Description field purpose
The item record’s Description field is used to indicate the contents of the item as part of the larger multipart work described in the associated bibliographic record. It should uniquely distinguish the item from other items on the same holdings record when viewed in UC Library Search to allow for individual selection for request. It may be generated from populated ENUM/CHRON fields (if those are used), or entered manually. This field is left blank for single-part monographs, as identical copies should not be distinguished from one another for requesting purposes.
The intent of the following guidelines is to provide clear and concise notation styles for providing standardized information regarding library holdings. While a holdings summary statement describes very specifically which units are held according to a defined national standard, the item Description field follows a different, simpler local standard to improve display and readability on both the call number label and when browsing/distinguishing between items in UC Library Search.
Contents
General guidelines
Simplify and shorten the item Description wherever possible without introducing ambiguity. Do not use square brackets, even if the information is supplied. Do not repeat captions or hierarchy levels except where necessary for clarity.
Everything after the first open parenthesis in the Description field is automatically omitted when printing the call number label. Information included after the first open parenthesis may optionally be added to the mid-spine when binding serials.
Structure
The Description field will generally include some or all of the following data elements, in order:
Caption
If a caption is present or is supplied, include it at the beginning of the Description field, before the enumeration. If the provided caption is not one of the options below, convert it to the closest equivalent of the options below.
- v. = volume
- no. = number
- pt. = part
- ser. = series
- new ser. = new series
- suppl. = supplement
For non-print materials, unabbreviated supplied captions indicating format (such as disc, reel, tape, etc.) may instead be used.
If including multiple levels of hierarchy, use the caption for the highest level only (with levels separated by a colon), unless the highest level is “ser.” or “new ser.”, in which case, use the caption for the top two levels separated by a space instead of a colon.
Examples
v.1:2:1
ser.2 v.1
ser.2 v.1:1
new ser. v.1:1
Enumeration
If enumeration is present or is supplied, include it in the Description field. If a caption is used, include the enumeration immediately after the caption. If the caption is abbreviated, do not include a space between caption and enumeration.
Examples
v.1
disc 1
Simplify to first and last issues included, or to only high-level enumeration information if first and last issues of the higher-level enumeration unit are held; record any gaps in a lacks note at the end.
Examples
v.2
not v.2:1-12
[all 12 issues of v.2 are included]
ser.2 v.2:2
not ser.2 v.2:2:1-12
[all 12 issues of ser.2 v.2:2 are included]
ser.2 v.2:2:1-11
[the first 11 issues of ser.2 v.2:2, but not ser.2 v.2:2:12, are included]
If the top-level enumeration resets in cycles (e.g., every year), include it as a sub-level of the chronology.
Examples
1955:2
[issue 2 of 1955 is included]
1955:2-6
[issues 2 through 6 of 1955 are included]
1955:2-1956
[all issues from 1955 and 1956 are included except for issue 1 of 1955]
1955:2-1956:1
[all issues between and including issue 2 of 1955 and issue 1 of 1956 are included]
Record the enumeration of combined (e.g., double) issues that were originally published as a single unit by separating the first and last combined issues with a forward slash.
Examples
v.11/12 (Jan/Feb 1985)
[volumes 11 and 12 published as a single unit]
v.11/13 (Jan/Mar 1985)
[volumes 11, 12, and 13 published as a single unit]
v.11/12-13/14 (Jan/Feb-Mar/Apr 1985)
[two distinct double issues of a serial, bound together after publication]
no.11/12-no.27 (Nov/Dec 1985-Mar 1987)
[multiple issues bound together, the first being a double issue]
Repeat the caption if the hierarchy level moves up (i.e., becomes more general) after the hyphen, or as needed for clarity.
Examples
v.2:2-v.3
[all issues of volumes 2 and 3 are included, except for v.2 no.1]
v.2:2-3
[issues 2 and 3 of volume 2 are included]
v.2:2-3:3
[all issues between and including v.2 no.2 and v.3 no.3 are included]
no.11/12-no.27 (Nov/Dec 1985-Mar 1987)
[multiple issues bound together, the first being a double issue]
If recording parallel/alternate numbering, indicate the primary numbering in enumeration, and the secondary numbering in following parentheses. If chronology is present, record it within the parentheses after the secondary numbering, separating the two elements with a comma-space.
Examples
no.2045-2046 (v.91, 1986)
v.15 (no.241-252, 1970)
Chronology
If chronology is present or is supplied, include it in the Description field for serials. Only include chronology for multi-volume monographs (MVMs) to distinguish a revised edition.
If enumeration is present, when including chronology, unless you are recording a revised edition, put it in parentheses after enumeration, with a space between the enumeration and open parenthesis.
Examples
v.2 (1960)
v.2-3 (1960-61)
v.2-3:2 (1960-Apr 1961)
v.5-6 (1957/58-1959/60)
If enumeration is not present, do not put chronology in parentheses.
Simplify to first and last issues included, or only high-level chronology information if first and last issues of the higher-level chronology unit are included; record any gaps in a lacks note at the end.
Examples
1955
not Jan-Dec 1955
Jan 1955
not Jan 1-31, 1955
Mar-Apr 1955
Dec 1955-Feb 1960
1955:3-4
Record seasons as below; do not capitalize or abbreviate seasons. Convert non-English seasons to English equivalents.
- spring
- summer
- fall
- winter
Record months using the following abbreviations (without terminal periods). Convert non-English months to English equivalents.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- June
- July
- Aug
- Sept
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
If recording month and year, put the month before the year.
