[DCRM-L] BSR/Rare Books

[Barrett, Marcia]

On behalf of the group that worked on the draft BSR for Rare Books, I’d like to respond to the points Deborah has raised.  The Task Group has taken some time to consider this, particularly the issues associated with area four.  This raises questions about how to interpret the instructions for area four and points to an important discussion for the DCRM community.

DCRM(B) rule 4A6 and its explanatory footnote clearly separate the issues of how the roles of publisher v. manufacturer were different in the hand press period than they were in the 19th century and beyond.  We believe the intention here is to allow for accurate transcription of all permutations found in publisher/manufacturing statements.  Deborah’s statements are true for books of the hand-press era.  The text prepared for the 260 portion of the BSR for Rare Books took into account that the majority of situations would fall into the possibility of recording either publisher or printer in $a-b.

However, our understanding of rule 4A6 and its explanatory footnote is a broad interpretation that allows for the possibility of an instance where “[S.l. : s.n.] ; <date> $e (<place> : $f <printer>)” could exist.  The scope of the BSR for Rare Books does not exclude books printed after 1800.  It is these later materials, where only information related to printing is found on the item and publication information is unknown, that call for such an allowance.  As an example, a 19th century or later book may have no publisher statement and very small printed text in the colophon giving the name and location of the stereotyping or collotyping.  This constitutes an absence of true publication information, and we believe that rule 4A6 and its footnote agree with the rationale for recording this information in the $e-f in this instance.

With regard to the two notes in question for the BSR for Rare Books, the MAP was modeled on the Books BSR.  The Task Group agrees that it would be appropriate to drop the 505 note from the MAP and to add a note (Mandatory if Applicable) for transposition of transcribed text.

Marcia


Marcia Barrett

Special Collections Cataloger

University Libraries

The University of Alabama

Box 870266

Tuscaloosa AL  35487-0266

205-348-6390




From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Deborah J. Leslie
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 2:04 PM
To: BIBCObox at loc.gov
Cc: DCRM Revision Group List
Subject: [DCRM-L] BSR/Rare Books

Carolyn and colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the BSR drafts. I've read over the BSR for Rare Books and think it is a fine document, with only a couple of places that still need refinement. (With contrite apologies to my RBMS colleagues for not catching these while the BSR draft was still in the drafting stage.)

Field 260 ‡e‡f‡g, reads:

Lacking substantive information for ‡a and/or ‡b, supply useful information in manufacturer subfields.

This instruction to supply helpful information in subfields ‡e‡f‡g violates the rules for area 4. See especially 4A6, which elaborates (in great detail!) the relationships between publication/distribution and manufacture in the hand-press era and how to treat them. The only time 260 ‡e‡f‡g may be used is when an item 1) bears both a publisher, distributor, etc., statement and a manufacturer statement, 2) the publisher is emphasized over the manufacturer, and 3) the two statements are grammatically separable.  (4A6.3.2.2) If an item does not bear substantive information, the cataloger uses subfields ‡a‡b‡c to supply whatever information can be had. I recommend dropping these three subfields entirely from the BSR for Rare Books.

505 Formatted contents note. DCRM(B) 1D2.3 makes it clear that transcribing formal contents is optional. Is it appropriate for an optional note in the rules be elevated to a Mandatory if Applicable note in the BSR?

5xx The text in the MAP makes it apparent that all notes required in DCRM(B) are also Mandatory if Applicable to the BSR. One 500 note, on the source of the title proper, is given in the list. There is another type of required note that I believe to be as important as the source of the title proper and a lot more common: any transposition of transcribed text is to be noted. (1B1.2 etc.) I recommend adding this note to the MAP.
__________________________
Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.
RBMS Chair 2009-2010 | 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<http://www.folger.edu/>

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