Developed from AACR2 0.7Some rules are designated as alternative rules or as optional additions and some other rules or parts of rules are introduced by Optionally.
Rules or parts of rules flagged by the word Alternatively, acknowledge that different solutions to a problem, and differing levels of detail and specificity are appropriate in different contexts.
Rules or parts of rules flagged by the word Optionally indicate an optional addition or rule which may be applied to further enhance or clarify mandatory information.
Similar concepts may appear to be covered in more than one place in these rules. This is to provide the greatest level of flexibility for choosing appropriate policies, practices and procedures by archives and cataloguing agencies for similar or related information, in more than one possible area. For instance, some notes in Area 7 dealing with physical description, condition, conservation and preservation treatment, sound quality, copy being described, source of the material, would apply in the body of the cataloguing record if only one item or copy is described in each cataloguing record, while this information may be better handled according to Chapter 10 where more than one copy is held.
It is the archive's or cataloguing agency's choice to decide which alternatives and options to apply as policy, and which other alternatives or options to apply on a case by case basis.