Description of Realia

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Description of Realia
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AACR2 Chapter 10

• AACR2R chapter 10 covers all kinds of
  three-dimensional items (except those covered by
  other chapters such as globes and relief maps,
  which are cartographic materials).
• Includes but is not limited to naturally
  occurring objects, machines, stitchery, clothing,
  sculpture, puppets, rubber stamps, stencils,
  jewelry, pottery, musical instruments, models,
  games.

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AACR glossary definitions

• Realia An artefact or naturally occurring
  entity, as opposed to a replica.
• Artefact An object made or modified by one or
  more persons.
• Toy An object designed for imaginative play or
  one from which to derive amusement.
• Game An item or set of materials designed for
  play according to prescribed or implicit rules
  and intended for recreation or instruction.
• Model A three-dimensional representation of a
  real thing.

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Realia Examples

• A dinosaur skeleton, as opposed to a plastic
  replica of a dinosaur bone use to complete a
  dinosaur skeleton in a museum or other display
• A Native American arrowhead, as opposed to a
  molded plastic one for sale to gullible tourists
• A scrimshaw letter opener carved on whale ivory,
  as opposed to a mass produced one on a
  manufactured simulation
• A dried frog, as opposed to a frog puppet

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Chief source of information

• The object itself or a label permanently attached
  to it, along with any accompanying textual
  material and a container issued by the publisher
  or Manufacturer. Prefer information found on the
  object itself (including any permanently affixed
  labels) to information found in the accompanying
  textual material or on a container.

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245 field

• If the item has a title on a label that will
  often be used as the title.
• Most realia will not have a title. In that case
  the cataloger should make up a brief descriptive
  title which will be placed in brackets. Must then
  add a 500 note stating that the title was
  supplied by the cataloger.
• 245 00 a Womans dress h realia.
• 500 a Title supplied by cataloger.
• Often will not have a statement of responsibility
  unless the item was signed or a statement of
  responsibility appears on the chief source of
  information.

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245 h - General material designation GMD

• Can only use gmds that are listed in AACR2R, p.
  1-10, list 2.
• The ones that are appropriate for realia are
• art original
• art reproduction
• diorama
• game
• microscope slide
• model
• realia
• toy
• It is often difficult to distinguish between art
  originals and realia.
• According to AACR2R art originals include
  collages, drawings, paintings, sculptures, and
  other one-of a kind objects that qualify as art.
• It is sometimes hard to distinguish if crafts are
  art originals or realia. In this case catalogers
  judgment must be exercised.
• For everything that does not fit into the above
  list use h realia.

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245 h - General material designation GMD

• The term realia is used in AACR2 for real items
  as opposed to reproductions, models, or toys. The
  real items may be manufactured, such as items of
  clothing, furniture, or weapons, or they may be
  handmade, such as quilts, handicrafts, or
  pottery. Handmade items, if not commercially
  packaged and distributed, would have only a date
  in MARC field 260. This GMD is also used for
  naturally-occurring items (rocks, seashells,
  pressed flowers), whether packaged commercially
  or collected by an individual. Bibliographic
  records for naturally-occurring items that are
  not commercially packaged would not have a field
  260, but would have notes about when and where
  they were collected, and by whom.

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260 field

• A naturally occurring object will not have any
  information in this area because it is not
  published and there is no date of publication.
  S.l. and s.n. are not used. If, however, a
  naturally occurring object is commercially
  packaged and distributed, the package will have a
  publisher and/or a distributor.
• Manufactured objects Many items cataloged using
  Chapter 10, have been manufactured rather than
  published. If this is the case the material will
  have a place of manufacture, the name of the
  manufacturer, and the date of manufacture.
• 260 e (China f Chinese Toyland, g 2001)
• Material may be manufactured by one company and
  distributed by a different company. If the
  distributor and the manufacturer are both known,
  include the distributor in the 260 a and b and
  put the information about the manufacturer in the
  260 e and f.
• 260 a Los Angeles, Calif. b Distributed by
  Mattel Toys, c c1998
• e (China f Chinese Toyland, g 1999)

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260 Field

• Hand-made items
• The name of the person who made the item would go
  in the statement of responsibility if known. If
  the persons name is in the statement of
  responsibility, it is not repeated in the 260 b.
  If the place where the item was made is given in
  the title proper or other title information, that
  place is not repeated as the place of
  manufacturer.