Example
Jan 1955
not 1955:Jan
If recording days, put between the month and the year. Separate the day and year with a comma-space. Omit day, month, or year if redundant or not needed for clarity.
Examples
Jan 15, 1955
[only Jan 15 is included]
Jan 16-31, 1955
[the end of Jan is included]
Jan 16-Feb 15, 1955
[the end of Jan and start of Feb are included]
Jan 16-Feb 1955
[the end of Jan and all of Feb is included]
Dec 15, 1955-Jan 15, 1956
[the end of Dec and start of Jan are included]
Issues spanning dates (such as double issues) should have the chronology units separated with a forward slash instead of a hyphen.
Examples
Mar/Apr 1955
[single issue for March and April]
Mar-Apr 1955
[two separate issues for March and April, bound together]
Simplify multiple years by shortening the second year to its last two digits (e.g., 1954-55 or 1954/55) unless the century changes (e.g., 1899-1900).
Examples
1959/60
[single issue covering a non-calendar (e.g., fiscal) year]
1959/61
[single issue covering the non-calendar years 1959/60 and 1960/61]
1959/61
[single issue of a triennial, covering the calendar years 1959 through 1961]
1959/60-1960/61
[two separate issues, each covering non-calendar years, bound together]
1959-60
[two separate issues for calendar years 1959 and 1960, bound together]
1899-1900
[two separate issues for calendar years 1899 and 1900, bound together]
Enumeration and chronology may be independently simplified if the entirety of the top-level hierarchy is held. For example, if the first issue of a volume is published in July, the volume (bound as a single item and held without lacks) may be recorded without lower-level enumeration hierarchy even though the month must be specified in the chronology.
Examples
v.1 (July 1960-June 1961)
not v.1:1-12 (July 1960-June 1961)
v.1:7-2:6 (1961)
not v.1:7-2:6 (Jan-Dec 1961)
Name of unit
If enumeration and chronology are not present, record the name of unit (i.e., the specific name of the item as published, or a generic term) in the Description field if needed for disambiguation from other items on the holdings record. In cases of basic and secondary bibliographic units on the same holdings record (such as a main text and accompanying computer disc), leave the Description for the basic bibliographic unit blank. In cases of multiple basic bibliographic units on the same holdings record, populate the Description for all units. Do not put the name of unit in quotations or square brackets.
In general, use a generic, uncapitalized term in the Description, such as the following:
- text
- maps
- compu/d [for a computer disc/disk]
- sound/c [for a sound cassette]
- sound/d [for a sound disc]
- video/c [for a video cassette]
- video/d [for a video disc]
- suppl.
- appendix
- index
However, if an item has a specific (not generic) name of unit, and using it would more clearly disambiguate or identify the item, record the specific name of unit in the Description instead of a generic one.
Lacks note
If a bound volume lacks issues between the first and last bound issue, record the enumeration/chronology of the first and last issues, and include a “lacks” note in parentheses to record the gap(s). If both enumeration and chronology exist, record only the enumeration in the lacks note.
Examples
v.2 (1956) (lacks v.2:2, 2:5)
1956 (lacks Feb)
If more than two nonconsecutive issues are lacking, record the gaps as “many issues”.
Example
v.1-12 (1956-67) (lacks many issues)
Includes note
If a separately issued unit is included in the item which is not easily recorded as above, and it is considered important, indicate it with an “includes” note after the Description information, separated by a space. This could be a separately issued supplement or index, an issue that contains an index, or something else.
Where possible, simplify the note. For example, if a volume has multiple supplements and all are included, do not record each supplement explicitly.
Examples
v.34 (1980) (includes suppl.)
[v.34 suppl. is bound with all other issues of v.34]
v.34 (1980) (includes suppls.)
[all supplements to v.34 are bound with the v.34 issues]
v.34 (1980) (includes v.35 suppl.)
[v.35 suppl. is bound with v.34]
v.83:9-12 (Sept-Dec 1987) (includes Author Index v.72-83)
[an author index covering previous volumes is bound with the issues]
Other information
On occasion additional data may need to be included in the Description field to more clearly distinguish the item’s contents. For other types of notes about the item, see Item record note field format guidelines.
Examples
no.2045-2046 (v.91, 1986) (Abstracts 23456-34567)
[Abstract numbers to include on mid-spine]
v.82:12 (Dec 1987) (Author Index v.50-80)
[cumulative index issued as part or all of v.82:12, not as a separate unit]
v.3-7 (1980-84) (box)
[all held issues for the range are housed in a box, with gaps recorded in the holdings record only; commonly used in special collections/archives]
Revised editions
Omit parentheses and include an “other information” note when recording chronology of revised editions in order to distinguish them from original editions. This will force the chronology to print on the call number label and distinguish the editions during shelf browsing. Include the chronology for the revised edition even if the item is part of an MVM.
Examples
v.3
[first edition of MVM volume; chronology omitted]
v.3 (1980)
[first edition of serial volume]
v.3 1994 (rev. ed.)
[revised edition, MVM or serial volume]
v.3 1997 (3rd ed.)
[3rd edition, MVM or serial volume]
Indexes
Annual indexes issued and bound separately from the basic units are considered subordinate to a volume or year, so record them as such.
Examples
v.11 index (1984)
not Index v.11
v.93 index pt.1A (Jan-June 1986) (Subject Index)
In order to distinguish cumulative indexes (i.e., indexes covering multiple volumes or years), record as if “Index” were a name of unit (capitalized).
Examples
Index v.1-10 (1901-11)
Author Index v.72-83 (1962-73)
By abaron on 11-07-2025