[DCRB-L] Collector main entry

[Jane Gillis]

Looking at the iterations of "Collection-Level Cataloging Guidelines" that 
followed the March 2003 conference, I find that all of them include 
instructions for entering the collection under the name of the 
collector.  What is the "original proposal"?

I think we are trying to be too logical in our consideration of 
collection-level records.  If you leaning towards treating a collection of 
printed items like a monograph series, look at the definition of "series" 
in AACR2:

"Series
1. A group of separate items related to one another by the fact that each 
item bears, in addition to its own title proper, a collective title 
applying to the group as a whole. The individual items may or may not be 
numbered.  2. Each of two or more volumes of essays, lectures, articles, or 
other writings, similar in character and issued in sequence (e.g., Lowell's 
Among my books, second series).  3. A separately numbered sequence of 
volumes within a series or serial (e.g., Notes and queries, 1st series, 2nd 
series, etc.)."

Collections of printed items do have some things in common with 
series,  but not much.  One could make a case that  many collections have 
much more in common with archives than with series.  There are rules for 
cataloging individual printed items and rules for cataloging 
archives.  Neither of these sets of rules are adequate for cataloging 
collections of printed items.   These collections are neither fish nor 
fowl.  They should be viewed as a third category, one that needs a new set 
of guidelines/rules, taking a little from AACR2, a little from APPM, and a 
little (a lot?) from LC.

In the current introduction, we say the guidelines are based on the LC 
guidelines in the Cataloging Service Bulletin, no. 78, which instructs us 
to enter under the name of a collector in certain circumstances.  So far, I 
have not heard anything that would make me want to disregard/contradict LC.

Jane


At 09:35 PM 1/24/2004 Saturday-0500, Deborah J. Leslie wrote:

>There has been an impressive amount of talented thought and insight so far 
>on the discussion about collector main entry, for which I'm glad. I know I 
>will spend more time perusing and studying the various messages and 
>arguments. In the meantime, I'm toying with the idea of considering 
>collections of printed materials analogous more to monographic series than 
>to archives. The effect would be to confirm our original proposal, to only 
>give a name  main entry when all items of the "series" are by the same 
>person or emanate from the same body. But like Bob and Larry et al., I 
>believe it is preferable to have principled justifications for changed or 
>new rules.
>
>
>
>Let me chime in, too, about the importance of the concept of main entry. 
>It no longer carries the singular importance it did in the book catalogue 
>days, but (I think this was argued by Michael Gorman in an article I read 
>way back in library school) there is still a requirement for a "citation 
>package." The need for a consistent, reliable, and collocative way to cite 
>works has not diminished. And since we are not about to create title or 
>name/title authority records for every item we catalogue, our choices for 
>main entry should satisfy this requirement.
>
>______________________
>Deborah J. Leslie
>Folger Library
>djleslie at folger.edu
>www.folger.edu
>
>
>
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