Map Format Note Field Guide This page outlines the note fields for the MARC map format, including a brief description and examples of use. Refer to the Sample Map Record to see how the completed work appears.
The materials below are not comprehensive, but merely to be used in assisting the basics of map cataloging.

5XX - Note Fields [From Chapter 3. Notes. In: Map Cataloging Manual] Refer also to AACR2: "Chapter 3. Cartographic Materials." Notes are included in a bibliographic description in an attempt to describe, as completely as possible, the item being cataloged. Notes can be quoted, created by a cataloger, or formulated according to a prescribed format. Any of these methods can be used to construct some categories of notes, depending on readability or other aesthetic considerations, while a specific method may be preferred or prescribed for other categories. Two rules, however, are universally applied to notes: 1. Include only those notes that actually describe or can be quoted from the item itself 2. Notes that fall into the area of conjecture are generally not included. In other words, do not add notes for things that cannot be verified. Punctuation is as specified in AACR2, with some changes according to LC practice. "Start a new paragraph for each note, end each paragraph with a period or other mark of final punctuation, and, if the mark of final punctuation is a closing bracket or parenthesis, add a period." Note that when a note ends with a "]" or ")" the field still ends with a period. Most fields in map records end this way, as opposed to monograph, serial, and other format records. The following are typical notes describing common aspects found on maps: Accompanied by: Djurberg, Daniel. Forklaring til Karten over Polynesien. Stockholm : Holmberg & Wennberg, 1780. 27 p. ; 20 cm. Original version: A map of Virginia and Maryland / F. Lamb, sculp. [London] : Sold by Thomas Basset and Richard Chiswell, [1676?]. Appears in John Speed's The theatre of the Empire of Great-Britain, 1676. The Map Cataloging Manual follows a specific order for notes. These are given below. This makes it easier for a user to recognize and identify specific attributes of each map record to assist in comparing maps and map records. Also refer to the fuller explanation of Note Fields. Note Fields (in field order) Categories of notes are transcribed in the bibliographic description in a particular, prescribed order. The order of notes within these categories, however, is determined by considerations of type, aesthetics, readability, etc. The various types of notes within each category are not to be considered exhaustive, but are presented as a guide. The order in which the notes appear under the major categories is not an indication of prescribed order within the category as they are given alphabetically. (See additional explanations from the Map Cataloging Manual). Order of Notes Nature and scope of the item Microform reduction ratio Language Microform reader Source of title proper Accompanying material Variations in title Series Parallel titles and other title information Dissertations Statement of responsibility Audience Edition and history Reference to published description (510 for brief reference) Donor, source, etc. and previous owners Other formats available Published versions of manuscript items Contents Reproduction information Numbers/codes Mathematical and other cartographic data Copy being described and holdings Publication, distribution, etc. With Physical description Cataloger's note (952) Example of notes in a record 500 "Metric." 500 "Elevations in metres above mean sea level." 500 Relief shown by contours and spot heights. 500 Shows boundaries, highways and roads, railways, airports, rivers and water features and other details. 546 In English and French. 500 On verso: legend, glossary and abbreviation list. 500 Map overprinted with 1,000 meter universal transverse Mercator grid. 500 Includes index to adjoining maps. 500 "Information current as of 1989. Published 1994." 500 "Military users, refer to this map as: Series A 751, map 41 A/1." Order of Notes (Map Cataloging Manual: 3.4-3.6) Categories of notes are transcribed in the bibliographic description in a particular, prescribed order. The order of notes within these categories, however, is determined by considerations of style, aesthetics, readability, etc. The various types of notes within each category are not to be considered exhaustive, but are presented only as guides. The order in which the notes appear under the major categories is not an indication of prescribed order within the category as they are given alphabetically. For discussions of the use of these and the other types of notes, refer to the description of the specific category. The content designation, if other than a general note (tag 500), is included in parentheses following the caption. Nature and scope of the item What kind of map is it? (e.g., Photo map, Pictorial map, Bird's-eye view, Computer generated map, etc.) What time or other aspect of the map might be mentioned? (Covers ..., Date of situation, Relief shown by..., Shows ...) Language (546) Source of title proper Cover title. Panel title. Title from verso. Title supplied by cataloger. (in 245 field supply brackets) Variations in title Parallel titles and other title information Edition and