| Name | Symbol | Description | Examples |
| Angle Brackets | ^<>^ | Enclose a note which pertains to a specific statement | ^ < Printout of file on disk > ^ |
| Colon | : | Separates different levels of enumeration or chronology | v.1:pt.2 (1987:spring) |
| Comma | , | Indicates a gap in serial run | v.1-4,7-9 (1963:Jan.-Aug.,Oct.-Dec.) |
| Equals Sign | = | Separates main enumeration or chronology from alternative schemes | v.2:no.5=no.11 |
| Hyphen | - | Indicates an unbroken run of holdings. No MARC holdings record created or modified after April 1 1988 should be open-ended (i.e., end in a hyphen). | v.6-9 (1980-1987) |
| Parentheses | ^( )^ | Enclose chronology when there is enumeration and chronology | v.6-9 (1980-1987) but: 1985:no.3 |
| Quotation Marks | ^ " " ^ | Enclose the name of a unit of accompanying material or an unnumbered piece of a multipart item | "User's guide" |
| Semicolon | ;^ | Separates holdings statements within a field. Before conversion to MARC holdings, a semi-colon also marked the end of a Volume holdings line. Semicolons are no longer necessary at the end of holdings fields | monograph: v.1; v.3 serial: 1943-1946; v.5-8 (1947-1950) |
| Semicolon | ; | Indicates a non-gap break in a serial run | v.1.;3 (1965;1967) |
| Slash | / | Expresses combined enumneration or chronology | v.3/4 (1927/1928) |
| Square Brackets | ^[ ]^ | Enclose supplied information | 19932 [i.e. 1932] |
Table of Contents | MHLD Format
Rev. 12/14/95 dih