Pressbooks and press kits

These items are classified as ART Vols. and cataloged by modern materials catalogers. Pressbooks were issued by studios to help theater owners promote particular films; they often include information about the film in addition to recommended advertising strategies. Souvenir programs can be for stage productions, film releases, or special showings of films. Press kits, packets of information provided to the media which can include film synopses, promotional stills and headshots, and actor and production team bios, should generally be cataloged to these guidelines as well.

Pressbooks, press kits, and programs for film releases are fully cataloged; programs for single events or theatrical runs are generally given a minimal-level record and an accession-based program call number only.

Cataloging

  • Use cataloger's judgement in determining the title: due to the nature of pressbooks, this may lead to an unwieldy 245 field and several variant titles.
245 00 ‡a Laurence Olivier presents "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare.
246 1  ‡i At head of title: ‡a A J. Arthur Rank enterprise
246 10 ‡a Hamlet
  • Add a 500 note on the nature of the resource.
 500   ‡a Souvenir booklet from Katharine Cornell's 1947 production of Antony and Cleopatra. 
 655  7 ‡a Souvenir programs. ‡2 aat 
 655  7 ‡a Pressbooks (theatre manuals) ‡2 aat 
 655  7 ‡a Press kits. ‡2 aat
  • Add subject entries for the names of prominent actors, characters, and the film. Add the relationship designator depicted, as appropriate (most promotional materials for films and theatrical productions will include still photographs, but will occasionally be text-only).
 630 00 ‡a Ran (Motion picture), ‡e depicted. 
 600 10 ‡aBarrymore, John, ‡d 1882-1942, ‡e depicted. 
 630 00 ‡a Edward II (Motion picture)
  • Add a 700 name-title heading for the Shakespeare play on which an adaptation is based (i.e., Taming of the shrew for Kiss me, Kate and Comedy of errors for Boys from Syracuse), with an appropriate relationship designator in the ‡i.
 700 1  ‡i Promotional material for film adaptation of (work): ‡a Shakespeare, William, ‡d 1564-1616. ‡t Taming of the shrew 
 730 0 ‡i Promotional material for (work): ‡a Ran (motion picture)
  • Add a 710 for the film or theater company promoting the film or production. If cataloging a program for showing(s) at a specific theater, add a heading for that institution as well. Add a relationship designator such as "publisher" or "host institution"; if a more specific term cannot be applied, use "associated name."
 710 2  ‡a Theatre Guild, ‡e associated name.
  • Add a 752 entry for place(s) of publication, manufacture, etc. If the program is for a single film showing or theatrical production, add a 751 entry for place of occurrence.
 751  ‡a New York (N.Y.), ‡e event place. ‡2 naf 
 752  ‡a United States ‡b New York (State) ‡d New York. ‡2 naf