[DCRM-L] DNB

[Robert Maxwell]

While it's true that the participants manual says what Richard says it
does, I think this was more intended as guidance for websites (e.g. home
pages, etc.) and not databases, even though databases may reside on the
web. For example, we don't write 

 

670  OCLC, via WWW, Sept. 20, 2007 ...

 

even though we may well be searching OCLC via the web and certainly at
least are searching via the Internet even if we're going in through the
Connexion client. Instead we simply write

 

670  OCLC, Sept. 20, 2007

 

Similarly the NACO manual instructs us to cite the LC catalog

 

670   LC database, Sept. 20, 2007 ...

 

I do see that one of the examples cited in the "WWW" section of the NACO
manual is FamilySearch, which is a database. Nevertheless, in my own
NACO work I am inclined to cite a database without the "via WWW" or "WWW
site" phrasing, particularly if the database's name includes the word
"online." (For this reason I would cite FamilySearch as shown in the
Manual--it doesn't include the word "online") I think the word "online"
indicates it's a remote access database and the actual method (WWW,
direct connection, etc.) of getting to it is not important. I would
probably cite the database Deborah is asking about as

 

670  DNB online, Sept. 20, 2007 ...

 

Actually, now I think about it, I DID cite it last week. I think I
didn't abbreviate it that far--I can't find the record now, but I think
this was how I cited it:

 

670  Dict. of nat. biog. online, Sept. 15, 2007 ...

 

I believe I did this because although we all know what DNB stands for,
probably most users of the authority file don't. I've actually found in
my NACO training that very few catalogers know what some of the
mysterious acronyms we use mean. I asked last time I did training, when
we had a record before us with 

 

670 WW in Am ...

 

on it, a pretty common abbreviation in the authority file, if anyone
knew what it meant and NOT ONE knew it meant "Who's who in America". So
I think we often abbreviate too much in these fields.

 

I also remind one and all that NO wordings or formulas are prescribed by
PCC for 670--the NACO manual is presented as guidance, not rules.
Trainers are reminded to repeat this almost as a mantra when training.
The most important thing is clarity. There is also no desire on the part
of PCC that I know of for consistency from record to record, so I don't
think we necessarily need to come up with a consensus on how to cite any
given work or database. But it is certainly worthwhile to discuss
possibilities and share suggestions.

 

Bob

 

Robert L. Maxwell
Special Collections and Ancient Languages Catalog Librarian
Genre/Form Authorities Librarian
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568 

From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On
Behalf Of Noble, Richard
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:58 PM
To: DCRM Revision Group List
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] DNB

 

Per the NACO Participants' Manual:

 

   One of the three following constructions should generally be used to
cite Web pages:

     [Title or name] WWW site, [date of search]: $b [location]
([information])

     [Title or name], via WWW, [date of search]: $b [location]
([information])

     [Title or name] WWW home page, [date of search]: $b ([information])

 

Which seems to call for: Oxford DNB, via WWW, [date of search] ...

 

The examples given follow this pattern even when the resource name
includes "on-line" or the like.

 

Richard

	-----Original Message-----
	From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu
[mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Deborah J. Leslie
	Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:49 PM
	To: DCRM Revision Group List
	Subject: [DCRM-L] DNB

	How are folks citing the new DNB online in the 670 in authority
records?

	DNB 

	DNB (Online)

	Oxford DNB (Online)

	The same in 675's?

	__________________________

	Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.

	Head of Cataloging

	Folger Shakespeare Library

	201 East Capitol St., S.E.

	Washington, D.C. 20003

	202.675-0369

	djleslie at folger.edu | http://www.folger.edu 

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