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300 field

• Extent of item Give how many of the item and
  what it is. Use the GMD terms if they are
  appropriate. Tell how many of the items you have.
• 300 a 1 game
• 300 a 3 microscope slides
• If none of the gmd terms are appropriate, give
  the specific name of the item as concisely as
  possible.
• 300 a 3 quilts
• 300 a 1 pair beaded moccasins
• Add to the designation the number of pieces if
  appropriate
• 300 a 1 jigsaw puzzle (500 pieces)
• 300 a 1 game (1 board, 50 cards, 5 role cards,
  2 dice)
• Other physical details.

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300 field

• When appropriate, give the material that the item
  is made of
• 300 a 3 quilts b cotton
• 300 a 1 pair beaded moccasins b leather
• When appropriate, give col. for multicolored
  objects, or name the color(s)
• of the object if it is one or two colors.
• 300 a 1 bowl b porcelain, blue and white
• Dimensions Give the dimensions of the item if
  easily obtained. Dimensions for a three
  dimensional object are given in height times
  width times depth.
• 300 a 1 bowl b porcelain, blue and white
  c 32 x 50 x 75 cm.
• 300 a 3 quilts b cotton c 150 x 210 cm.

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300 field

• If the object is in a container, name the
  container and give its dimensions either after
  the dimensions of the object or as the only
  dimensions.
• 300 a 1 model (10 pieces) b col. c 16 x
  32 x 3 cm. in case 17 x 34 x 6 cm.
• 300 a 1 diorama (various pieces) b col.
  c in box 30 x 25 x 13 cm.

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Notes

• Nature of the item Give a note about the nature
  of the item if it is not apparent from the rest
  of the description.
• 500 a Electronic game.
• Source of title proper Use this note if the
  title is not taken from the chief source of
  information
• 500 a Title supplied by cataloger.

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Notes

• Physical description Use this note for important
  information not give in the physical
• description area.
• 500 a Includes 89 wooden beads, 95 plastic
  beads, 25 cardboard
• pattern sheets, and 8 strands of twine.
• Audience Use this note to record the intended
  audience of the item. Use this note
• only if the information is stated on the item.
• 521 1 a008-012.
• This would be for an item of interest to ages
  8-12.
• Summary Use for a brief objective summary of the
  content of the item. This note
• should be used in most cases unless the rest of
  the description gives a very clear picture of
  what the item is.
• 520 a Model of automobile repair shop of the
  1920-1930 time
• period.

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Puppets

• What is a puppet?
• marionette - manipulated with strings
• hand puppet hollow-bodied doll, manipulated
  with the entire hand
• finger puppet placed over a single finger
• Puppets are cataloged as realia. Follow AACR2R
  chapter 10.
• General material designation gmd
• Use h toy

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Puppets 300 field

• Extent of item Notate the type of puppet, and
  how many
• 300 a 5 finger puppets
• 300 a 1 hand puppet
• Other physical details Notate what the puppet is
  made of and give the color.
• 300 a 1 hand puppet b fabric, col.
• 300 a 1 finger puppet b plush, green
• Dimensions give the size of the item
• 300 a 1 hand puppet b fabric, col. c 21
  x 22 x 18 cm.
• 300 a 1 finger puppet b plush, green c
  12 x 6 cm.

