Guide to Instance Media Types

Artifacts

Local

Object, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.

Audio

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Used when musical or nonmusical sound recordings occurs in a resource.

Computer Disks, Software

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Used for any electronic resource without a significant aspect that indicates one of the other Instance type categories. It includes: software, numeric data, computer-oriented multimedia, and online systems and services.

Graphic Materials

MARC 21 (Category of material)

Used for any two-dimensional pictorial representation, such as a poster, drawing, painting, etc. Does not include photographs.

Cartographic Materials 

AAT and LCSH

Any materials representing, in whole or part, the earth or any celestial body at any scale. 

Microform

MARC 21 (Category of material)

Microform is a generic term for any medium, transparent or opaque, bearing microimages.  A microimage is a unit (e.g., a page) of textual, graphic, or computer-generated material that is contained on aperture cards, microfiche, microfilm, micro-opaques, or other microformats and that is too small to be read without magnification. Microforms may be reproductions of existing textual or graphic materials or they may be original publications

Mixed Materials

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Indicates that there are significant materials in two or more material types such as text, photographs, and sound recordings.

Moving Images

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Includes motion pictures and video recordings, as well as television programs, digital video, and animated computer graphics. It does not include moving images that are primarily computer programs, such as computer games or computer-oriented multimedia; these are included in "software, multimedia".

Photographic Materials

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Used for still photographic images including photomechanical prints, negatives, slides, and digital photographs.  

Published Materials

Local

Resources that have been published. Includes books, magazines, booklets, journals, reprints, clippings, and other materials.

Textual Materials

LCSH MODS guidelines (type of resource)

Resources that are basically textual in nature.