I.C.4
             SPECIAL COLLECTIONS CATALOGING PROCEDURE

                          EARLY IMPRINTS

Reviewed Nov 17, 1998 by Richard Lindemann

     Special Collections provides special access points for early
imprints falling within the following parameters:

     European:  before 1601.
     Eastern U.S.:  before 1820.
     Western U.S., Latin American:  before 1860.
     California:  before 1875.
     All items cataloged following DCRB [see I.A.8].

     The Mississippi River is the dividing line for the Eastern and
Western United States.


  Place of publication

     Provide a 752 field for the place of printing/publication.

          Examples: 752     England $d London.
                    752     United States $b New York $d Albany.

     Note that "United States:" is used in $a for early U.S.
     imprints so as to collocate them instead of strewing them
     about by state name.


  Name added entries

     Trace the name of any printer, publisher, or other significant
     function found on the item.  Many of these names are
     problematic to establish; consult "Authority work sources"
     procedure.


  Chronological access

     In the past, Special Collections produced an extra card for
     the Chronological File for all early imprints.  This practice
     ceased when most card catalogs were closed on 10/1/90. 
     Searching by imprint date is not possible in either INNOPAC or
     MELVYL, but searches can be limited by date in both systems.


  Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books [DCRB]

     Consult "Using Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books" (I.A.8)
     for additional guidelines and special headings that apply to
     early imprints, particularly to European imprints of the 15th-
     16th centuries.

1C4 7/94