Prepared in the Subject Cataloging
Attribution
If responsibility for the intellectual or artistic content of the resource has been attributed to persons, families or corporate bodies and these persons, families, or corporate bodies are not named in a statement of responsibility then make notes about the attributed relationship of these persons, families, or corporate bodies to the resource.
245 _ _ Classification. Class KJ-KKZ, law of
Europe / ‡c Subject Cataloging Division,
Processing Services, Library of Congress.
246 _ 4 Law of Europe
264 □ 1 Washington : ‡b Library of Congress, ‡c 1988.
300 xxxi pages, 599 leaves ; ‡c 28 cm
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
500 “Prepared in the Subject Cataloging
Division by Jolande E. Goldberg”—Page iii.
The cataloger has transcribed the information on the title page in the 245 field.
She has added a quote from elsewhere in the work that gives credit to Jolande for the preparation of the schedule. Because it is a quote it is enclosed in quotation marks.
Note that because the information was taken from a place other than the chief source of information the cataloger has included the page number were the information was found.

23. First published in 1928 Reprinted in 1971
Title page
Title page verso
First published in 1928
Reprinted in 1971
This is a reprint of an earlier work.
Let’s enlarge the information on the title-page verso.
The original work was published in 1928.
The version we are cataloging was reprinted in As you recall from an earlier lecture, we catalog what we have in hand. What we have in hand is the 1971 reprint. Our catalog record needs to reflect this.

24. Series title page (half-title page)
This is the series title page from as reproduced in our reprint.

25. RDA 27.1.1.3 500 Originally published: London : Allen & Unwin, 1928.
Recording Relationships to Related Manifestations
Record a relationship to a related manifestation by applying the general guidelines at [See examples under “Structured Description of the Related Manifestation”]
245 _ _ Foreign diplomacy in China, : ‡b a study
in political and economic relations with China /
‡c by Philip Joseph.
264 □1 New York : ‡b Octagon Books, ‡c 1971.
458 pages : ‡b maps ; ‡c 23 cm.
text ‡2 rdacontent
unmediated ‡2 rdamedia
volume ‡2 rdacarrier
500 Originally published: London : Allen & Unwin, 1928.
(Studies in economics and political
science ; no. 93)
Includes bibliographical references (pages [423]-426) and index.
Here is our record. Our publication information, recorded in the 264 field, reflects the fact that what we have is the reprint, published in 1971.
However, the cataloger has included a note to let the user know that the work was originally published in London by Allen & Unwin in The cataloger has also included the series statement for the original. Notice that the order of information in the note reflects the order in which such information is presented in a record: place of publication, followed by the publisher, followed by the date, followed by the series statement. Because the series statement is not recorded in a separate subfield it is enclosed in parentheses.
[Information about the reprint note taken from the half-title page, the title page verso and the catalog record for the 1928 ed.]