Contents:

5.26.1 Element information

5.26.1.1 Link to RDA Toolkit

5.26.1.2 Sources of information

5.26.2 RDA definition and scope

5.26.2.1 A place that is associated with the distribution of a published manifestation.

5.26.3 General rule

5.26.3.1 Transcribe place names associated with the distribution of a published manifestation, together with any associated words or phrases in the form and order in which they are presented on the preferred source of information, unless specifically instructed otherwise (see Transcription, 0.4.94.05).

5.26.3.2 If the place appears together with the name of a larger jurisdiction (e.g., country, state, or similar designation), or multiple such jurisdictions, transcribe this as well.

Example:
Boston in N. England

5.26.3.3 In general, transcribe the full address. Consider the sequence, layout, and typography of words in the distribution statement when determining the most appropriate element in which to transcribe the address. If address information is grammatically inseparable from the distributor’s name, transcribe that information as part of Name of distributor (see 5.27.3.1).

5.26.3.4 Optionally, omit, using the mark of omission, addresses and insignificant information appearing in the middle or end of the Place of distribution, unless information is grammatically inseparable, aids in identifying or dating the manifestation, or is considered important to the cataloging agency (e.g., for the purpose of capturing book trade data).

5.26.31 Place of distribution with initial prepositions, etc.

5.26.31.1 Transcribe any prepositions appearing before the place of distribution as well as any accompanying words or phrases associated with the place name.

Example:
A Londres

Example:
Se vend a Paris

Example:
Sold in London

Example:
Prostant Noribergae

5.26.32 Supplied modern forms of place names

5.26.32.1 Supply in square brackets the modern form of the name of the place, if known and if considered important. Use a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency.

Example:
Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]

5.26.323 Supplied fuller forms of place names

5.26.323.1 If a place name is found only in an abbreviated form on the manifestation, transcribe it as found. Supply in square brackets the full form of the name, or the remainder of the name, if considered important.

5.26.325 Supplied larger jurisdictions

5.26.325.1 Supply in square brackets the name of the country, state, province, etc., after the name of the place if it is considered necessary for identification, or if it is considered necessary to distinguish the place from others of the same name. Use a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency.

5.26.325.2 Optionally, use the abbreviations for names in English listed in RDA Toolkit: Abbreviations of terms in English for countries and states.

5.26.33 Two or more places of distribution

5.26.33.1 If the manifestation shows two or more places of distribution, and all are related to the same distributor, transcribe all in the order in which they appear.

Example:
A Lausanne & se trouve à Paris

5.26.33.2 Optionally, if the places are considered too numerous to list exhaustively and some may be omitted without significant loss of identification, all after the third may be omitted. Supply in square brackets a phrase in the language and script of the cataloging agency to convey the nature of the omitted information. Include the number of omitted places in the supplied phrase. Do not use the mark of omission.

5.26.33.3 If a subsequent place of distribution is not related to the same distributor, transcribe it in association with the distributor to which it corresponds.

Example:
Distribution statement: Prostat Parisiis : Apud Ludovicum Nicolaum Prévost, Theophilum Barrois, viâ quam vocant quai des Augustins ; Prostat Londini: Apud Petrum Elmsly ; Prostat Viennae : Apud Rudolphum Graeffer ; Prostat Argentorati [Strasbourg] : Apud Amandum Koenig

(Comment: Example formatted with ISBD punctuation for clarity)

5.26.33.4 Do not, however, transcribe a subsequent place as a Place of distribution if it must be transcribed as a grammatically inseparable part of another element.

Example:
Distribution statement: London : Sold at Messrs. Robinsons’, Pater-Noster Row; Mr. Taylor, Architectural library, Holborn and Mr. Faulder’s, New Bond Street; also by Edward Jones, Birmingham; G. Morris, Stratford-upon-Avon; and by the author, Henley in Arden, 1799

(Comment: Example formatted with ISBD punctuation for clarity)

5.26.33.5 If a place of distribution associated with an earlier manifestation appears together with the actual place of distribution of the manifestation being described, transcribe the places as a single element in the order in which they appear.

5.26.33.6 If both the place and Name of distributor associated with an earlier manifestation appear together with the place and Name of distributor of the manifestation being described, transcribe each place with the distributor to which it corresponds.

5.26.34 Places of distribution in multipart monographs

5.26.34.1 If the manifestation is issued in more than one physical part and the place of distribution changes in the course of publication, transcribe as Place of distribution the place named in the first or earliest part and always record the place named in the later part(s) in a Note on distribution statement (see 5.285.32.1).

