[DCRM-L] DCRM2: transcription of punctuation

[JOHN C ATTIG]

I find it ironic that the current standard for describing rare materials considers that "marks of punctuation are not an aspect of the transcription that can be used to identify a resource," but that the standard for general cataloging at least implies the opposite. 

I think that Erin has a point, both about the (lack of) justification for deviating from RDA and about the practical benefits of not having to decide how to modify punctuation appearing on the source. 

On a related issue, has there been any consideration of NOT including ISBD punctuation in DCRM2 descriptions? Are there external mandates that require that we apply ISBD? Might this be a good time to reconsider this relationship? 

John Attig 
Penn State University 
jxa16 at psu.edu 

----- Original Message -----

| From: "Erin Blake" <EBlake at folger.edu>
| To: "DCRM Users' Group" <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
| Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 10:22:38 AM
| Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] DCRM2: transcription of punctuation

| What would the “special collections” reason for deviating from RDA be if we
| took option 1, though? Or is the argument that we’re not deviating from RDA,
| since the alternative says you can use any “published style manual”?

| I guess my main concern is that in my experience, the agonizing happens when
| catalogers have to think about what to change. See, for example, the title
| of http://images.library.yale.edu/walpoleweb/oneitem.asp?imageId=lwlpr19466
| , “Fun upon Fun, or the first and second part of Miss Kitty Fisher's Merry
| thought. No Joke like a True Joke. Come, who'l Fish in my Fishpond?” It is
| “wrong” according to DCRM, but would take a lot of agonizing over where to
| add or omit punctuation, and when to change from upper case to lower case,
| and vice versa (especially because DCRM explicitly says NOT to add an
| apostrophe to “Fishers,” since that is the most obvious difference from
| modern punctuation conventions).

| Thanks,

| Erin.

| ----------------
| Erin C. Blake, Ph.D. | Interim Head of Collection Information Services and
| Cataloging; Curator of Art & Special Collections | Folger Shakespeare
| Library | 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC, 20009 | eblake at folger.edu |
| office tel. +1 202-675-0323 | fax +1 202-675-0328 | www.folger.edu

| From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On
| Behalf Of Young, Stephen
| Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 1:19 PM
| To: DCRM Users' Group
| Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] DCRM2: transcription of punctuation

| Francis et al.,

| A correction to my previous post.

| I’m in favor of Option 1, based mainly on the first bullet. It is easily
| understood (unlike the rules in RDA for punctuation ), provides wide leeway
| for cataloger’s judgment and should avoid agonizing over minutiae.

| Stephen R. Young

| Rare Book Team Leader

| Catalog and Metadata Services

| Sterling Memorial Library

| P.O.Box 208240

| New Haven, CT 06520-8240

| Tel.: 203-432-8385

| Email: stephen.young at yale.edu

| From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On
| Behalf Of Lapka, Francis
| Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:41 PM
| To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
| Subject: [DCRM-L] DCRM2: transcription of punctuation

| As promised, here is the first of four DCRM2 issues for your consideration
| and feedback. Please note the Options given at the end of summary.

| RDA and the current suite of DCRM manuals are partially compatible in matters
| of transcription, in large part because RDA’s guidelines come closer
| (compared to AACR2) to embodying the principle of “take what you see” on the
| source.

| Nonetheless, there are a number of areas where RDA guidelines for
| transcription vary from DCRM practice. If DCRM2 maintains significant
| variations on matters of transcription, the first alternative at RDA 1.7.1
| (General Guidelines on Transcription) provides an avenue forward:

| The agency creating the data may establish in-house guidelines for
| capitalization, punctuation, numerals, symbols, abbreviations, etc., or
| choose a published style manual, etc., as its preferred guide (e.g., The
| Chicago Manual of Style). In such situations, use those guidelines or that
| style manual instead of the instructions at 1.7.2–1.7.9 and in the
| appendices.

| This alternative was invoked for the rare materials guidelines in the PCC
| BIBCO BSR, which instruct the cataloger to use DCRM as the preferred guide.
| When DCRM2 is issued, it too could be considered “a published style manual”
| for alternative transcription.

| Turning specifically to transcription of punctuation, here are the RDA
| guidelines, followed by the corresponding DCRM instructions where they vary
| (in part, at least).

