WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue / U. S. Bureau of Education Special Report on Public Libraries—Part II, Third Edition cover

Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue / U. S. Bureau of Education Special Report on Public Libraries—Part II, Third Edition

Chapter 57: APPENDICES.
Open in WeRead

About This Book

This work presents a comprehensive guide to the principles and practices of creating a dictionary catalogue for libraries. It discusses various entry methods, including author, title, and subject entries, and emphasizes the importance of systematic organization and clarity in cataloguing. The text outlines different types of catalogues, such as short, medium, and full-title catalogues, and provides detailed rules for each category. It also addresses the need for flexibility in cataloguing practices to accommodate different library types and user needs. The author encourages feedback from librarians to improve future editions, highlighting the evolving nature of cataloguing standards.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I. CONDENSED RULES FOR AN AUTHOR AND TITLE CATALOG.

PREPARED BY THE COÖPERATION COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.[70]

ENTRY.
  • Books are to be entered under the:
    • Surnames of authors when ascertained, the abbreviation “Anon.” being added to the titles of anonymous works.  (1a
    • Initials of authors’ names when these only are known, the last initial being put first.  (1b
    • Pseudonyms of the writers when the real names are not ascertained.  (1c
    • Names of editors of collections, each separate item to be at the same time sufficiently catalogd under its own heading.  (1d
    • Names of countries, cities, societies, or other bodies which are responsible for their publication.  (1e
    • First word (not an article or serial number) of the titles of periodicals and of anonymous books, the names of whose authors are not known. And a motto or the designation of a series may be neglected when it begins a title, and the entry may be made under the first word of the real title following.  (1f

Commentaries accompanying a text and translations are to be entered under the heading of the original work; but commentaries without the text under the name of the commentator. A book entitled “Commentary on . . . ” and containing the text should be put under both.  (1g

The Bible, or any part of it (including the Apocrypha), in any language, is to be entered under the word Bible.  (1h

The Talmud and Koran (and parts of them) are to be entered under those words; the sacred books of other religions are to be entered under the names by which they are generally known; references to be given from the names of editors, translators, etc.  (1i

The respondent or defender of an academical thesis is to be considered as the author, unless the work unequivocally appears to be the work of the praeses.  (1j

Books having more than one author to be entered under the one first named in the title with a reference from each of the others.  (1k

Reports of civil actions are to be entered under the name of the party to the suit which stands first on the title-page. Reports of crown and criminal proceedings are to be entered under the name of the defendant. Admiralty proceedings relating to vessels are to be put under the name of the vessel.  (1l

Noblemen are to be entered under their titles, unless the family name is decidedly better known.  (1m

Ecclesiastical dignitaries, unless popes or sovereigns, are to be entered under their surnames.  (1n

Sovereigns (other than Greek or Roman), ruling princes, Oriental writers, popes, friars, persons canonized, and all other persons known only by their first name, are to be entered under this first name.  (1o

Married women, and other persons who have changed their names, are to be put under the last well-known form.  (1p

A pseudonym may be used instead of the surname (and only a reference to the pseudonym made under the surname) when an author is much more known by his false than by his real name. In case of doubt use the real name.  (1q

A society is to be entered under the first word, not an article, of its corporate name, with references from any other name by which it is known, especially from the name of the place where its headquarters are established, if it is often called by that name.  (1r

References.—When an author has been known by more than one name, references should be inserted from the name or names not to be used as headings to the one used.  (1s

  • References are also to be made to the headings chosen:
    • from the titles of all novels and plays and of poems likely to be asked for by their titles;  (1t
    • from other striking titles;  (1u
    • from noticeable words in anonymous titles, especially from the names of subjects of anonymous biographies;  (1v
    • from the names of editors of periodicals, when the periodicals are generally called by the editor’s name;  (1w
    • from the names of important translators (especially poetical translators) and commentators;  (1x
    • from the title of an ecclesiastical dignitary, when that, and not the family name, is used in the book catalogd;  (1y
    • and in other cases where a reference is needed to insure the ready finding of the book.  (1z

[70] C. A. Cutter, S. H. Scudder, C. B. Tillinghast. Reprinted from the Library journal, 8: 251–254. The rules of the Library Association of the United Kingdom were printed in the Library journal, 6: 315–316. The Bodleian cataloging rules are given in the Library journal, 8: 298–301.

HEADINGS.

In the heading of titles, the names of authors are to be given in full, and in their vernacular form, except that the Latin form may be used when it is more generally known, the vernacular form being added in parentheses; except, also, that sovereigns and popes may be given in the English form.  (2a

English and French surnames beginning with a prefix (except the French de and d’) are to be recorded under the prefix; in other languages under the word following;  (2b

English compound surnames are to be entered under the last part of the name; foreign ones under the first part;  (2c

Designations are to be added to distinguish writers of the same name from each other;  (2d

Prefixes indicating the rank or profession of writers may be added in the heading, when they are part of the usual designation of the writers.  (2e

Names of places to be given in the English form. When both an English and a vernacular form are used in English works, prefer the vernacular.  (2f

TITLES.

