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Physical Description: 300 field (RDA 3.0, 3.1)
The physical description of a manifestation describes the extent, dimensions, and other physical details in such a way that it can be distinguished from other manifestations with similar characteristics. The source of information for the description is the carrier or carriers or that on accompanying material or a container.
Extent: 300 ǂa (RDA 3.4.5, 3.4.5.9.1)
<fc #87ceeb>CORE ELEMENT</fc>
Examples:
300 xvii, 323 pages
300 167 pages
300 15, 321 pages
300 A-T pages (add note as necessary : 500 Pages numbered as words)
300 8 unnumbered pages, 277 pages, 3 unnumbered pages
300 approximately 300 leaves
Leaf: “A unit of extent consisting of a single bound or fastened sheet as a subunit of a volume; each leaf consists of two pages, one on each side, either or both of which may be blank” – RDA Glossary.
300 323 pages, 18 unnumbered pages of plates
300 xiv, 145 pages, 10 leaves of plates
Plate: “A leaf, usually containing illustrative content, that does not form part of either the preliminary or the main sequence of pages or leaves” – RDA Glossary.
Single Volume with Unnumbered Pages (RDA 3.4.5.3.1)
Three options for recording unnumbered pages, leaves, or columns:
1. If the pagination is readily ascertainable:
24 unnumbered pages
2. If the pagination is not readily ascertainable:
approximately 200 unnumbered pages
3. 1 volume (unpaged) (try to avoid this option if possible.)
PINES local RDA guidelines for recording unpaged books is to, if at all possible, count the pages and transcribe those numbers in the 300 field and to avoid using 1 volume (unpaged).
More Than One Volume (RDA 3.4.5.16)
Examples:
300 3 volumes 300 2 volumes in 1
An example for this usage is when two separate works are published in one volume: a manifestation containing A Street car named desire and Glass menagerie. The 245 field in this case would be: 245 10 Street car named desire ; ǂb The glass menagerie.
300 3 volumes (800 p.)
In this example, pages are numbered consecutively in each of 3 volumes as 1-201; 202-513; 514-800.
Continuously paged volumes (RDA 3.4.5.17)
“If the volumes are continuously paged, specify the number of pages, leaves, or columns in parentheses, following the term for the type of unit. Ignore separately paged sequences of preliminary matter in volumes other than the first” (RDA 3.4.5.17).
Example:
300 3 volumes (xi, 800 pages)
Individually Paged Volumes (RDA 3.4.5.18)
“If the volumes are individually paged, record the number of volumes and omit the pagination” (RDA 3.4.5.18).
Example: 300 2 volumes