[DCRM-L] Final call for discussion (was: RE: DPC: Wording of i/j u/v conversion in DCRM)

[Erin Blake]

The only way I can think to make the footnote clearer would be to state exactly what requires no further consideration, i.e., "Likewise, an uppercase U in the source signals that u and v are functioning as separate letters, requiring no special consideration of U, V, u, or v while converting case."

Would that be better?

   EB.

-----Original Message-----
From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Manon Theroux
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 12:25 AM
To: DCRM Revision Group List
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Final call for discussion (was: RE: DPC: Wording of i/j u/v conversion in DCRM)

I like the proposed revisions. However:

1) In the G4.2 footnote, I think "requiring no special consideration
while converting case" might still be a little vague.

DCRM(C) discussion paper #1 contained the example that sparked this
discussion at ALA Annual:
On map:
LE NOUVEAU MEXIQUE et LA FLORIDE: Tirees de diverses Cartes et Relations
Transcription following pattern of usage:
Le Nouveau Mexique et la Floride : tirees de diverses cartes et relations
Transcription if one were to go straight to the default table instead
of looking at the pattern of usage:
Le Nouueau Mexique et la Floride : tirees de diverses cartes et relations

We were told this was not a good example because, according to the
G4.2 footnote, if a title contains an uppercase J or U, no further
scrutiny of the entire title is needed; you just transcribe all the
letters as found and do simple case conversions as needed. This was
news to me (and I was mortified); my own understanding of the footnote
had essentially been: An uppercase J requires no special consideration
while converting case; it should be transcribed as a lowercase j.
Likewise, an uppercase U requires no special consideration while
converting case; it should be transcribed as a lowercase u. But any
other letters in the title will still need to be scrutinized. [Hence,
the difference in the two different transcriptions of the "V" in
NOUVEAU in the example above].

I'm not convinced that the proposed revisions fully address the issue
that was raised at Annual. It needs to be crystal clear exactly which
text "requires no special consideration while converting case"

2) If I read the revised sentences within the context of the entire
rules from which they were plucked, it makes me wonder if we might
also need to make the distinction between uppercase and lowercase
letters more explicit in the other "lowercase-only instances" of
i/j/u/v that appear in these rules. For example:

In 0G2.2: Does the caption "Letters i/j and u/v" now need to be
"Letters I/J, U/V, i/j, and u/v"? What about in the footnote? In the
sentence about gothic typefaces? In the G4 caption? In G4.2, what
about the instruction that begins "Identify examples of i, j, u, and v
having the same function ..."? Might someone get a little confused and
think, okay, it makes sense to look at those lowercase letters if I'm
converting I or V. But if I'm converting i,j,u, or v to uppercase,
shouldn't I be looking at the pattern of the uppercase letters
instead?

In the current text, the reader is meant to understand that i/j/u/v
may also refer to uppercase instances of the letters as appropriate.
In the revised text, by putting a finer point on some sentences but
not others, it seems like we could be introducing some potential for
confusion. I haven't tried a re-write though- not sure how awkward it
might sound.

Sorry this is so long,

-Manon


On Sun, Dec 12, 2010 at 7:43 PM, Erin Blake <EBlake at folger.edu> wrote:
> Discussion will close at the end of Monday, December 13.
>
>
>
> Changes to 0G2.2 and G4.2  are proposed, with re-wording based on DCRM-L
> discussion:
>
> -----------------
>
> Existing:
>
> 0G2.2. Letters i/j and u/v. If the rules for capitalization require
> converting the letters i/j or u/v to uppercase or lowercase, follow the
> pattern of usage in the publication being described....
>
>
>
> Proposed:
>
> 0G2.2. Letters i/j and u/v. If the rules for capitalization require
> converting the letters I or V to lowercase, or i, j, u, or v to uppercase,
> follow the pattern of usage in the text to determine which letter form to
> use....
>
> ------------------
>
> Existing:
>
> G4.2. Transcription. As instructed in rule 0G2.2, when the rules for
> capitalization require converting i/j or u/v to uppercase or lowercase,* the
> cataloger is to follow the pattern of usage in the publication being
> described.
>
>
>
> *An uppercase J or U in the source signals a modern distribution, in which i
> and j are functioning as separate letters, as are u and v, requiring no
> special consideration while converting case.
>
>
>
> Proposed:
>
> G4.2. Transcription. As instructed in 0G2.2, when the rules for
> capitalization require converting the letters I or V to lowercase, or i, j,
> u, or v to uppercase, follow the pattern of usage in the text to determine
> which letter form to use.*
>
>
>
> *An uppercase J in the source signals that i and j are functioning as
> separate letters, requiring no special consideration while converting case.
> Likewise, an uppercase U in the source signals that u and v are functioning
> as separate letters, requiring no special consideration while converting
> case.
>
>
>
> --------------------
>
>
>
> BSC members can see a re-statement of this e-mail on the ALA Connect site
> here: http://connect.ala.org/node/121481
>
>
>
> For the discussion thread, please see the DCRM-L archives for December:
> https://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/2010-December/thread.html.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
>    Erin Blake
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> Erin C. Blake, Ph.D.  |  Curator of Art & Special Collections  |  Folger
> Shakespeare Library  |  201 E. Capitol St. SE  | Washington, DC 20003-1004
> |  office tel. (202) 675-0323  |  fax:  (202) 675-0328  | eblake at folger.edu
> |  www.folger.edu
>
>