Detailed Date Rules For Copy Cats: Books

For general information about Dates, go to Simple Date Rules For Copy Cats: Books

For dates on published books, the order of preference is:

1. Date of Publication
2. Date of Distribution
3. Copyright Date
4. Date of Manufacture (Printing)
5. No Date Identified

2.8.6

A Date of Publication is usually found on a title page, or on a verso or colophon (last page) with words such as “Published …”, or “Publication …” or with an edition statement. Enter a publication date as it appears on the resource, except for 1.8

• If a publication date is on the resource:
  • “Published 1990”

• AACR--enter the year of publication in Arabic numbers:
260 _# … $c1990.
008 Dates: s1990,   

• RDA--enter the publication date as found:
264 _1 … $c1990.
008 Dates: s1990,

• “Published May 2000”

• AACR--enter the year of publication in Arabic numbers:
260 _# … $c2000.
008 Dates: s2000,    

• RDA--enter the publication date as found:
264 _1 … $cMay 2000.
008 Dates: s2000,

• “Published MDCCCLV”

• AACR--enter the year of publication in Arabic numbers:
260 _# … $c1855.
008 Dates: s1855,    

• RDA--enter the publication date as found, except for RDA 1.8.2 (Form of Numerals):
  • in the form preferred, which allows you to change the Roman numerals to Arabic:
264 _1 … $c1855.
008 Dates: s1855,

  • in the form in which it appears, keeping the Roman numerals (LC practice):
264 _1 … $cMDCCCLV.
008 Dates: s1855,

  • in the form in which it appears, keeping the Roman numerals, and supplying the equivalent number in Arabic:
264 _1 … $cMDCCCLV [1855].
008 Dates: s1855,

• If a resource has been revised:
  • “Third edition 2013, ”

• AACR--enter the year of the revision in Arabic numbers:
260 _# … $c2013.
008 Dates: s2013,   

• RDA--enter the publication date of the revision as found:
264 _1 … $c2013.
008 Dates: s2013,

2.9.6

A Distribution Date is usually found on a title page verso or colophon (last page), associated with the words ‘Distributed by’ or 'For sale by'.

• If a publication date and/or a copyright date and/or a ‘first printing’ date are present, and a distribution date is also present:
  • “Published 1980, © 1979, Distributed by Small Press Distribution, 1981”

• AACR--ignore the distribution date:
      260 _# … $c1980, c1979.
      008 Dates: t1980,1979

• RDA--(optionally) add the distribution date, 
  if you think it would be useful:
      264 _1 … $c1980.
      264 _2 … $c1981.
      264 _4 $c©1979
      008 Dates: t1980,1979

• If no publication date is present, but a distribution date is provided and seems likely as the publication date of the resource (watch out for a 'first printing' date):
  • “Published by Kenepuru University (NZ). Distributed in NZ by Foster Distributors, 2010”

• AACR: use the distribution date to supply the date of publication: 
      260 _# … $c[2010]
      008 Dates: s2010,

• RDA: use the distribution date to supply the date of publication, 
  and (optionally) add it as a distribution date to explain
  the source of the supplied date: 
      264 _1 … $c[2010]
      264 _2 … $c2010.
      008 Dates: s2010,

• If no publication date or ‘first printing’ date is present, and a distribution date is provided but does not seems likely as the publication date of the resource:
  • “Published by Kenepuru University (NZ) Press, First distributed in the U.S. in 2012 by Fritz Distributors”

• AACR: guess a publication date: 
      260 _# … $c[200-?]
      008 Dates: s200u,

• RDA: supply a ‘not after …’ date, as the publication date, 
  using the distribution date as the date after which 
  the resource could not have been published 
  (since it must have been published before it could be distributed),
  and (optionally) add the distribution date:
      264 _1 … $c[not after 2012]
      264 _2 … $c2012.
      008 Dates: quuuu,2012

2.11

A Copyright Date is usually found on a title page verso or colophon (last page), preceded by either the word 'copyright' or the copyright symbol '©'.

• If a publication date and copyright date are the same:
  • “Published 1990, © 1990”

• AACR--ignore the copyright date:
260 _# … $c1990
008 Dates: s1990,    

• RDA--add the copyright date (optional),
  precede a copyright date with a copyright symbol ‘©’  
  or the word ‘copyright’:
264 _1 … $c1990.
264 _4 $c©1990
008 Dates: t1990,1990

• If a publication date and copyright date are different:
  • “Published 1990, © 1989”

• AACR--add the copyright date (optional), precede a copyright date with 'c':
260 _# … $c1990, c1989.
008 Dates: t1990,1989

• RDA--add the copyright date (optional), 
  precede a copyright date with a copyright symbol ‘©’  
  or the word ‘copyright’:
264 _1 … $c1990.
264 _4 $c©1989
008 Dates: t1990,1989

