MARC ǂ3 Materials specified

MARC subfield 3 in the Authority, Bibliographic, and holdings formats contains the part of the described materials to which the field applies when the content of the field does not apply to the whole resource. It is authorized for many MARC fields, and is not repeatable.

Policy and formulation

  • Subfield 3 is always the first subfield
  • If the information in description fields refers to different types of material cataloged together, repeat the field using appropriate description in ǂ3
  • Enter the entire call number in non-description fields, along with any additional information needed to disambiguate
  • If the information refers to more than one copy, repeat the field
  • If the information refers to more than one volume of a single copy, combine volume numbers in a single ǂ3

Valid fields

Subfield ‡3 is currently valid for about 75 MARC fields. Some of the major ones are:

Examples

An object and manuscript cataloged together

 260 ǂ3 Dressing case ǂc January 21st, 1854 ǂe ([New Orleans]) 
 260 ǂ3 Letter ǂc 1854 January 21 ǂe (New Orleans) 
 300 ǂ3 Dressing case ǂa 1 box ; ǂc 22 x 29 x 14 cm 
 300 ǂ3 Letter ǂa 2 leaves ; ǂc 23 x 19 cm 

Add example of multiple volume numbers

Two copies of a psalter, both embroidered and both restricted

506 1_ ǂ3 STC 2662 copy 1 ǂa RESTRICTED. Original available by special permission only. ǂ5 DFo
506 1_ ǂ3 STC 2662 copy 2 ǂa RESTRICTED. Original available by special permission only. ǂ5 DFo
655 _7 ǂ3 STC 2662 copy 1ǂa Embroidered bindings (Binding) ǂ2 rbbin ǂ5 DFo
655 _7 ǂ3 STC 2662 copy 2ǂa Embroidered bindings (Binding) ǂ2 rbbin ǂ5 DFo

The corresponding 506 fields copied into the holdings records do not have ǂ3

A manuscript record covering five items, important enough for each to receive additional individual description.

500 ǂ3 X.c.85 (1) ǂa Dated: Warwick house, new years [1641/2?]. Signed: Essex Cheek. Addressed: for my deare daughter the Lady Beuell at Cheasterton, huntingdonshere. Contains seal. In red pencil no. 493. 2 leaves; 26 x 16 cm.