[DCRM-L] Question about main entry.

[Robert Maxwell]

Oksana,

I am assuming you are asking about the form of the heading and not whether or not Mrs. Wilson should have main entry?

Given the information you have provided, the heading "Wilson, Mary Elizabeth Lyles, 1860-1924"-for which there is apparently NO usage evidence at all-appears to be a pre-AACR2 heading. You should evaluate the heading according to the evidence you find-what is the (most) commonly known form? If the "Mrs." Form is the most common, I would use that as the basis for my heading: Wilson, W. H., Mrs., 1860-1924, with a reference in the authority record for Wilson, Betty Lyles, 1860-1924; or vice versa if the evidence shows the Betty Lyles form to be the most used. The authority record should probably also include a reference from the heading you found "Wilson, Mary Elizabeth Lyles, 1860-1924". I suppose since the form "Mrs. Wilson" also appears on the book you should also have a reference from "Wilson, Mrs. (Betty Lyles), 1860-1924.

I try to base decisions like this about form of heading on the evidence I find and try not to be misled by headings I see already in OCLC even if they are unanimous. (I try to avoid the "All we like sheep have gone astray" syndrome :-)

Any chance of your joining with the University of Michigan NACO catalogers to get this name established?

Bob

Robert L. Maxwell
Head, Special Collections and Metadata Catalog Dept.
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568


-----Original Message-----
From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Oksana K. Linda
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 1:59 PM
To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
Subject: [DCRM-L] Question about main entry.

Hello:

I probably know the answer, but would like to hear what other catalogers
would do. I cataloged the following title:
Mrs. Wilson's new cook book (revised) : a complete collection of original
recipes and useful household information / by Mrs. W.H. (Betty Lyles)
Wilson. In OCLC the main entry for this title is  Wilson, Mary Elizabeth
Lyles, 1860-1924. The heading is not established. There are 8 records (+1
IR) for the name in the bib file, statements of responsibility state the
author's name as "Mrs. W.H. Wilson" or "Betty Lyles Wilson" or "Mrs. W.H.
(Betty Lyles) Wilson". Main entry is invariably "Wilson, Mary Elizabeth
Lyles, 1860-1924". There is 1 record with an added entry for "Wilson, Betty
Lyles" and none for "Wilson, W. H., Mrs."
There is no biographical information for the author, I'm no longer able to
create authority headings, and I'm here on my own.
Could anyone give me advice about the main entry for the record.
Thank you,
Oksana Linda.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Oksana Katerine Linda
Assistant Curator of Books
Rare Book Cataloger
University of Michigan
William L. Clements Library
909 South University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1190