Music Library Association Best Practices for illustrative content
Prerecording
Prerecording
Record the element if deemed useful for identification or access.
LC Core for children's materials: Illustrative content is a core element for LC for resources intended for children.
LC/PCC practice: See the Metadata Guidance documentation: Aggregates.
Recording
Recording
In MARC: Record as a structured description using field 300 subfield $b. Record multiple values in the same instance of $b and apply ISBD punctuation (that is, separate values with a comma). Alternatively: record as a structured or unstructured description using field 340 subfield $p. Provide additional clarifying information as an unstructured description in field 500 if deemed useful for identification or selection.
Option
LC/PCC practice: Cataloger's judgment. Use terms from an RDA Vocabulary Encoding Scheme or another appropriate vocabulary encoding scheme.
Option
LC/PCC practice: Cataloger's judgment. Use terms from an RDA Vocabulary Encoding Scheme or another appropriate vocabulary encoding scheme.
Option
LC/PCC practice: Apply the option.
Option
LC/PCC practice: Cataloger's judgment. If the manifestation consists predominantly of illustrations, record chiefly illustrations.
Recording a structured description
Option
LC/PCC practice: Cataloger's judgment. Apply the option instead of or in addition to applying the option to record a term from another appropriate vocabulary encoding scheme.
See additional options under Recording
Option
If no appropriate term is available in the recommended RDA vocabulary encoding scheme, prefer terms from the Library of Congress Illustrative Content list.
In MARC: Record terms in lower case if recorded in field 300.
Recording an identifier
Recording an IRI
Document Date: 2026/06/14
Document: https://access.rdatoolkit.org/en-US_ala-f8b97707-2724-3bfa-851e-40a8612b8196