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Kits

• What is a kit?A package containing two or more
  categories of material, no one of which is
  identifiable as the predominant constituent of
  the item. (AACR2R)
• If an item has a predominant component it should
  not be cataloged as a kit. It should be cataloged
  in terms of that component and give details of
  the subsidiary component(s) as accompanying
  material following the physical description or in
  a note.
• Original cataloging When creating an original
  record in OCLC use the workform for visual
  materials wfmg.Change type from "g" to "o".

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Kits

• AACR2R 1.10 - Items made up of several types of
  materialsThis is the only rule that addresses
  cataloging rules for kits, but it does not use
  the word kit in the title.
• Chief source of informationThe whole
  item. Cataloging information may be taken from
  anywhere on the items or container. There is
  often a container that will have useful
  information.
• Title and statement of responsibility (245)Often
  the kit will have a title on the container. If
  there is not a collective title for the entire
  kit, supply one and add a note Title supplied by
  cataloger.245 00 a Learning to cook for
  children h kit.500 a Title supplied by
  cataloger.

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Kits

• General material designation gmd (h)gmd for
  kits is h kith always follows a, n or p.
  (Will not usually have n or p for kits)245
  04a The immigrant experience h kit b a
  Minnesota history resource unit.
• Publication, distribution, etc. (260)Usually
  transcribe publisher information from the
  container if possible. If information is not on
  a container, can take from individual pieces. If
  form of publisher's name varies on the individual
  pieces, pick one form and identify in a note
  where the publication

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Kits

• Physical description (300)AACR2R 1.10C2 gives
  three methods for the physical description. Use
  whichever method is most appropriate for the
  item. a) List all of the items in the kit in a
  single 300.300 a 400 lesson cards, 40 answer
  key booklets, 1 student record, 1 teacher's
  handbook, 1 placement test c in container 18 x
  25 x 19 cm.300 a 4 posters, 1 chart, 2 news
  sheets, 1 teacher's guide c in container 37 x
  23 x 2 cm.

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Kits

• b) Give a separate physical description for each
  part or group of parts belonging to each distinct
  class of material (do this if a further physical
  description of each item is desired). Give each
  physical description in a separate 300 field
• Hot deserts GMD / Ruth Way. London Toronto
  Visual Publications, 1975?
• 1 filmstrip (39 fr.) col. 35 mm.
• 1 sound cassette (ca. 18 min.) analog, mono.
• 4 study prints col. 29 88 cm., folded to
  29 44 cm.
• 1 v. (15 p.) 22 cm.
• 1 folded sheet (4 p.) 22 cm.
• All in container 33 47 5 cm.

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Kits

• c) If not practical to list all the pieces can
  use a general term.300 a various pieces c
  in box 34 x 34 x 34 cm.300 a 28 various
  pieces c in box 34 x 34 x 34 cm.300 a 1
  kit c in box 36 x 30 x 30 cm.If this method
  is used a 500 note should be included if
  practical to list the components of the
  kit.Will not usually use a b in 300 line,
  unless all the pieces are made of the same
  material.300 a 76 various pieces b
  plastic c in container 17 x 32 x 4 cm.When
  giving the measurements of the container it is
  height times width times depth.

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Kits

• NotesKits often have many notes.If individual
  pieces have separate titles considered important
  those should be included in a note and an added
  entry made for the titles.Might want to use
  notes to further explain the contents of the kit,
  or to give more information about some of the
  contents.500 a Teacher's guide includes
  bibliography, exercises, worksheets, glossary,
  time line.Summary notes (520) are helpful to
  further define the use of the kit.520 a
  Designed to present intermediate and secondary
  students with an historical account of the
  migration and immigration of people to Minnesota,
  with particular emphasis on the nineteenth and
  twentieth centuries.

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Closing Thoughts

• "...there will still be many situations where
  personal judgments must be made. This is
  overstating the obvious, but I also feel that
  many people are reticent to make these calls for
  fear that they will make a mistake and "the
  cataloging police" will come down on them. We
  need to overcome such feelings of inadequacy and
  get on with the job at hand.
• --Robert B. Freeborn
• Cataloging of the Weird