This document sets out guidelines for encoding specialized APIS elements and conventions in MARC.

• 001, Item Identifier
  
  The incoming MARC 001 field will be converted into the permanent APIS ID for the corresponding Harvard APIS record, e.g.,
  
      001 009954082-7 
             becomes:
      harvard.apis.009954082-7
  
  
  
• 008 /06-14 (Date Type / Date 1 / Date 2)
  
  For unknown, uncertain or approximate dates, always use MARC "questionable date" conventions, e.g., for a date in the 2nd century CE:
  
        008/06-14: q01000199 (i.e., Date 1: 100 /Date 2: 199)
  
  Do NOT use "01uu" convention, as this provides no useful sorting or retrieval in APIS.  For applicable date range equivalences, see: 
  http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/inside/projects/apis/documentation/dates.html
  
  
  
• 090,  Inventory Number
  
  The inventory number is required if available in all records.  Since it is an important access point, It must be separately encoded and not embedded with other data.
  
           090  $a Col.inv. 230
              or:
          PST8 |1 HVD60-012284641  (Harvard practice)
  
  
  
• 245 $f, "Modern Textual Date"
  
  For undated documents, follow standard papyrological practice using Roman numerals to designate specific centuries or ranges of centuries, e.g.,
  
       245 10 $a Odyssey, $n Book 12, $f [III-II BCE]
  
  
  
• 500, "Lines Note"
  
  Include standard papyrological description of the number of lines and the type of script with introductory label "Lines", e.g.,
  
       500  |a Lines: 7 lines of writing in a Ptolemaic book hand
  
  
  
• 510, Standard Citations
  
  • For items published in the Duke Databank / Perseus always include the publication number specially formatted as:
    
       510 4 |a DDBDP |c P.Oxy.:1:200
    
    
  • For non-DDBDP publication, format 510 as follows:
    
       510 4 |a APIS |c P.Oxy.:3:455
    
    
    
• 518, Origin
  
  Use the 518 to encode the Place of Origin, e.g.,
  
            518 |a Oxyrhynchus, Egypt.
  
  
  
• 520 8, Translation
  
  Include translation as special Summary field, with display constant supressed via IND2 and textual label included included in the data, e.g.,
  
  520 8 | Translation: Copy of memorandum. The man who burned over the dry land burned two of our fig trees. And we estimate the reed crop at 1,000 whole-reed.
  
  
  

• 655, Physical Format
  
  Always include a 655 representing the physical format, e.g.,
  
             655 7 |a Papyri. |2 aat