5.26.35 Place names that are grammatically inseparable parts of other elements

5.26.35.1 If the place name appears only as a grammatically inseparable part of another element and is transcribed there, supply the Place of distribution in square brackets (see 5.25.34.3). Use a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency.

Example:
Place of distribution: [Hanover]
Name of distributor: Zu finden bey Nicol. Förstern, Buchhändl. in Hanover

Example:
Place of distribution: [Portsmouth, N.H.]
Name of distributor: Sold at the printing-office in Portsmouth

5.26.36 Fictitious or incorrect places of distribution

5.26.36.1 If the place of distribution appearing on the manifestation is known to be fictitious or incorrect, transcribe it nonetheless and always make an explanatory Note on distribution statement (see 5.285.32.2).

5.26.36.2 If the place name is known to be fictitious and the actual Place of distribution is known or can be reasonably surmised, transcribe it as it appears and supply the actual place name, preceded by “that is,” all enclosed within square brackets. Use a modern form of name in the language of the cataloging agency, and give the basis for the correction or clarification in a Note on distribution statement (see 5.285.32.3). If the supplied place name is uncertain, record it following the instructions at 5.26.385.

Example:
Place of distribution: Londini [that is, Leipzig]
Note on distribution statement: Actual place of distribution is Leipzip according to the English short title catalogue

(Comment: The formal citation for the English short title catalogue is given in a Manifestation described by note (see 9.32.31.1))

5.26.37 No place of distribution

5.26.37.1 If no place of distribution appears on the manifestation but is known or can be reasonably surmised, supply it in square brackets. Use a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency, and include the name of the larger jurisdiction if considered important. Use the location associated with the first transcribed distributor if one is present. Provide a justification for the supplied place in a Note on distribution statement if not apparent from the rest of the description and if considered important (see 5.285.32.4). If the supplied place name is uncertain, record it following the instructions at 5.26.385.

Example:
Place of distribution: [London]
Name of distributor: Sold by George Willis, 42, Charing Cross

Example:
Distribution statement: [Rome] : Si vendono a Pasquino nella libraria di Pietro Leone all’ insegna di S. Giovanni di Dio
Note on distribution statement: The Pasquino is in Rome

(Comment: Example formatted with ISBD punctuation for clarity)

5.26.37.2 If the name of the place of distribution has changed over time, supply the place name appropriate to the Date of distribution if known (e.g., Leningrad, not Saint Petersburg, for manifestations published in that city between 1924 and 1991). If considered important, also supply the modern place name and the name of the larger jurisdiction, preceded by “that is,” in the language of the cataloging agency.

5.26.38 Place of distribution supplied based on address or sign

5.26.38.1 When only an address or description of a trade sign appears on the manifestation and the place name is known or can be reasonably surmised, supply a modern form of the place name in the language of the cataloging agency in square brackets. (Transcribe a statement containing the address or sign in the Name of distributor element; see 5.27.36.1.) When supplying the place of distribution, give a justification in a Note on distribution statement if not apparent from the rest of the description and if considered important (see 5.285.32.5). If the supplied place name is uncertain, record it following the instructions at 5.26.385.

Example:
Distribution statement: [London] : To be sold at the first shop in Popes-Head-Alley, next to Cornhill, near the Exchange Note on distribution statement: Popes Head Alley and the Exchange are located in London

(Comment: Example formatted with ISBD punctuation for clarity)

5.26.385 Place of distribution uncertain or unknown

5.26.385.1 If the place of distribution is uncertain, and it is considered important, supply the name of the probable place of distribution with a question mark, using a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency in square brackets.

Example:
[Cambridge, Mass.? ]

Example:
[Cologne?]

5.26.385.2 If no city of distribution can be conjectured, and it is considered important, supply the name of a state, province, country, or other larger geographic entity as the place of distribution with a question mark if necessary, using a modern form of the name in the language of the cataloging agency in square brackets.

Example:
[Canada]

Example:
[Scotland?]

5.26.385.3 If the basis of the supplied place is not apparent from the rest of the description, always make a Note on distribution statement to indicate the source of the information (see 5.285.32.4).

5.26.385.4 If no place of distribution can be conjectured, record “Place of distribution not identified” in square brackets.

Example:
[Place of distribution not identified]

5.26.39 Place names in more than one language or script

5.26.39.1 If the place of distribution appears in more than one language or script, transcribe the place in the language or script of the Title proper as Place of distribution. If this criterion does not apply, transcribe the place that appears first as Place of distribution. Transcribe remaining place(s) as Parallel place of distribution. For transposed elements, always make a Note on distribution statement to indicate the original position on the source (see 5.285.32.6).

Example:
Place of distribution: Londini
Parallel place of distribution: Sold in London

(Comment: The text in Latin appears first on the title page)

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