3xx - Physical characteristics and arrangement

300      Physical Description

The 300 field describes the physical nature of the item.  It tells how many pages a book has, how many volumes are in a multi-volume set, what type of illustrations a book has (if any), the size of the item, and whether or not it has any accompanying items (i.e. pamphlets, CDs or DVDs).  The subfield a is where the extent of an item (i.e. number of pages or parts) is listed.  The subfield b is for the description of other physical details of an item (i.e. illustrations, color, sound, etc.).  The subfield c is where the dimensions of an item are specified.  If there is accompanying material (i.e. discs, pamphlets, etc.) then that information is found in the subfield e. 

The 300 Field in AACR2

AACR2 uses extensive abbreviations for physical description fields.  Measurements depend on chapter/type of material (metric for books, inches for most electronic resources, etc.). 

The 300 Field in RDA

RDA limits abbreviations to dimensions (and duration if applicable).  So, you will see terms referring to material type and other descriptions spelled out and not abbreviated.  Measurements are usually metric, but you have the option of using other systems in RDA. 

Check the number of pages.  The number of pages and plates (if present) are listed in subfield a.  Page and plate information should be separated by a comma.  Check the total number of pages and verify that this number is listed correctly.  If the pages are not numbered, an estimation of the number of pages may be entered in brackets.  If the page numbering varies widely it is usually stated by specifying volume and instead of a number entering “various pagings” in parentheses.  If the item is a multivolume set instead of the number of pages, the number of volumes will be entered in subfield a:

                                    xvii, 323 p.                                                       xvii, 323 pages

                                    [93] p.                                                              93 unnumbered pages

                                    ca. 600 p.                                                         approximately 600 pages

                                    3 v. (1397 p.)                                                   3 volumes (1397 pages)

                                    33, [33] leaves                                                  33 leaves, 33 unnumbered leaves

                                    329 [i.e. 392] p.                                               329, that is, 392 pages

                                    23 v.                                                                23 volumes

                                    1 v. (various pagings)                                       1 volume (various pagings)

                                    v.    <-----------------(for serials, etc.)-------> volumes

Check for plates.  Plates are usually printed on a higher quality paper and contain illustrations of some kind.  Descriptive information about plates is included in the subfield a.  You may see reference to a leaf or leaves of plates, this refers to plates that only contain content on one side of the page.

Check the item for other types of illustrations.  If there are other types of illustrations, the 300 field should include descriptive information in the subfield b and the fixed field Ills should contain a code that reflects what is in this subfield.  In AACR2, abbreviations are used in the 300 field for descriptions in the subfield b.  In RDA, abbreviations are not used in the 300 field for descriptions in the subfield b.  The codes that are used in the fixed field for specifying illustrative content are the same in AACR2 and RDA. (See page 17 for common codes to be used in fixed field Ills)

Check the punctuation.  Subfield b should be preceded by a colon.  Separate the terms for each item in subfield b by a comma.  

Measure the book in centimeters.  Enter the height of the book in subfield c.  Subfield c should be preceded by a semicolon.  If the book is wider than it is tall, list both the height and the width. 

Check for accompanying materials.  The most common accompanying materials you will see are computer discs but there are other types you should be aware of as well.  Information about any accompanying material is entered in a subfield e.  The subfield e should be preceded by a plus sign.  Additional descriptions about the accompanying materials are included in parentheses at the end of subfield e.

336      Content Type

The content type designations for materials in RDA specify the general type of form or class of  device that is required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource. The content type is entered in the subfield a. A subfield 2 follows and is always the same = “rdacontent”

337      Media Type

The media type designations for materials in RDA are a categorization that reflects the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the type of form or class of device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource.  The media type is entered in the subfield a. A subfield 2 follows and is always the same = “rdamedia”

338      Carrier Type

The carrier type designations for materials in RDA are a categorization reflecting the fundamental form of communication in which the content is expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived. For content expressed in the form of an image or images, content type also reflects the number of spatial dimensions in which the content is intended to be perceived and the perceived presence or absence of movement. The carrier type is entered in the subfield a. A subfield 2 follows and is always the same = “rdacarrier”