The title is to be an exact transcript of the title-page, neither amended, translated, nor in any way altered, except that mottoes, titles of authors, repetitious, and matter of any kind not essential, are to be omitted. Where great accuracy is desirable, omissions are to be indicated by three dots (...). The titles of books especially valuable for antiquity or rarity may be given in full, with all practicable precision. The phraseology and spelling, but not necessarily the punctuation, of the title are to be exactly copied.  (3a

Any additions needed to make the title clear are to be supplied and inclosed by brackets.  (3b

  • Initial capitals are to be given in English:  (3c
    • to proper names of persons and personifications, places, bodies, noted events, and periods (each separate word not an article, conjunction, or preposition, may be capitalized in these cases);  (3d
    • to adjectives and other derivatives from proper names when they have a direct reference to the person, place, etc., from which they are derived;  (3e
    • to the first word of every sentence and of every quoted title;  (3f
    • to titles of honor when standing instead of a proper name (e. g., the Earl of Derby, but John Stanley, earl of Derby);  (3g
    • In foreign languages, according to the local usage;  (3h
    • In doubtful cases capitals are to be avoided.  (3i

Foreign languages.—Titles in foreign characters may be transliterated. The languages in which a book is written are to be stated when there are several, and the fact is not apparent from the title.  (3j

[For the A. L. A. transliteration report, see pp. 108–114.]

IMPRINTS.
  • After the title are to be given, in the following order, those in [ ] being optional:—
    • the edition;  (4a
    • the place of publication;  (4b
    • [and the publisher’s name] (these three in the language of the title);  (4c
    • the year as given on the title-page, but in Arabic figures;  (4d
    • [the year of copyright or actual publication, if known to be different, in brackets, and preceded by c. or p. as the case may be];  (4e
    • the number of volumes, or of pages if there is only one volume;  (4f
    • [the number of maps, portraits, or illustrations not included in the text];  (4g
    • and either the approximate size designated by letter (see Library journal, 3: 19–20), or the exact size in centimeters;  (4h
    • the name of the series to which the book belongs is to be given in parentheses after the other imprint entries.  (4i

After the place of publication, the place of printing maybe given if different. This is desirable only in rare and old books.  (4j

The number of pages is to be indicated by giving the last number of each paging, connecting the numbers by the sign +; the addition of unpaged matter may be shown by a +, or the number of pages ascertained by counting may be given in brackets. When there are more than three pagings, it is better to add them together and give the sum in brackets.

These imprint entries are to give the facts, whether ascertained from the book or from other sources; those which are usually taken from the title (edition, place, publisher’s name, and series) should be in the language of the title, corrections and additions being inclosed in brackets. It is better to give the words, “maps,” “portraits,” etc., and the abbreviations for “volumes” and “pages,” in English.  (4k

CONTENTS, NOTES.

Notes (in English) and contents of volumes are to be given when necessary to properly describe the works. Both notes and lists of contents to be in a smaller type.  (5a

MISCELLANEOUS.

A single dash or indent indicates the omission of the preceding heading; a subsequent dash or indent indicates the omission of a subordinate heading, or of a title.  (6a

A dash connecting numbers signifies to and including; following a number it signifies continuation.  (6b

A ? following a word or entry signifies probably.  (6c

Brackets inclose words added to titles or imprints or changed in form.  (6d

Arabic figures are to be used rather than Roman; but small capitals may be used after the names of sovereigns, princes, and popes.  (6e

A list of abbreviations to be used was given in the Library journal, 3: 16–20.  (6f

ARRANGEMENT.

The surname when used alone precedes the same name used with forenames; where the initials only of the forenames are given, they are to precede fully written forenames beginning with the same initials (e. g., Brown; Brown, J.; Brown, J. L.; Brown, James).  (7a

The prefixes M and Mc, S., St., Ste., Messrs., Mr., and Mrs., are to be arranged as if written in full, Mac, Sanctus, Saint, Sainte, Messieurs, Mister, and Mistress.  (7b

  • The works of an author are to be arranged in the following order:—
    • 1. Collected works.  (7c
    • 2. Partial collections.  (7d
    • 3. Single works, alphabetically by the first word of the title.  (7e

The order of alphabeting is to be that of the English alphabet.  (7f

The German ae, oe, ue, are always to be written ä, ö, ü, and arranged as a, o, u.  (7g

Names of persons are to precede similar names of places, which in turn precede similar first words of titles.  (7h