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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I have to agree with Richard. This evidently useful term appears to be news to the experienced rare materials catalogers here, including, perhaps, even you,
Deborah (at least I got that impression from your first message)—if none of us had ever heard of it before this dcrm-l exchange, how can we expect users of the catalog to know what we are talking about?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Bob<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Robert L. Maxwell<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Special Collections and Ancient Languages Catalog Librarian<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Genre/Form Authorities Librarian<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">6728 Harold B. Lee Library<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Brigham Young University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Provo, UT 84602<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">(801)422-5568
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">"We should set an example for all the world, rather than confine ourselves to the course which has been heretofore pursued"--Eliza
R. Snow, 1842.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Deborah J. Leslie<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 31, 2011 10:25 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> DCRM Revision Group List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [DCRM-L] Asterism<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#1F497D">Yes, Ron Bogdan points out that it frequently turns out as the third part of a sequence, in which it makes sense to call it 3*. But if it
appears independently, I will use "[asterism]".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Noble, Richard<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, 31 October 2011 12:02<br>
<b>To:</b> DCRM Revision Group List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [DCRM-L] Asterism<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Because even though it may be in a standard dictionary, "asterism" is not a "standard" word, but a rather esoteric printer's term--as esoteric as it is when used to mean
"a small group of stars" or "the optical phenomenon of a star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica)" (Webster3). It's even more esoteric than, say, "fist", because it's
not one's most immediate thought that there must be "a word" for the constellations <sub>*</sub><sup>*</sup><sub>* , </sub><sup>*</sup><sub>*</sub><sup>*</sup>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">In a collational formula it would be inappropriate to write "[asterism]<sup>4</sup>", especially because it's most likely to turn up in a sequence of multiple-asterisk
signatures, *-3*, or whatever; and, in nay case, one disregards such typographic details in the formula proper. In an explanatory note one might use the term for the sake of compact phrasing, e.g. "in edition A signature 3* is an upright asterism, in edition
B an inverted one". But I'd <i>still</i> define the term, because I simply cannot expect even a reasonably sophisticated online catalog user to understand what the heck I'm talking about, or to have a lot of interest in looking up a word right at that moment.
In a formal bibliography concerning a body of books in which asterisms turn up with some frequency, I might indeed use the word without explanation, though I'd probably define it in a, introductory note on my descriptive conventions.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Mind you, I still
<i>like</i> the word, and am delighted to have had it brought to our attention. And of course, we could take it as an inspiration to asterize all sorts of things (<i>asterizein</i>: Gr., to arrange in constellations).</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Courier New"">RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY<br>
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : 401-863-1187/FAX 863-3384 : <a href="mailto:RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU" target="_blank">
RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 10:00 AM, Deborah J. Leslie <<a href="mailto:DJLeslie@folger.edu">DJLeslie@folger.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#1F497D">Oh no, it was serious. I like using a single word that exactly describes character in a signature statement or in a note, and think your workarounds are less descriptive and less elegant.
Why would you feel constrained to explain a standard dictionary word? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">
<a href="mailto:dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu" target="_blank">dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu" target="_blank">dcrm-l-bounces@lib.byu.edu</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Noble, Richard<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, 30 October, 2011 21:19<br>
<b>To:</b> DCRM Revision Group List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [DCRM-L] Asterism</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">If I were referring to such a phenomenon in a non-collation note I'd feel constrained to explain it: "asterism (i.e. 3 asterisks in a pyramid)". What of an inverted pyramid (much more common)? And
in a collational <i>formula</i> I'd write "3*", and describe the arrangement in a further note, if the exact form needed specifying for some reason. What about six asterisks in a pyramid? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Or is this a thickly pedantic response to a slightly tongue-in-cheek suggestion (for which I get maybe the lower half of a star for taking the bait, but no more than that)?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">It's a wonderful word, nevertheless.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br clear="all">
</span><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY<br>
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : <a href="tel:401-863-1187" target="_blank">401-863-1187</a>/FAX 863-3384 :
<a href="mailto:RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU" target="_blank">RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:.5in">
On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:18 PM, Deborah J. Leslie <<a href="mailto:DJLeslie@folger.edu" target="_blank">DJLeslie@folger.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#215868">This is going around on facebook just now: there’s a name for the pyramid of three asterisks: asterism. We can use it in signature statements instead of trying to describe it, a la “[three asterisks
in a pyramid]” .</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#215868"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:.5in">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#215868"><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/13-punctuation-marks-that-you-never-knew-existed" target="_blank">http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/13-punctuation-marks-that-you-never-knew-existed</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#215868"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_%28typography%29" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_%28typography%29</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#215868"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:.5in">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#215868">Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S. | Head of Cataloging, Folger Shakespeare Library</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#215868"><a href="mailto:djleslie@folger.edu" target="_blank"><span style="color:#215868;text-decoration:none">djleslie@folger.edu</span></a> |
<a href="tel:202.675-0369" target="_blank">202.675-0369</a> | <a href="http://www.folger.edu" target="_blank">
www.folger.edu</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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