Catalogs of Folger exhibitions

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The Folger routinely acquires catalogs of the exhibitions it curates. This article is about catalogs of exhibitions curated and produced by the Folger, not exhibitions which have been created elsewhere and exhibited at the Folger (such as the Ships, Clocks and Stars exhibition, curated by the National Maritime Museum), or exhibitions at different institutions entirely.

Cataloging exhibition catalogs

The Folger typically acquires 3-4 copies of an exhibition catalog, which each receive collective accession numbers, and go to the following locations unless specified otherwise (holdings for Reserves and Archives are typically suppressed from public view in Hamnet):

  • Copy 1 - Deck B Open stacks (acc. no. 226093)
  • Copy 2 - Acq. Dept. (acc. no. 234147)
  • Copy 3 - Reserves (acc. no. 226094)
  • Copy 4 - Archives (no acc. no.)


Exhibition catalogs are treated as regular modern books; if you are uncertain about particular aspects, ARLIS/NA has produced some best practices.

  • The Folger will almost always be the main entry, followed by the relationship designator "issuing body" (see AACR2 21.17a-b and RDA 19.2.1.1.1.a.iii for justification), unless an author is stated definitively.

110 20 ‡a Folger Shakespeare Library, ‡e issuing body.

  • Add a 500 note for the exhibition that the catalog accompanies. Prefer direct quotation from the catalog whenever possible.

500 ‡a "This volume has been published in conjunction with the exhibition Extending the book: the art of extra-illustration, presented at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, from January 28 through May 25, 2010"--Inside front cover.

  • In addition to the subject(s) of the exhibition itself, add a subject heading for the Folger, and a genre term for Exhibition catalogs.

650 0 ‡a Horses ‡v Bibliography ‡v Exhibitions

610 20 ‡a Folger Shakespeare Library ‡v Exhibitions

655 7 ‡a Exhibition catalogs. ‡2 aat

  • The Folger may also be entered in an added entry field as publisher.

710 20 ‡a Folger Shakespeare Library, ‡e publisher.

  • Provide name access points for names associated with production of the catalog (e.g. editor, compiler, author, writer of foreword, etc.). Do not provide access points for curators of the exhibition itself unless they also worked on the catalog; credit curators in a 500 note instead.