[DCRM-L] Transcription of printing privileges

[Harriett Smith]

This is kind of funny, Deborah, because I well remember taking a cataloging class from you years ago, and you mentioning that some people study these. Thus, I have been careful to make a note about any I've run into! :)

Harriett Smith
University of Oregon Libraries cataloging

-----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 15, 2016 3:10 PM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Transcription of printing privileges

I'm having a crisis of conscious (or maybe just a loss of nerve) about the status of statements of privilege (e.g., "Cum priuilegio"; "Seene, allowed, and commended by publike authoritie to be printed."). Privilege statements, by unwritten convention, are usually considered by catalogers as a category of statements to be silently omitted. From DCRM(B)

 

1A2.2. Omission of pious invocations, etc. Omit, without using the mark of omission, information found on the title page that constitutes neither title information nor a statement of responsibility. Such information may include pious invocations, quotations, devices, announcements, epigrams, mottoes, prices, etc. (see 0G5.2). Transcribe or describe this kind of information in a note if it is considered important.

 

I can see why a small, italic Cum priuilegio at the foot of the title page could be considered title information that's not part of any area. But what about larger, more centrally placed statements, such as found on this title page?:

	
		 


The statement "allowed and published ..." doesn't fit into any of the publication elements, but could it be considered other title information? I wouldn't think twice about transcribing statements about publishing by request, such as that found in the following:

 



 

Both are statements about actions that caused the existence of the printed work. What are the arguments for or against considering this type of statement to be other title information?

 

Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S. | Senior Cataloger, Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu | 202.675-0369 | 201 East Capitol St., SE, Washington, DC 20003 | www. folger.edu | orcid.org/0000-0001-5848-5467