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

Part 14

Chapter 143,871 wordsPublic domain

Any subdivision of the groups under countries has been strongly opposed as being troublesome to make, useless, and even confusing, or as being an unlawful mixture of classed and dictionary cataloguing. But suppose you have four or five hundred {98} titles under «France.» _History._ Will you break them up into groups with such headings as _House of Bourbon_, _Revolution_, _Empire_, _Restoration_, etc., with references and other devices for those works which treat of several periods, all of which it must be confessed is a little formidable at first glance, or will you leave them in one undivided mass, so that he who wants to find the history of the last half of the 15th century must read through the 500 titles, perhaps, to find even one and certainly to find all? You would divide of course. It is true that grouping may mislead. The inquirer must still be careful to look in several places. The history of France during the ascendency of the House of Valois is to be found not merely under that heading but in the comprehensive histories of the country. The inquirer may be a little less likely to think of this because the titles of these two groups are separated from the many other titles which have nothing to do specially or generally with the House of Valois, but if he does think of it he is greatly assisted by such segregation.

[note] 68. Not meaning novels, but broadsides, chap-books, and the like,—the literature of the people in times past.[/note]

[note] 69. Again not meaning novels, but the romances of chivalry, etc.[/note]

K. _Etc._

259. In a supplement, catalogue the _whole_ of a continued set, not merely the volumes received since the first catalogue.

_Ex._ If v. 1–4 are in the catalogue and v. 5–10 are received later, enter all 10 v. in the supplement. It takes no more room, and it is useless to make the reader look in two places to ascertain how much of the work the library has. But this should not be done when it will take up much space, as would often be the case with periodicals, owing to details of change of name, number of volumes missing, etc. Nor should Contents be repeated; it is enough to refer.

260. When there are many editions of a work under any subject-heading omit the titles and merely refer to the author-entry.

Much space may thus be saved at little inconvenience to the reader.

_Ex._ «Gaul.» CÆSAR, C. J. Commentarii [B.C. 58–49]. _See_ «Cæsar», C. J. (pp. 441, 442); here two lines do the work of forty.

261. Rare books.

American libraries and especially town libraries seldom have any books sufficiently rare to deserve great particularity of description. If for any reason it is thought necessary to give a minute account of a book or of a collection good models may be found in Trömel’s Biblioth. amér., Lpz., 1861, 8º, Stevens’s Historical nuggets, Lond., 1862, 2 v. 16º, Weller’s Repertorium bibliographicum, Nördlingen, 1864, 8º, Harrisse’s Biblioth. Amer. vetustissima, N. Y., 1866, 8º, Tiele’s Mém. bibliog. sur les journaux des navig. néerlandaises, Amst., 1867, 8º, and the titles of the rarer books in Sabin’s Dict. of books rel. to America, N. Y., 1868, etc. For the convenience of those who have not these works at hand a few examples are given here.

This copy has the leaves numbered in ms. and a Tabula prefixed to the 2d part by a contemporary hand. The work being very thick was probably in general bound in two parts and is rarely complete; Santander describes only the 1st part, the due de la Vallière had only the 2d. The name of the printer, Zell, is found in only three or four of his numerous publications. This is shown to be his by the type, which is the same as that used in the Sermones of R. Caracciolus de Litio issued in the same year. The present work went through 10 editions in 8 years. According to Graesse it is {99} probably the first book printed out of Italy which contains a line of Italian poetry, “Trenta foglie ha la rosa”, at the end of the 1st part.

Brunet v. 1022, Graesse vi. ii. 232, Hain no. 16128.

(47) pp. means 47 unnumbered pages, ll. means leaves. Italicizing the _um_ in Registr_um_ signifies that those letters are expressed in the caption by a contraction which the printer of the catalogue has no type for.

«Huon» _de Bordeaux_. Les gestes et faictz | merueilleux du no|ble Huon de Bor|deaulx Per de France, Duc de Guyenne. Nouuellement redige en bon | Francoys: et Imprime nouuellement a Paris pour Jean Bonfonds | . . . | . . . | [_Woodcut_] [_Ending_] Lequel liure & | hystoire a este mis de rime en prose | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . lequel fut fait & parfait le vinte | neufiesme iour de Januier. Lan | mil. cccc. liiii | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . «Imprime a Paris» pour Jan | Bonfons . . . | . . . _n. d._ 4º. (8), 264 ll. @ 40 lines. With 14 woodcuts in the text, and the printer’s mark.

On the eighth leaf is written “Jehan Moynard me possidet 1557,” which is probably not far from the date of publication. The 1st dated edition appeared in 1516. Brunet mentions two other editions before recording the present, one 1556, one undated.

Sold, Essling 95 _fr._, Giraud 199 _fr._

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

{100}

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

{101}

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

[note] 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.[/note]

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

{102}

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

{103}

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

THE RULES OF THE ENGLISH LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

The cataloguing rules of the Library Association of the United Kingdom, as revised in 1883, and published in the _Library Chronicle_ of February, 1885, differ from the A. L. A. rules in the following points:

1. The order of the imprint is to be: edition, number of volumes, if only one volume, the number of pages, the number of separate illustrations, maps, or portraits, the size, the place of publication, the place of printing when different from that of publication, the publisher’s name, and the year.

