Transcription of Dates in the 260 Field
(Approved for use March 20 January 2000)

A summary, in table form, of the rules for transcribing date information in the 260 field of MARC bibliographic records according to AACR2r and the LCRIs.  Not intended for DCRB cataloging.  Treats publication dates, copyright dates, printing dates, and combinations thereof.  Divided into two sections:
1.   When a publication date is present on the item.

2.   When a publication date is not present on the item.

Beinecke practice is to also generally record any printing statement appearing in the item: in a general note for works that have separate records for each edition and in a local note for works that have all printings of one edition on one record.  The note should include printing number and date (e.g., "6th printing, Feb. 1954") but not necessarily the printer's name.  It is only necessary to include information relating to the printing of the copy in hand, but sometimes it will be desirable to include information relating to the first printing as well if that information is useful and not recorded elsewhere in the record (e.g., "1st printing, March 1972 ... 8th printing, July 1978").  If the item is a translation, it is not necessary to include information relating to the printing of the work in its original language.  Indeed, be careful not to confuse the two.

Below are guidelines on when to create separate records for every printing. Occasionally a curator will request exceptions to these guidelines.

Separate records for each printing One record for multiple printings of an edition
All pre-1801 publications All post-1800 publications, except as noted
19th, 20th and 21st century belles-lettres Translations of 19th, 20th and 21st century authors
Author or publisher collections (e.g., T.S. Eliot, Tanselle) Books collected only for provenance (e.g., works from an author's library)
WA ephemera, promotional literature, travel literature, etc. WA trade publications & county, etc. histories
Shirley Collection and children's literature in general  

1.  When a publication date is present on the item

Situation Publication Date Copyright Date Printing Date Transcription
Publication date matches copyright date 1990 c1990  ____ 1990

(transcribe publication date only)

Publication date matches printing date 1990 ____ 1990 printing 1990

(transcribe publication date only)
Publication date later than copyright date 1990 c1989 ____ if book or serial:  1990

(transcribe publication date only; cf. LCRI 1.4F5)
__________________________________

if other format:  1990, c1989

(transcribe both dates; cf. LCRI 1.4F5)
Publication date later than printing date 1990 ____ 1989 printing

1990

(transcribe publication date only; a local decision, as instructions in the LCRIs are not entirely clear)
Publication date earlier than copyright date 1990 c1991 ____ if book or serial:  1990

(transcribe publication date only; cf. LCRI 1.4F5)
__________________________________

if other format:  1990, c1991

(transcribe both dates; cf. LCRI 1.4F5)
Publication date earlier than printing date 1990 ____ 1991 printing if first printing:  1990 [i.e. 1991]

(transcribe corrected publication date; cf. LCRI 1.4F2)
___________________________________

Separate records

if later printing:  1990 (1991 printing)

(transcribe both dates, a local decision;
LC practice is to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4G4 "LC practice", but BRBL does not follow LC when)

___________________________________

One record

if later printing:  1990

(transcribe only publication date; BRBL follows LC practice to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4G4 "LC practice")

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2.  When a publication date is not present on the item

Situation Publication Date Copyright Date Printing Date Transcription
Copyright date only ____ c1990 ____ c1990

(transcribe copyright date; ignore copyright renewal dates for works first copyrighted before 1978; if the copyright dates vary, give the latest date for works copyrighted after 1977; cf. LCRI 1.4F6)

Printing date only ____ ____ 1990 printing if first printing:  [1990]

(transcribe date of printing in brackets as the implied publication date; cf. LCRI 1.4F6)
_________________________________________

Separate records

if later printing:  1990 printing

(transcribe printing date, a local decision;
the LC practice is to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4F6, but BRBL does not follow LC)
_________________________________________

One record

if later printing:  transcribe date of 1st printing

(transcribe date of 1st printing; BRBL follows
the LC practice to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4F6)

Copyright date matches printing date ____ c1990 1990 printing c1990

(transcribe copyright date only; cf. LCRI 1.4F6)

Copyright date later than printing date ____ c1990 1989 printing c1990

(transcribe copyright date only; a local decision, as instructions in the LCRIs are not entirely clear)

Copyright date earlier than printing date ____ c1980 1991 printing if first printing: [1991]

(transcribe date of printing in brackets as the implied publication date; a local decision, as instructions in the LCRIs are not entirely clear)
________________________________________

Separate records

if later printing:  c1980 (1991 printing)

(transcribe both dates for all printings, a local decision;
the LC practices is to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4F6 & LCRI 1.4G4 "LC practice", but BRBL does not follow LC)


________________________________________

One record

if later printing:  c1980

(transcribe only the copyright date; BRBL follows the LC practices to revise once first printing is received; cf. LCRI 1.4F6 & LCRI 1.4G4 "LC practice")
Copyright date or printing date differs significantly from approximate date of publication ____ c1949 _____ [1982?], c1949

(supply approximate date of publication in square brackets before transcribed date; cf. LCRI 1.4F7)

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Copyright 2002, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
Contact: Stephen Young
Last revised: 28 August 2007
URL: http://www.library.yale.edu/BeinCatM/dates_in_260.htm