| RDA

| 1.7.3 Punctuation

| Transcribe punctuation as it appears on the source except for the following
| situations:

| a) omit punctuation that separates data to be recorded as one element from
| data to be recorded as a different element

| b) omit punctuation that separates data to be recorded as one element from
| data recorded as a second or subsequent instance of the same element.

| EXAMPLE

| ...and then there were none

| What is it?...what is it not?

| Vessels on the Northwest coast between Alaska and California -- 1543–1811

| I don't do dishes!

| DDC 21

| Appears on the source with punctuation separating it from the other title
| information: DDC 21: International perspectives

| Vanderbilt University

| Appears on source with punctuation separating it from the place of
| publication: Vanderbilt University, Nashville

| Add punctuation, as necessary, for clarity.

| EXAMPLE

| Travaillez mieux, vivez mieux

| Each word of the title appears on a separate line on the source of
| information

| DCRM(B)

| 0G3.1. General rule. Do not necessarily transcribe punctuation as it appears
| in the source. Instead, follow modern punctuation conventions, using common
| sense in deciding whether to include the punctuation, omit it, replace it,
| or add punctuation not present.

| Source :

| The unhappy favourite; or, The Earl of Essex. A tragedy. Written by Jno;
| Banks

| Transcription :

| The unhappy favourite, or, The Earl of Essex : a tragedy / written by Jno.
| Banks

| Source :

| London: Printed for A Millar, over-against Catharine-street in the Strand.
| M,DCC,LI.

| Transcription :

| London : Printed for A. Millar, over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand,
| MDCCLI [1751]

| Alternative rule : Transcribe all punctuation as found in the source of
| information, with the exception of those marks covered in rules 0G3.5-0G3.7.
| When following this alternative rule, always include prescribed punctuation
| as well, even if this results in double punctuation. Prescribed punctuation
| is treated at the beginning of each chapter within these rules.

| The unhappy favourite; or, The Earl of Essex. : A tragedy. / Written by Jno;
| Banks

| London: : Printed for A Millar, over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand.,
| M,DCC,LI. [1751]

| RDA’s instructions (“Transcribe punctuation as it appears on the source …”)
| approximate DCRM’s alternative rule (0G3.1). RDA guidelines, however, say to
| omit punctuation that separates data elements, whereas the DCRM alternative
| instructs to transcribe such marks even if it results in double punctuation.
| On this issue, the editorial group is slightly confused by several of the
| examples given with the RDA guideline. Namely, it’s unclear how “ What is
| it? ... what is it not? ” and “ I don’t do dishes!” exemplify the RDA rule.
| The question mark and the exclamation point do separate data elements, as
| there are, presumably, additional data elements afterward. From the
| examples, it seems that RDA only intends that non-terminal punctuation
| between elements be omitted. Is it stated somewhere that question marks and
| exclamation points are special cases? The examples don’t have one with a
| period, but it would be unusual to find a period in the resource for most
| transcribed elements in modern material.

| RDA also says to “add punctuation, as necessary, for clarity” (i.e. where
| visually implied on the resource). A possible DCRM2 treatment of this
| guideline is provided in Option 2a, below.

| For punctuation transcription, DCRM guidelines also treat nuances absent from
| RDA:

| DCRM(B) 0G3.4. Punctuation within roman numerals. Do not transcribe internal
| marks of punctuation appearing within roman numerals. Omit them without
| using the mark of omission.

| The bye-laws and regulations of the Marine Society, incorporated in MDCCLXXII

| RDA (in an alternative) allows for transcription of roman numerals as roman
| numerals, but makes no exception for omitting internal punctuation therein.
| Is there a rare materials reason to vary?

| DCRM(B) 0G3.5. Ellipses, square brackets, and virgules. Do not transcribe
| ellipses ... or square brackets [ ] when present in the source; replace them
| with a dash -- and parentheses ( ) respectively or omit them, as
| appropriate. Do not confuse a virgule ( / ) in gothic typefaces with a
| slash; replace it with a comma or omit it, as appropriate. Make an
| explanatory note, if considered important.

| Source :

| Leominster, [Mass.]

| Transcription :

| Leominster, Mass.

| Optional note : On t.p., "Mass." is enclosed by square brackets

| DCRM2 should continue to note that a virgule in gothic typefaces ought not be
| confused with a slash. For ellipses and square brackets, however, is there a
| rare materials reason to vary from RDA?

