This 2007 publication is a revision of Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books, 1991, itself a revision of Bibliographic Description of Rare Books, 1981. Copyright ©2007 by the Library of Congress except within the U.S.A. Third printing with corrections, November 2011 For sale by the Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20541‐4912. Product catalog available on the Web at <http://www.loc.gov/cds> ISBN: 978‐0‐8444‐1162‐0 Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data Association of College and Research Libraries. Rare Books and Manuscripts Section. Bibliographic Standards Committee Descriptive cataloging of rare materials (books) / Bibliographic Standards Committee, Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, Association of College and Research Libraries, in collaboration with the Cataloging Policy and Support Office of the Library of Congress. p. cm. ʺThis 2007 publication is a revision of Descriptive cataloging of rare books, 1991, itself a revision of Bibliographic description of rare books, 1981ʺ‐‐T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 978‐0‐8444‐1162‐0 (alk. paper) 1. Cataloging of rare books‐‐Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Descriptive cataloging‐‐United States‐‐Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Anglo‐American cataloguing rules. I. Library of Congress. Cataloging Policy and Support Office. II. Descriptive cataloging of rare books. III. Title. IV. Title: DCRM(B) Z695.74 .U54 2007 025.3ʹ416‐‐dc22 2006051905 The front cover image is taken from leaf I of Jacob de Voragine’s The Golden Legend, translated into English by William Caxton and printed by Julian Notary in 1504 (Folger shelfmark STC 24877); the back cover image is taken from the colophon of the Heidelberger Katechismus, 1584, printed by Matthias Harnisch (Folger shelfmark 218‐ 098.3q). PREFACE Background Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books), referred to hereafter as DCRM(B), is third in direct descent from Bibliographic Description of Rare Books (BDRB). BDRB was published in 1981 as the interpretations of the Library of Congress for AACR2, rules 2.12‐2.18, on early printed monographs. When it was due for revision, the RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee under Jackie M. Dooley teamed up with Ben R. Tucker and Robert Ewald of the Library of Congress to produce Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books (DCRB), which appeared in 1991. In 1998, Robert L. Maxwell, then chair of the Bibliographic Standards Committee, inaugurated the current revision. In contrast to the previous two editions of the rare book cataloging rules, the Library of Congress preferred to be responsible for commenting on and approving the text rather than actively engaged in writing it. Director for Cataloging Beacher Wiggins (now Director for Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access) first authorized the revision and the Bibliographic Standards Committee’s lead role in it, and Barbara B. Tillett, Chief of the Cataloging Policy and Support Office, confirmed his decision. Along with Elizabeth Robinson (team leader for rare book cataloging), Cataloging Policy and Support Office members Margaret Detweiler and Robert Ewald (both now retired) and Judith Kuhagen have scrutinized drafts and monitored DCRM(B)’s progress. DCRM(B) was already well underway when work on RDA: Resource Description and Access (then called AACR3) was announced. The DCRM(B) editors briefly considered, then rejected, postponing further work until after RDA’s publication. We agreed it would be unwise to delay, given the progress already made on DCRM(B) and the considerable investment to date of time, labor, and money. Changes from DCRB The most significant changes from DCRB are: new introductory sections on “Objectives and Principles” and “Precataloging Decisions;” the explicit incorporation of machine‐made books into the rule text and examples; the addition of Area 6; an expanded appendix on early letterforms and symbols (including images of early letters and symbols accompanied by their correct transcriptions); and new appendixes on collection‐level cataloging, core‐level cataloging, variations requiring the creation of a new bibliographic record, and individual issues of serials. PREFACE DCRM(B) gives expanded guidance and prescribes a more rigorous and consistent approach to transcription than did DCRB, and incorporates a sharp distinction between information transcribed from the source and information that has been supplied by the cataloger. Transcribed information is never to be placed within square brackets (unless the letter or character is unclear; see 0G6.2). Conversely, the presence of square brackets in those areas of the description that require transcription (see introductory section