The Zombie Stack Exchanges That Just Won't Die
There are a couple pieces to this question. Is it standard practice to
capture in MARC data about when a library acquired an item in its
collections. My sense is that it's not, except maybe for special
collections items.
If I'm wrong and catalog records do frequently contain this
information, what MARC fields should someone be looking in?
Bottom line: is it possible to use catalog library data to
understand the composition of a libraries collection at different
periods of time—say in 1850 versus in 1900?(Yes, I also realize there is
the issue of weeding but ignore that for a moment and assume we only
care about items still in the collection). Is holdings data usually
available through interfaces that non-librarians might interact with?
trevormunoz
Acquisition dates are generally not in MARC records I have seen, but I think there's provision for them in the 541 subfield d. In my limited experience with cataloging software (all belonging to Follett), there is a "copy information" tab with a "date added" line that we use much more frequently. For the private university library where I work this is important information as we have to provide a list of accessions/deaccessions with cost and dates each fiscal year.
Catalogs consist of linked databases. There is a bibliographic database which contains your MARC records giving a description of the items in the collection. This is linked to a holdings database which has a record for each copy of the materials in the bibliographic database. So, for example, you may have a record in your bibliographic database for Hunger Games (book) linked to multiple holding records which contain information like material number, cost, acquisition date, etc. for each copy of the book your library has. This is further linked to your membership database by an additional database that tracks which member number checked out which material number on what date...
Your acquisition information belongs in the holding database, not the MARC record.
Is holdings data usually available through interfaces that non-librarians might interact with? I assume you mean the public, or anyone not on staff.
The answer would depend on the ILS and what is visible on catalog screens (which is usually customizable by the library), because that is the only data a non-staff person can search. In our catalog, for example, there is a column in the search results which can be toggled between date added (year only) and copyright. You can click on the column heading to sort.
In testing this, I looked at Hunger Games, since I knew we had multiple copies, that those copies are regularly replaced so would have different purchase dates, and that individual holdings do not show up in the catalog (so only one date would show up). So what date would it choose? It chose the date the bibliographic record was created! This is not a MARC field, but something that is created by our ILS. Very helpful too, as the data is available until the bibliographic record is deleted.
Next I looked at the Library of Congress. Their catalog search result listing only shows the copyright date, so I couldn't sort, but when I pulled up an individual item record, and looked at the MARC record, I noticed that LOC had created a MARC field 955 for acquisition dates - as far as I know 955 is not an official MARC tag.
To your other question - is it possible to use catalog library data to understand the composition of a libraries collection at different periods of time—say in 1850 versus in 1900? That answer would be No, since the MARC record system was only developed in 1960 (by the LOC), and only adopted by libraries as they became computerized over the next 4 decades. I don't think you are going to find searchable computerized data on historical library holdings. And since most libraries other than perhaps the LOC probably do not keep bibliographic records of weeded items, you probably won't get that kind of information in the future about today's libries.