• If no publication date or distribution date is present, but a copyright date is present:
  • “© 1989”
    • if it seems likely that the book might have been published the year it was copyrighted (watch out for a 'first printing' date that is not the same as the copyright date); see also LCPS for 2.8.6.6:

• AACR--give the copyright date as a copyright date:
260 _# … $cc1989.
008 Dates: s1989,

• RDA--use the copyright date to supply the date of publication, 
  and (optionally) add it as a copyright date to explain
  the source of the supplied date:
264 _1 … $c[1989]
264 _4 $c©1989
008 Dates: t1989,1989

• if it seems unlikely that the book could have been published in the copyright year (e.g., because of a 'first printing' date that is earlier or later than the copyright date), but you can supply a publication date from another date on the resource (e.g., using a 'first printing' date) or a reference source:

• AACR--enter the supplied publication date,
  and (optionally) add the copyright date:
260 _# … $c[2001] c1989.
008 Dates: t2001,1989

• RDA--enter the supplied publication date,
  and (optionally) add the copyright date:
264 _1 … $c[2001]
264 _4 $c©1989
008 Dates: t2001,1989

• if it seems unlikely that the book could have been published in the year it was copyrighted, and you cannot supply supply a publication date from another date on the resource or a reference source:

• AACR: enter a wildly guessed publication date,
  and do not add the copyright date:
260 _# … $c[19--]
008 Dates: s19uu,

• RDA: enter a wildly guessed publication date,
  and (optionally) add the copyright date 
264 _1 … $c[between 1900 and 1985]
264 _4 $c©1985
008 Dates: q1900,1985

but if you cannot guess at all,  
  enter ‘[date of publication not identified]’ as the publication date,
  in which case it is probably better to not add the copyright date:
264 _1 … $c[date of publication not identified]
008 Dates: suuuu,

2.10.6

Found, usually, on the title page verso or colophon (last page), associated with the words 'Printing', ‘Impression’, or ‘Reprint’ or given with a month as well as a year.

• If a publication date is present, or is supplied from a distribution date or copyright date:
  • “Published 1990, © 1989, 3rd printing 1996”

• AACR--ignore printing dates (printing doesn't matter):
      260 _# … $c1990, c1989.
      008 Dates: t1990,1989

• RDA--ignore printing dates (printing doesn't matter):
      264 _1 … $c1990.
      264 _4 $c©1989
      008 Dates: t1990,1989

• … unless the printing date is ‘significantly different’ and you wish to add it:
  • “Published 1890, 53rd printing 1998”

• AACR--add the printing date:
      260 _# … $c1890$g(1998 printing)
      008 Dates: s1890,

• RDA--add the printing date:
      264 _1 … $c1890.
      264 _3 … $c1998.
      008 Dates: s1890,

• If no publication date is present, and the printing date is 'first printing', and is earlier or later than a distribution date or copyright date, if either of those dates are present (ignore first paperback printing, if the paperback can share the same record as the hardcover, i.e., if nothing is different except the binding):
  • “©1990, First printing 1991”

• AACR--use the 'first printing' date to supply the date of publication:
      260 _# … $c[1991], c1990.
      008 Dates: t1991,1990

• RDA--use the 'first printing' date to supply the date of publication, 
  and (optionally) add it as a printing date to explain
  the source of the supplied date, and add that it is a first printing in a note, 
  to justify using that date to supply the publication date: 
      264 _1 … $c[1991]
      264 _3 … $c1991.
      264 _4 $c©1990
      588    $aDescription based on first printing, 1991.
      008 Dates: t1991,1990

• If no publication date or copyright date is present, and the printing date is not 'first printing':
  • “Fifth printing 1996”

• AACR--give the printing date as a printing date:
      260 _# … $c1996 printing.
      008 Dates: s1996,

• RDA--supply a guessed publication date as the publication date 
  (e.g., ‘not after …’, using the printing date as the date 
  after which the resource could not have been published, 
  since it had to have been first published before that printing date)
  and (optionally) add the printing date 
  and add that it is not a first printing date in a note, 
  to explain why that date was not used to supply the publication date:
      264 _1 … $c[not after 1996]
      264 _3 … $c1996.
      588    $aDescription based on fifth printing 1996.
      008 Dates: quuuu,1996
  Note that the 008Date2 here is not from the printing date, 
  it is from the supplied publication date

1.9.2

If none of the dates above is identified on a resource:

• AACR--guess at a date, e.g.:
      260 _# … $c[19--]
      008 Dates: s19uu

• RDA--LCPS for 2.8.6.2 says we should make every effort possible, 
  to guess a date:
      260 _# … $c[not after 1900]
      008 Dates: quuuu,1900

• RDA--if you cannot possibly guess a date, then you must enter 
  ‘[date of publication not identified]’ as the publication date:
      264 _1 … $c[date of publication not identified]
      008 Dates: suuuu,

See 1.9.2 and LCPS for 2.8.6.6 for more help with supplying dates.