| 0G3.6. Line endings. Do not transcribe a hyphen or other mark of punctuation
| used to connect a single word divided between two lines; transcribe as a
| single word, ignoring the punctuation. If the function of the hyphen is in
| doubt (e.g., if it might form part of a compound word), transcribe it.

| Source (showing line endings) :

| I DISCORSI DI NICO-

| LO MACHIAVELLI, SO-

| PRA LA PRIMA DECA DI

| TITO LIVIO

| Transcription :

| I discorsi di Nicolo Machiauelli, sopra la prima deca di Tito Liuio

| RDA includes no equivalent to 0G3.6. Taken literally, one would transcribe
| hyphens at line endings; but that is probably not be the intention of RDA.
| Regardless, DCRM2 will need an instruction on what to do when such
| line-ending punctuation is encountered, as this occurs frequently in early
| resources.

| For transcription of punctuation in DCRM2, at least three broad options bear
| consideration:

| Option 1: Vary from RDA, following the principles of DCRM’s general rule (and
| employing the alternative at RDA 1.7.1)

| · Pro: DCRM’s general rule is unambiguous in its declaration that marks of
| punctuation are not an aspect of the transcription that can be used to
| identify a resource.

| · Pro: Application of prescribed ISBD punctuation (which continues, even with
| RDA, to be the norm) already introduces punctuation not present in the
| resource. Users hoping to use punctuation marks for identification can’t be
| expected to distinguish between prescribed and transcribed punctuation.

| · Con : Keeping the DCRM general rule would introduce a significant variation
| from RDA.

| · Con : Application of prescribed (ISBD) punctuation is likely to diminish in
| coming years. The principles of DCRM2 should not be overly influenced by
| backward-looking practices.

| Option 2: Vary from RDA, following the principles of DCRM’s alternative (and
| employing the alternative at RDA 1.7.1)

| · Pro: The alternative offers the most complete embodiment of “take what you
| see,” and such transcriptions might better serve the function of identifying
| a resource.

| · Con: Faithful transcription of punctuation at times results in awkward
| strings. So long as we continue to use prescribed ISBD punctuation, the
| alternative requires use of double punctuation, which many users will find
| confusing.

| · Con: Making the current alternative the DCRM2 norm would introduce a
| significant break with DCRM tradition (and with the records thus cataloged),
| since the alternative has been infrequently applied.

| Option 2a: Vary from RDA, following the principles of DCRM’s alternative (and
| employing the alternative at RDA 1.7.1), but use square brackets to supply
| punctuation implied by the layout of the text. Because adding punctuation
| implied by the layout really is different from removing or altering existing
| punctuation, we need to consider another alternative. To clarify, the
| difference is that because we can’t recreate the layout, it’s necessary to
| supply something to convey the intended meaning.

| · Pro: This fulfills the principle of representation.

| · Pro: This differs little from RDA and the DCRM alternative

| · Con : Double punctuation looks odd, and can be confusing (but ISBD
| punctuation is already omitted in many data presentations)

| Option 3: Follow the RDA guidelines, with additional clarifications for
| special collections

| · Pro: It generally benefits user and cataloger alike for DCRM2 to retain
| practices compatible with RDA, wherever possible.

| · Pro: The RDA rule makes an attempt to fulfill the principle of
| representation.

| · Con : For transcribed punctuation, RDA’s imperfect fidelity to “take what
| you see” creates a mixed message about whether or not transcribed marks of
| punctuation can be used to reliably identify an entity.

| We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these options (or others). In an
| attempt to keep this summary relatively neutral, the opinions of members of
| the editorial group have not been included, but may be shared in the ensuing
| discussion.

| Thanks,

| Francis

| _________________________________

| Francis Lapka, Catalog Librarian

| Yale Center for British Art, Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts

| 1080 Chapel Street, PO Box 208280, New Haven, CT 06520

| 203.432.9672 francis.lapka at yale.edu

| Please note: The Study Room is closed due to the Center’s refurbishment
| project, and access to the collections is limited and by appointment only.
| Requests for materials from Prints and Drawings and Rare Books and
| Manuscripts should be made at least two weeks in advance by e-mailing
| ycba.prints at yale.edu . It is expected that normal services in the Study Room
| will resume in early January 2014.
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