At UCL we describe bindings at the recommended minimum level but mostly 
without dates. We also give the nature of the boards if we can, 
description of the decoration of the spine and board coverings, all 
furniture, headbands, edges (gilt, stained or sprinkled with the colour, 
or marbled with dominant colour), decorations of the edges of boards and 
the inner edges - blind tooled or gilt tooled or, in the case of 
decorative Victorian bindings, blind, coloured or gilt pressed. We also 
include info on centrepieces or other board decorations. We also 
indicate if any part or all of the covering is damaged or missing. This 
information is all entered in the 563 field. We do not include 
references to published sources at the moment.

We add a separate note if a binder's ticket is included in a 500 field 
with binder's name in the 700 or, if a firm, 710 field.

Bill Lehm
UCL

McLaughlin Joseph wrote:
>
> Colleagues, virtual and otherwise:
>
> I am interested in finding out how many of you are engaged in 
> describing bindings as part of the cataloguing process (if any one is 
> cataloguing any more!), and to what extent you describe them.
>
> Are you following the guidelines of the CILIP Rare Books and Special 
> Collections Group, and if so to what degree – minimal, higher or 
> enhanced, as laid out in the following headings from the guidelines. 
> Or is anyone doing his or her own thing, and would like to share?
>
> */C.3.2: /*At the recommended minimum level, the nature of the binding 
> is briefly described. The description should
>
> include the following elements:
>
> 􀂃 colour and nature of the covering material.
>
> 􀂃 summary description of decoration (for example, ‘blind-tooled’, 
> ‘gold-tooled’).
>
> 􀂃 approximate date.
>
> */C.3.3: /*At the higher level, the nature of the binding is more 
> fully described. The description should include the
>
> following elements:
>
> 􀂃 colour and nature of the covering material.
>
> 􀂃 nature of boards (for example, wood, pasteboard).
>
> 􀂃 description of decoration.
>
> 􀂃 approximate date.
>
> 􀂃 country of production (or place, if known).
>
> 􀂃 binder, if determinable.
>
> 􀂃 reference is made to published sources which refer to or reproduce 
> either the binding
>
> being described, bindings to which it is clearly closely related (for 
> example, by sharing
>
> the same tools), or particular tools used on the binding.
>
> Optional enhancements at this level may include:
>
> 􀂃 nature and decoration of spine.
>
> 􀂃 presence of ties, clasps, or other furniture.
>
> 􀂃 description of headbands.
>
> 􀂃 decoration of leaf edges.
>
> 􀂃 decoration of edges of boards.
>
> 􀂃 description of endleaves.
>
> All answers gratefully received, thanks
>
> Joe McLaughlin
>
> University Archivist and Rare Books Curator
>
> Room L016
>
> Information Services - Archives
>
> University of Ulster
>
> Cromore Road
>
> Coleraine
>
> BT52 1NN
>
> Northern Ireland
>
> +44 (0)28 70324671
>


-- 
Bill Lehm
Special Collections
UCL Library Services

“History is a race between education and catastrophe” H. G. Wells.
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