Skip to main content
OCLC Support

Physical details

Learn how to add physical details to a title in OLIB.

►Searches > Titles

This is a repeatable field, recording the physical details of an item. Multiple values may be needed to record information for a work made up of several types of materials.

Add Physical details to the title

  1. On the default General layout, with the Title record in modify mode simply type the pagination into the Physical field and click >>.
  2. In the unlikely event of a second pagination statement being required enter further details in the Physical field and click >>.
  3. If you need to add more than just pagination information click New.
  4. This displays a physical details page where you can enter full MARC21 data. Enter the data directly and click tab as you complete each field.
  5. Save and Close.

The physical information is displayed with the working Title record.

The fields are displayed in MARC21 subfield alphanumeric order as shown in the Export View field, e.g:

$a349 : $bill. (some col.) ; $c54 x 17 cm.$fpage

OLIB automatically inserts the MARC21 prescribed preceding punctuation (ppp) in front of the data you enter.

If a title physical field is mapped to a MARC21 subfield that does not have ppp, the ppp defaults to “ ; ” (space semi-colon space).

OLIB drops any leading punctuation, e.g. if the first field with data in it is a field with ppp, the ppp is dropped when the title physical record is displayed. (The exception to this is the Accompanying Description field, where the ppp is “ (…)”. If this field is the first field with data in it, the parentheses will be retained, but without the leading space).

 

Field mappings and ppp

The following table lists the various title physical fields, together with the field labels (if the field is used on the standard Title Physical layout), the MARC21 subfields that they are mapped to, their ppp, their OLIB attribute name, Mnemonic, and their OLIB field name:

Field Field Label MARC21 subfield code ppp OLIB attribute name

Mnemonic

OLIB field name

Length Extent a   Length length length
Items No. Items a   No. items items no_items
Enrichment Other Physical Details b

“ : ”

Enrich enrich enrich
Physical characteristics   b “ : ” Physical Chars chars physical_chars
Trade names   b “ : ” Trade Names trade trade_names
Dimensions (use) Dimensions c

“ ; ”

Dim. Use dimuse dim_use
Weight   c “ ; ” Weight weight weight
Accompanying material Accompanying material e “ + ” Acc. Material acc_mat acc_material
Accompanying description   e

“ (…)”

 

Acc. Desc acc. Desc acc. Desc
Specific enrichment   e “ + ” Specific Enrich specenr specific_enrich
Special characteristics   e “ + ” Special Chars spec special_char
Material type Type of Unit f   Material type mattype materialtp
Dimensions (non-use) Size of Unit g   Dim. Non Use dimnonuse dim_non_use
Format Materials specified 3   Binding bind binding

Note that some tag 300 subfields have more than one title physical field mapped to them. They will be included in the title physical display string in the order they are listed above.

 

Export View

This field is optional and if it is required, the system manager needs to add it to the layout using Layout Manager.

As you [Tab] at the end of each subfield you enter, OLIB displays the concatenated result in Export View:

Export View            $a349 : $bill. (some col.) ; $c54 x 17 cm.$fpage

This is the data as it would be output for a MARC21 export, e.g. if you export to WorldCat.

To remove data, clear the relevant subfield and [Tab] to clear it from Export View.

 

Subfield structure and sequencing

Subfield structure            $e<acc_mat> : $a<length> : $b<enrich> ; $c<dimuse>

This field is optional  and if it is required, the system manager needs to add it to the layout using Layout Manager.

The field is used if you want to change the default order of subfields or have different punctuation, or possibly repeat a subfield. In the above screenshot, using "$e<acc_mat>" at the start has placed Accompanying Material ("poster") at the start of the physical description.

The following mnemonics can be used with <>s to represent a field value (all lower case):

length, items, enrich, chars, trade, dimuse, weight, acc_mat, acc_desc, specenr, spec, mattype, dimnonuse, format, bind

Example

Length     “on 2 microfilm reels”
Physical Chars   “coat of arms”
Dim. Use  “35mm.”
Sequencing and Punctuation “$a<length> : $b<chars> ; $c<dimuse>”
Export View  “$aon 2 microfilm reels : $bcoat of arms ; $c35 mm.”
Display on Title  “on 2 microfilm reels : coat of arms ; 35 mm.”

  Example

Length     “1 map”
Physical Chars “col.”
Dim. Use  “52 x 36 cm.”
Acc. Material    “1 book”
Acc. Desc  “60 p.”
Sequencing and Punctuation  “$a<length> : $b<chars> ; $c<dimuse> + $e<acc_mat> ($e<acc_desc>)”
Export View “$a1 map : $bcol. ; $c52 x 36 cm. + $e1 book ($e60 p.)”
Display on Title  “1 map : col. ; 52 x 36 cm. + 1 book (60 p.)”

Update Physical details

If an update to the physical details is subsequently required in the catalogue record:

  1. Search for the Title record in Titles.
  2. The Physical field has secondary search enabled. Click the link to display the Physical Details sheet.
  3. Click Modify Record and make the changes as required. Save and Close.
  4. Use breadcrumbs to navigate back to the Title details.
  5. OLIB displays the updated details in the catalogue record.