Describing Carriers (RDA 3)

Carrier: “A physical medium in which data, sound, images, etc., are stored. For certain types of manifestations, the carrier may consist of a storage medium sometimes encased in a plastic, metal, etc., housing that is an integral part of the manifestation.” RDA Glossary.

Elements to describe carriers are those that allow a user to choose a manifestation they need in terms of the carrier’s physical characteristics and the formatting and encoding of the information in the carrier. (RDA 3.0) The carrier description is based on the “evidence presented by the manifestation itself” or in any accompanying material or container. (RDA3.1.1)

The MARC fields 336, 337, and 338 are used to describe the carrier in a bibliographic record.

Example for books:

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent 337 unmediated ǂb n ǂ2 rdamedia 338 volume ǂb nc ǂ2 rdacarrier

The OCLC Connexion client has a macro that adds 3xx fields to bibliographic records. Under Tools – Macros, select Manage then click to expand at OCLC and then select Add 33x and click the Run button. Verify the types are correct and click on OK to accept and add them to the record.

Remember to add ǂb eng in the 040 tag before using this Macro.

Content type: 336 field (RDA 6.9)

CORE ELEMENT

Content type: “ A categorization reflecting the fundamental form of communication in which the content is expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived. Content type also reflects the number of spatial dimensions and the presence or absence of movement in which content expressed in the form of an image or images is intended to be perceived” (RDA Glossary).

A prescribed list of terms is used to describe the content type (see RDA 6.9.1.3 or Term and Code List for RDA Content Types)

For most text resources the content type (336 field) is:

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent

For a resource that is heavily illustrated, such as children’s books or those with a form subdivision in subject headings ǂv Pictorial works, add an additional 336:

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent
336 still image ǂb sti ǂ2 rdacontent

You can create constant data to add the 33x fields for illustrated resources. See further instructions at: Creation & Use of Constant Data in OCLC’s WorldCat

Media Type: 337 Field (RDA 3.2)

CORE ELEMENT

Media type: “A categorization reflecting the general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a manifestation” RDA Glossary.

For book (text) resources use: (RDA 3.2.1.3).

unmediated

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent

337 unmediated ǂb n ǂ2 rdamedia

See Term and Code List for RDA Media Types for a full list.

Carrier type: 338 fields (RDA 3.3)

CORE ELEMENT

Carrier type: “A categorization reflecting the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a manifestation” RDA Glossary.

For text resources, the carrier type is:

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent 337 unmediated ǂb n ǂ2 rdamedia 338 volume ǂb nc ǂ2 rdacarrier

Describing Carriers: Accompanying materials

Add additional 33xs to describe carriers for accompanying material.

Example for audio materials accompanying a book:

300 48 pages : ǂb color illustrations ; ǂc 21 cm. + ǂe 1 audio disc (CD).

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent

336 still image ǂb sti ǂ2 rdacontent

336 spoken word ǂb spw ǂ2 rdacontent

337 unmediated ǂb n ǂ2 rdamedia

337 audio ǂb s ǂ2 rdamedia

338 volume ǂb nc ǂ2 rdacarrier

338 audio disc ǂb sd ǂ2 rdacarrier

Also add a 007 for the sound recording to the bibliographic record

.

Example for visual materials accompanying a book:

300 48 pages : ǂb colour illustrations ; ǂc 21 cm. + ǂe 1 DVD.

336 text ǂb txt ǂ2 rdacontent

336 still image ǂb sti ǂ2 rdacontent

336 two-dimensional moving image ǂb tdi ǂ2 rdacontent

337 unmediated ǂb n ǂ2 rdamedia

337 video ǂb v ǂ2 rdamedia

338 volume ǂb nc ǂ2 rdacarrier

338 videodisc ǂb vd ǂ2 rdacarrier

Also add a 007 for the visual material to the bibliographic record.