[MinervaCats] Cataloging Tip of the Week, part 2

[Ellen Conway]

Hi Catalogers!

I have had several requests to address the subject of the 520 field.  The
520 field is the appropriate location for the "Summary note".  A summary
note is "intended to be a brief and objective summary of the content of the
resource."  A summary note should not exceed 25 words if possible.

Recently we have been seeing more and more excessively long summary notes in
new bib records.  Frequently they contain nonobjective information,
opinions, and even quotations from reviewers.  This may be the result of
copying text from a publisher's blurb on a book jacket or container, or
could be the result of excessive enthusiasm!  However, this is not an
appropriate use of the summary note.  Remember, it is not our role as
catalogers to express opinions about the material in a summary; we
should merely give the briefest of descriptions of an item's plot or
content.

Charlotte from South Portland sent me an especially egregious example of a
bad summary note that she found on a record for the film "Trust the Man":

    "Rebecca is an actress who is married to Tom; together they have two
children. As Rebecca begins rehearsals on a new play at the Lincoln Center,
Tom stays at home to watch the kids. He begins to think about how horny he
is. They go to see a counselor and discuss their sexual problems. Tom wants
to have sex twice a day, while Rebecca thinks Tom is a maniac. Rebecca's
brother, Tobey is in a long term relationship with Elaine, Rebecca's best
friend, who suddenly hears her biological clock ticking and realizes she
wants to be married and have a child. This is not good news for commitment
phobic Tobey."

Thanks, Charlotte!  This summary certainly is too long, and I am sure that
there is a more "tasteful" way to describe the plot of this film.

Other important details to remember about the 520 field include the fact
that it is repeatable and keyword indexed.  Pay attention to the 2
indicators.  If the first indicator is left blank, your record will appear
in the OPAC with the word "Summary" at the beginning of the field.  In most
cases you will want to use "0" for the first indicator; this means that the
field describes the subject of the material.  If for some reason you
absolutely must quote from a review, you should use first indicator "1".
Right click on the field for more information and choices.

As you are cataloging, if you should find a record with a summary note that
is too long or contains inappropriate information, please make an effort to
rewrite or edit it if possible.  And just for fun, feel free to send me
copies of any summaries you think are candidates for the Summary Hall of
Shame.

Thanks,
Ellen




-- 
Ellen M. Conway
Maine InfoNet Cataloging Consultant
797-9464, cell ph. 329-5443
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