Transcribing dates in roman

[Laurence Creider]

I think that Deborah's proposal makes a lot of sense.  I have always felt
that it was strange to be so careful about transcribing information in 260
subfields a and b, while changing the Roman numerals to Arabic numerals
with no indication that this has been done.  In addition to Deborah's
point about distinguishing settings of type, we already use Roman numerals
when recording incorrect imprints.  A few weeks ago, I suggested on
another list that one would record An IX as An 9.  In AACR2 one would do
that, but not, I discovered, with DCRB.  The example in DCRB, 4D2, second
paragraph An VII, 1798, could conceivably transcribe An VII, MDCCXCVIII.  
In that case we would have changed one date to Arabic, but not the other!

The one problem I find with Deborah's proposal is that transcription of
Roman dates does have fine.  For example, one finds CI[Backward C]
representing M and there is the question of upper vs. lower case and large
vs. small caps.  So I think we would want to cover this sort of issue
somewhere (Maybe 0H?).

	Larry

Laurence S. Creider
Head, General Cataloging Unit
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM  88011
Work: 505-646-4707
Fax: 505-646-7477
lcreider at lib.nmsu.edu

On Wed, 15 Aug 2001, Deborah J. Leslie wrote:

> Transcribing Roman Dates
> 
> 
> This was an issue that I'd hoped to put forward first in the draft of
> the basic principles of rare book cataloging that a subcommittee is
> working on, but Jane & Juliet are understandably pressing for the
> resolution of several DCRB issues that keep them from finishing the
> serials rules. Therefore, I will open for discussion the issue of
> transcribing roman dates as arabic. 
> 
> Here are the pertinent parts of 4D2 that covers the transcription of
> dates in roman :
> 
> 		4D2. Roman numerals:
> 
> 		When roman numerals appear as Gregorian or Julian years,
> change them to arabic numerals unless they are erroneous or misprinted.
> 
> 		Transcribe years other than Gregorian or Julian as they
> appear. 
> 
> 		Optionally, if it is considered important to retain in
> the catalog record the exact expression of the date, transcribe the date
> as it appears in roman numerals and add the date in arabic numerals in
> square brackets
> 
> What are we trying to do when we transcribe t.p. from an item? I put
> forth that we are trying to represent the t.p. content as it expresses
> itself, and some--although not necessarily all--of the form.
>  
> A transcription style that tries to represent both the content and the
> form would be quasi-facsimile transcription. Standard AACR2
> transcription is a compromise between representing certain pertinent
> bits of content, but also requires fairly liberal abbreviation and
> omission. Exact representation of self-expressed data is not nearly so
> important.
> 
> The justification of more precision and detail in DCRB is to allow users
> of the catalog to make finer distinctions of identification in terms of
> the artifact as well as the text. While someone may not be able to
> reconstruct the t.p. from a DCRB description the way one might from a
> quasi-fax description, more faithfulness to representing the content as
> it appears aids in the endeavor of identification.
> 
> This principle is largely assumed throughout the rules for t.p.
> transcription in DCRB, until it comes to transcribing the date, that is.
> Typos and archaic spellings are preserved, transpositions are noted, but
> the date may be silently altered from roman to arabic in transcription
> with no one (except the cataloger) the wiser. I'm sure I don't need my
> assurance that sometimes the key to differences in settings of type are
> titles and imprints that transcribe the same, but dates which are
> variously in arabic and roman. 
> 
> Nearly everything else about the DCRB transcription rules are geared
> toward showing up such differences, but the failure to treat the date
> with the same faithfulness is a failure of the principle, and an
> obscuring of useful information.
> 
> For these reasons, I propose that the rule be changed in principle to:
> 
> 		Transcribe the date as it appears.  If the date appears
> in any form other than the Gregorian calendar in arabic numerals, add
> the Gregorian date in arabic numerals in square brackets.
> 
> Please note that I am not at all discussing this in terms of serials
> rules, and indeed think this issue should be resolved in terms of
> DCRM(B) only. Once we've resolved it, Jane & Juliet can take that
> principle and apply it as appropriate to rare serials cataloging.
> 
> Let the discussion begin.
> 
> __________________
> Deborah J. Leslie
> Head of Cataloging
> Folger Shakespeare Library
> 201 East Capitol St., S.E.
> Washington, D.C. 20003
> 202.675-0369 (p)
> 202.675-0328 (f)
> djleslie at folger.edu
> 
>