III.2.2) immediately and unambiguously identifies text as supplied or interpolated. Another notable change related to more rigorous transcription principles is that roman dates in the source are transcribed as roman rather than arabic numerals. Other changes include restricting transcription of the statement of responsibility to the chief source of information; the inclusion of dust jackets as a prescribed source of information for areas 2, 4, and 6; a discussion on the transcription of manufacturers in Area 4; the exclusion of copyright dates from the date of publication element; the elimination of special status for engraved title pages in the statement of extent; the dropping of periods after cm and mm (approved for AACR2 in 2002 but implementation deferred until publication in RDA), and an expanded section on local notes. Area 0 is substantially re‐organized, and the language throughout has been made more consistent and explicit. Acknowledgments Many people have contributed their time and effort in bringing DCRM(B) to fruition. Members of the Bibliographic Standards Committee since DCRB went into revision in the spring of 1998: Randal S. Brandt Deborah J. Leslie Nina Schneider Christine Clarke Megan Lewis E.C. Schroeder Ann W. Copeland M. Winslow Lundy Sandra Sider Laurence S. Creider Juliet McLaren Stephen Skuce Emily Epstein Russell Martin Eileen L. Smith David M. Faulds Robert L. Maxwell Joe A. Springer Sarah Schmidt Fisher Kate Moriarty James Stephenson Jain Fletcher R. Arvid Nelsen Bruce Tabb Jane Gillis Richard Noble Manon Théroux Melinda Hayes Gregory A. Pass Alex Thurman Eileen Heeran Elizabeth Robinson Gerald R. Wager† Ryan Hildebrand Jennifer OʹBrien Roper Beth M. Whittaker James Larrabee Patrick Russell 8 Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) PREFACE The Bibliographic Standards Committee is profoundly grateful to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University, for their abundant generosity in bringing twenty‐five participants to New Haven for the DCRM Working Conference in 2003, and providing food, housing, space, and staff assistance for an enormously productive four‐day meeting. It is not an exaggeration to say that DCRM(B) would have been much the poorer and much the slower without the Beinecke’s unstinting support. Conference participants were: John Attig Barbara M. Jones Eileen L. Smith Ann W. Copeland James Larrabee Joe A. Springer Laurence S. Creider Deborah J. Leslie Laura Stalker Jackie M. Dooley Robert L. Maxwell Bruce H. Tabb Sarah Schmidt Fisher Juliet McLaren Suzy Taraba Jain Fletcher Gregory A. Pass Manon Théroux Jane Gillis Elizabeth Robinson Beth M. Whittaker Brian Hillyard Jennifer OʹBrien Roper Elizabeth L. Johnson Stephen Skuce Our heartfelt thanks go, too, to the Folger Shakespeare Library for generously providing meeting space for three DCRM(B) editorial meetings. All images come from the collections of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Conscientious and insightful comment on earlier drafts of DCRM(B) was provided by the Rare Books Department of Cambridge University Library; the Bibliographic Standards Committee of the Rare Books and Special Collections Group, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (UK); CC:DA; the Rare Book Team of Yale University Library, and of course our partner in this endeavor, the Cataloging Policy and Support Office of the Library of Congress. We extend our warm gratitude to all those who, in addition to those listed above, contributed to DCRM(B) by participating actively at the public hearing, commenting on or proofreading drafts, and providing valuable research and expert opinion. This is surely a community document: Karen Attar, Dorothy Auyong, Matthew Beacom, Erin C. Blake, Ronald Bogdan, J.P. Brigham, Lyle E. Buettner, Deanna Chavez, Ellen Ellickson, Will Evans, Todd Fell, Carol Fink, Lisa Furubotten, Benjamin Griffin, John J. Hall, Matthew Heintzelman, Barry E. Hinman, Eric Holzenberg, Nancy A. Kandoian, Jim Kuhn, Daniel Lovins, Lucy Marks, Alexandra Mason, Christopher S. Motta, Walter F. Nickeson, Michael North, Doris N. O’Keefe, Carol E. Pardo, Mitchell Pendleton, Sara Piasecki, Daniel Rettberg, Joseph Ripp, Joseph Ross, Lenore M. Rouse, Christopher Smith, Karen Spicher, Stephen Tabor, Penny Welbourne, Kathleen Whalen, Jane Wickenden, David Woodruff, and Stephen R. Young. Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) 9 PREFACE The scores of students who have passed through my Rare Book School cataloging course at the University of Virginia, and now, California, have helped shape this document immeasurably, whether they know it or not. By applying their fresh and inquisitive minds to DCRB and the drafts of DCRM(B), they have kept my own from the dangers of a blindness born of too‐long acquaintance. The index was prepared by Jean Skipp of