history Appears in ... Based on ... Differ from ... Facsimile. From ... Includes various editions of some sheets. Proof copy. Reprinted ... Reproduced from ... Donor, source, etc. and previous owners From the papers of ... (500 subfield 5, DLC) Published versions of manuscript items Reproduction information Original version: ... (534) Photoreproduction information (533) Mathematical and other cartographic data Ellipsoid Grids Meridian Orientation Publication, distribution, etc. Issued with ... (501) Published in cooperation with ... Physical description Blue line print. Blueprint. Geographic coverage complete in ... Watermark: ... Shows airfields (civilian and military), heliports, railroads, roads and trails, power lines, communications facilities, administrative boundaries, water features, and vegetation cover. Map overprinted with 10,000 meter universal transverse Mercator grid. Microform reduction ratio Microform reader Accompanying material Accompanied by ... Bibliographies in accompanying material (504) Series For some series statements (USGS and AMS or other SuDocs), LC has chosen to create a note describing the series and uses a title added entry field (246) to provide access: 246 30 Series V501 500 Standard map series designation: Series V501. Dissertations Audience (Official use only. 506) Reference to published descriptions (510 for brief reference) Other formats available Contents Ancillary maps: ... Bibliography. (504) Contents: ... (505) Includes ... Indexed. Insets: ... [illustration] On verso: ... ... on verso. Partial contents: ... (505) Numbers/codes Copy being described and holdings LC copy annotated ... (590) LC copy imperfect: ... (590) LC copy wanting ... (590) With Bound with locally (591) Works issued physically together as a single entity (501) Cataloger's note (952) Acquisitions code (952) Shelflist information (952) Unpublished reference code (952) Relief notes: Describe the use of the same relief-types as entered in the Fixed Field RELF. Terms available are: Contours, Shading, Gradient tints (or Hypsometric tints, Altitude tints), Hachures, Soundings, Form lines, Spot heights, Color, Pictorial relief, Landforms, isolines, and other such terms. Methods of showing relief (heights and depths) on a map are described with a standard note: Relief shown by [type], [type], and by [type]. Contours (contour lines): a contour is a line joining points of equal vertical distance above or below a datum; when the only contour lines on a map are those which separate different gradient tints, contours are not mentioned as a separate method of depicting relief. Example showing contours. If a map contains both Contours and Form Lines, just use the word contours: Relief shown by contours. Shading: relief method used to give an impression of relief by shadow. Often called a "shaded-relief" map. Example showing shaded-relief Gradient tints (hypsometric or altitude tints): color applied to the area between two selected contours when relief is depicted by a system of layers. Example showing gradient tints Hachures: short lines, following the direction of maximum slope to indicate relief. Example showing hachures, hachures 2 Bathymetry, soundings: these are the underwater equivalent of spot heights (code "g") Example showing soundings Form lines: lines, similar to contours, which depict the configuration of the ground, without numerical indication of altitude. Example showing form lines Spot heights: a point on a map which represents the position of an indicated altitude. Example showing spot heights Color: applies only if the color is used to show height, such as hypsometric tints. Pictorially: pictorial relief is not truly physiographic and usually consists of generalized drawings of hills, etc. Example showing pictorial relief Landforms (rock drawings): the stylized representation of steep rock faces which cannot be portrayed by other methods. Example showing landforms Bathymetry, isolines: these are the underwater equivalent of contour lines (code "a") Example showing isolines Describe maps with both topographical and bathymetric features in one note field: Relief shown by contours and spot heights. Depth shown by isolines and soundings.

Explanations from the Map Cataloging Manual (goes to online summary edition) Nature and scope of the item Microform reduction ratio Language Microform reader Source of title proper Accompanying material Variations in title Series Parallel titles and other title information Dissertations Statement of responsibility Audience Edition and history Reference to published description (510 for brief reference) Donor, source, etc. and previous owners Other formats available Published versions of manuscript items Contents Reproduction information Numbers/codes Mathematical and other cartographic data Copy being described and holdings Publication, distribution, etc. With Physical description Cataloger's note (952)

David J. Bertuca, Map Librarian, University at Buffalo. Created by 26 October 2000 Last Modified: 25 April 2013 URL: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dbertuca/maps/cat/note_fields.html Back to: Map Format Field Guide Back to: Map Cataloger's Toolbox Back to: Cataloging Resources The materials selected above do not necessarily reflect the policies and procedures of the State University of New York at Buffalo.