MARC 506 Restrictions on Access Note

MARC field 506 in the bibliographic and holdings formats contains information about restrictions imposed on access to the described materials. This field is repeatable.

Commonly-used tags

First indicator - Restriction

1 - Restrictions apply 

Second indicator - Undefined

Subfields

‡a - Terms governing access (NR)
‡c - Physical access provisions
‡3 - Materials specified (NR)
‡5 - Institution to which field applies (NR)

Policy and formulation

Licensing restrictions

Do not use MARC 506 for access restrictions to online resources. Use 852$h instead.

Access advisories

The following Access advisories can be copy-and-pasted directly into TIND's MARC Text view

(Remember to set Item status to "Review required" in the corresponding Item record.)

5061_ $$aRESTRICTED. Awaiting conservation.$$cReview required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks).$$z[Any additional public information]$$xConsDB [DB serial number, plus any additional staff-only information]$$5DFo

5061_ $$aRESTRICTED. Embroidered binding.$$cReview required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks).$$5DFo

Exception: books with possible arsenic green bindings get a Restrictions on Access Note but not a "Review required" status or "RESTRICTED" at the start of the note. 5061_ $$aPossible arsenic green binding.$$cStore in zip-top plastic bag. Handle with nitrile gloves. Wash hands afterward.$$5DFo

Indefinite restrictions

When an item has been designated as indefinitely restricted (e.g., an embroidered binding), as opposed to something simply awaiting conservation treatment:

• Add a yellow "Do not remove from shelf" flag to the volume
  • Write the call number into the blank spot at the top of the flag
  • Write a brief explanation for the restriction on the back of the flag
• Add a 506 field to the bib record:
  • Begin ǂa with "RESTRICTED" then provide a concise explanation for the restriction (use ǂz for additional public information, if needed)
  • Include a standard phrase describing provisions for access in ǂc. In most cases, use "Review required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks)."
  • If there is more than one volume or more than one copy, identify which are the restricted items by entering the full call number in MARC ǂ3 Materials specified at the beginning of the string, unless all volumes/copies are restricted. In that case, use "all copies" or "all volumes" in ǂ3.
• End with ǂ5 DFo even for manuscripts, drawings, and other inherently unique material (so that reports looking for stray notes from imported records can be run based on ǂ5 instead of combinations of material types)

Legacy: restricted notes were formerly put in field 852 ǂz, and used to be much more common. Most restrictions on printed materials based on rarity (e.g., unique copies) have been or will be removed.

Note: The following strings can be copied-and-pasted directly into Connexion

Examples

5061 RESTRICTED: special provenance. ǂc Review required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks). ǂ5 DFo

5061 ǂ3 STC 2662 copy 2 ǂa RESTRICTED: embroidered binding. ǂc Review required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks). ǂ5 DFo

5061 RESTRICTED: unique issue. ǂc Review required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks). ǂ5 DFo 

5061 RESTRICTED: unique edition. ǂc Review required (typical turnaround time 1 to 2 weeks). ǂ5 DFo

Temporary restrictions

Conservation advisories

When an item is temporarily unavailable because it is awaiting conservation treatment, the Curatorial Assistant adds an access advisory to the holdings record and bib record using the following examples as a model. The advisory should be added as soon as it is determined that the item needs conservation work and cannot be handled until that work is completed. Ideally the CA completes a FileMaker Pro record at this time as well.

Note: Items with conservation advisories only receive an "Awaiting Conservation" flag with the appropriate bubble filled in, NOT a yellow "Restricted" flag.
Note: the following examples may be copied-and-pasted directly into Hamnet. (Make sure the the selection arrow is positioned in the far left column.)

Examples

506 1_  ‡a RESTRICTED. Awaiting conservation. Available by special permission only. ‡5 DFo
506 1_  ‡a RESTRICTED. Unavailable for research. Awaiting conservation treatment. ‡5 DFo

When treatment is complete, the Curatorial Assistant:

• Deletes the access advisory in the holding and the bib record
• Adds any conservation notes or paperwork to the curatorial file

Loan advisories

When an item is approved for loan, the Exhibitions Department adds a 506 field to the bibliographic record for that item using the following examples as a model. Start the "unavailable" period far enough in advance for the item to be conditioned and packed well before travel. If the item will be available at the borrowing institution, include that information in the 506. Note: the following examples may be copied-and-pasted directly into the "text marc" view of the Catalog Record Editor. Be sure to include the blank space before the MARC tag number.

Examples

 5061_ $$aSCHEDULED LOAN. Unavailable for research February through June 2008.

 5061_ $$aTemporarily available by appointment in the Kislak Center Reading Room, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, University of Pennsylvania. See <a href="https://www.library.upenn.edu/kislak/access">Access and Visitor Information for the Kislak Center</a>.

When the item returns, Exhibitions Department:

• Deletes the access advisory (can be done by a cataloger as a Batch Edit when there are so many that hand-editing would be impractical)
• Adds a MARC 585 Exhibitions Note to the bibliographic record
• Removes the Location Exception in the Item record

Exhibition advisories

Items in on-site exhibitions can usually be made available in the Reading Room, with advance notice. Beginning in 2023, no 506 note is made for these items.

External links

• MARC bibliographic 506
• MARC holdings 506
• MARC bibliographic 506 in Cataloger's Desktop (Access limited by licensing agreements)