2. All anonymous works to have the abbreviation “Anon.” added.

3. Entry under the chief subject-word of the titles of anonymous books, with a cross-reference, where advisable, under any other noticeable word.

4. Service and Prayer books used by any religious community are to be placed under the head of Liturgies, with a subhead of the religious community.

5. Names of translators, commentators, editors, and preface writers, if they do not occur in the title-page, may be added within square brackets, a cross-reference being made in each case. {104}

6. It should be noticed that sometimes the respondent and defender of a thesis are joint authors.

7. All persons generally known by a forename are to be so entered, the English form being used in the case of sovereigns, popes, ruling princes, Oriental writers, friars, and persons canonized.

[This is like the A. L. A., but differently expressed.]

8. [References are required to be always made to the first word under which a society is entered] from the name of the place where its headquarters are established.

9. Individual works to be arranged under an author in alphabetical order of titles, under the first word, not an article or a preposition having the meaning of “concerning.”

10. The German ä, ö, ü, are to be arranged as if written out in full—ae, oe, ue.

THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY RULES.

The Bodleian rules differ from the A. L. A. in the following points[71]:

1. All omissions to be indicated by a group of three dots (...). The name of the author or editor, if it occur on the title-page in the same form as in the heading, may be omitted _if no ambiguity be occasioned thereby_.

3. Does not capitalize titles of honor when standing instead of a proper name.

6. Puts number of volumes before place of publication. Does not give number of pages, maps, etc. In the case of books of the 15th and 16th centuries or of special value or rarity, the names of the publisher and printer are to be added after the place.

Books are to be entered:

10. Under the surnames of authors, when stated on the title-page or otherwise certainly known, followed by the forename and other necessary prefixes in round brackets.

11. When only the initials or pseudonym of an author occur in the book, it is to be regarded for the purpose of headings as anonymous; and a cross-reference is to be made from the initials or pseudonym to the first heading, the last initial being placed first, followed by the others in round brackets.

12. Under the pseudonyms of the writers, unless the book be already entered under two headings, in which case a cross-reference is to be made from the pseudonym to the first heading.

13. Under the names of editors of collections, and under the catch-titles of such collections; the parts are to be at the same time sufficiently catalogued under their own headings.

15. Under the chief word or words of the titles of periodicals.

16. Under the first striking word or words of the titles of anonymous {105} works, with a cross-reference, where advisable, from any other noticeable word or catch-title. If the name of a writer occur in a work but not on the title-page, the work is also to be regarded for the purpose of headings as anonymous.

17. Commentaries with the text, editions of the text, and translations are to be entered (1) under the heading of the original work, and (2) under the name of the commentator, editor, or translator; commentaries without the text are to be entered under the same two headings, the second being placed first.

18. Editions of the entire Bible, with or without the Apocrypha, are to be entered under the word _Bible_: editions of parts of the Bible comprising more than one book under the words _Testament (Old)_, _Apocrypha_, _Testament (New)_, or lesser divisions such as _Pentateuch_, _Historical books_, _Hagiographa_, _Prophets_, _Gospels_, _Paul the apostle_, _Epistles (General)_.

21. Service and prayer books of the Church of England are to be entered under the names by which they are commonly known, such as _Prayer (Book of Common)_, _Baptism (Order of)_, _Communion (Holy)_, etc.: those of the Church of Rome in like manner under _Missal_, _Breviary_, _Hours_, etc., with a subheading of the use. Service-books of other religious communities are to be entered under the head of _Liturgies_, with a subheading of the religious community.

22. Separate musical compositions, accompanied by words, are to be entered under the names of the authors and translators of the words (unless these are taken from the Bible or a public service-book) as well as under those of the authors and editors of the music.

24. In the case of an academical thesis the _praeses_ is to be considered as the author, unless the work unequivocally appears to be the work of the respondent or defender.

26. Catalogues are to be entered under the name of the compiler; also, as circumstances require, under the names of one or more of the institutions or persons now or formerly owning the collection, and, where desirable, under the name of the collection itself.

32. English and French surnames beginning with a prefix or prefixes are to be recorded under the first prefix, and surnames in other languages under the word following the last prefix—except that French names beginning with _de_ or _d’_ are to be entered under the word following _de_ or _d’_.

33. English compound surnames, not connected by an hyphen, are to be entered under the last part of the names [A. L. A.—under first part]: foreign ones, with or without hyphens, under the entire compound name, cross-references being given in all instances.

35. A society is to be entered under the leading word or words of its corporate name.

37. Dashes or asterisks in names and titles are to precede letters of the alphabet. {106}

39. The works of an author, and other books capable of similar treatment, are to be arranged in the following order, an index or conspectus of the entire article being prefixed when expedient:

(1) General cross-references.

(2) Collections of _all the works_ of the author _in the original language_, whether including or excluding fragments, and whether with or without translations or commentaries.

(_a_) Dated editions in chronological order.

(_b_) Editions without date and without conjecturally supplied date; but if known to be of the 15th century they are to precede the dated editions.

But new editions of a work by the same editor are to succeed the first entry of the edition.

(3) _Translations_ without the text, of collected works, in alphabetical order of languages, cross-references being inserted in this series to all editions which contain the original text as well as a translation. Polyglot editions are to precede all others.

(4) _Commentaries_ without the text, on collected works, in chronological order. Scholia are to precede all other commentaries.

(5) Selections from collected works.