Summary of Final Punctuation in Bib Record Fields:
Book Cataloguing

This document currently covers fields typically used in cataloguing books (print monographs).  It does not include all fields used in cataloguing other types of materials, such as serials, electronic materials, or maps.

Always a final period

Each of the following fields should always end with a period:

• 245

  E.g.    245 10  ... / $c by Hermione Gundelswich ... [et al.].

• 250

  E.g.    250      3. ed. (1. ed. en Colección interminable).

• 5xx

  E.g.    504      Includes bibliographical references (p. 234-246).

  Exceptions:

  1. A final quotation mark should be placed after a period.

     E.g.    500      “Based on a true story.”

  2. Any $5 subfield should follow a period.

     E.g.    500      Library’s copy signed by the author. $5 LNT

Some type of final punctuation, but only sometimes a period

A final punctuation mark is needed, but if a hyphen, closing parenthesis, or closing bracket is present, no period is needed.

A final quotation mark should be placed after a period.  Any $5 subfield should follow a period.

• 1xx

  E.g.    100 1    Gundelswich, Hermione.

  E.g.    100 1    González, Alejandro, $d 1927-

  E.g.    110 2    Bibliothèque nationale (France)

  E.g.    130 0    Beowulf. $l Danish.

• 260

  E.g.    260      ..., $c c1999.

  E.g.    260      ..., $c 1998-

  E.g.    260      ..., $c [2000?]

• 300

  E.g.    300      ... $c 24 cm.

  E.g.    300      ... $c 24 cm. + $e ... + 1 atlas (12 p. : 4 col. maps ; 18 cm.)

• 6xx

  E.g.    651  0  Guatemala $x History $y 1945-1985.

  E.g.    651  0  Guatemala $x History $y 1985-

  E.g.    650  0  Natural disasters $z Mexico $z Teziutlán (Puebla)

• 700-740

  E.g.    700 1    Gundelswich, Hermione.

  E.g.    700 1    González, Alejandro, $d 1927-

  E.g.    710 2    Bibliothèque nationale (France)

  E.g.    710 2    Project “Mapping Orkney.”

  E.g.    730 02  Journey of an intrepid traveller.

  E.g.    740 02  Two towers.

  E.g.    740 02  Around the world (again)

  E.g.    740 02  New Orleans connections. $5 LNT

                                [a locally inserted section]

• 800-830

  E.g.    830  0  Historia (Wiesbaden, Germany). $p Einzelschriften ; $v Heft 99.

  E.g.    830  0  Colección bibliográfica (Bogotá, Colombia)

Never a final period

A period should never appear at the end of any of the following fields:

• 240

  E.g.    240 10  Hamlet. $l Italian

  E.g.    240 10  Plays. $k Selections

• 246

  E.g.    246 30  Testimonios de mujeres de desaparecidos

  E.g.    246 18  Archaeology & entomology in the Mediterranean

• 4xx

  E.g.    440  0   Colección básica de escritores ecuatorianos ; $v 43

  E.g.    490 0    Biblioteca breve

List by field

• Always = Always ends with period
• Sometimes = Always ends with punctuation, but only sometimes a period
• Never = Never ends with period

1xx		Sometimes
240		Never
245		Always
246		Never
250		Always
260		Sometimes
300		Sometimes
4xx		Never
5xx		Always (except final quotation mark or $5 subfield)
6xx		Sometimes
7xx		Sometimes
8xx		Sometimes

HTML document last reviewed:  26 September 2000