[DCRM-L] Devised titles in DCRM(MSS): required components conundrum

[Jennifer K NELSON]

Hello all,

I definitely see what you mean by a poem's first line not being altogether
devised, meaning sprung from the cataloger's mind, so that gives the
editorial team (myself included) something to ponder. The rationale for
Devised preceding Formal title (1B and 1C) is because we wanted to
prioritize what someone cataloging manuscripts is *most likely* to come
across, and that is things where the title needs to be devised. It's not
that manuscripts don't have formal titles, but they are *rarae aves* in
comparison to letters, diaries, wills, scrapbooks (etc. etc.) that are in
our collections.

Jenny


On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 3:45 PM, Robert Maxwell <robert_maxwell at byu.edu>
wrote:

> I wonder if 1B5 is out of place in the numbering scheme. The first line of
> a verse is not what I would call a “devised title”, that is, made up by the
> cataloger (albeit following rules). Everything else in 1B does seem to be
> “devised,” but not (in my opinion) 1B5.
>
>
>
> It also seems odd to me that 1C, Formal title, follows 1B, devised title,
> since 1B expresses a preference for using a formal title as the title
> proper (“For manuscripts without a formal title … devise a brief
> title”)—that is to say, the first thing you look for is a formal title, so
> I’d think the rule for that would precede the rule for devised titles. And
> choosing a title that is a quote from the item itself (first line of the
> text, 1B5) seems pretty formal to me.
>
>
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> Robert L. Maxwell
> Ancient Languages and Special Collections Librarian
> 6728 Harold B. Lee Library
> Brigham Young University
> Provo, UT 84602
> (801)422-5568 <(801)%20422-5568>
>
>
>
> *From:* DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> *On Behalf Of *Erin Blake
> *Sent:* Monday, March 19, 2018 4:17 PM
> *To:* DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
> *Subject:* [DCRM-L] Devised titles in DCRM(MSS): required components
> conundrum
>
>
>
> Can someone please help me see what I'm missing? DCRM(Manuscripts) appears
> to have contradictory instructions on devised titles...
>
> 1B1.2.1 says there are two required components in a devised title: Form or
> Genre, and Creator (if known).
>
> But both both required components are missing from 1B5, which says to use
> the first line of a work in verse as the title, if it lacks a formal title.
>
> The example in 1B5 says:
>
> Oh God! whose dread and dazzling brow
> *Note:* Title from first line of hymn
>
> If the required elements are included,it seems it would have to be
> something like:
> Hymn by William Cullen Bryant beginning Oh God! whose dread and dazzling
> brow
>
> The instructions at 1B1.1 say that the *order *of required components
> isn't prescribed, unless rules for specific types of manuscript say
> otherwise. What about their presence in the first place?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Erin.
>
> ________
>
>
> Erin C. Blake, Ph.D.  |  Head of Collection Information Services  |
>  Folger Shakespeare Library  |  201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC,
> 20003
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=201+E.+Capitol+St.+SE,+Washington,+DC,+20003&entry=gmail&source=g>
>  |  eblake at folger.edu  |  office tel. +1 202-675-0323 <(202)%20675-0323>
>
>
>



-- 
Jennifer K. Nelson
Reference Librarian
The Robbins Collection
UC Berkeley School of Law
Berkeley CA 94720
jnelson at law.berkeley.edu
(510) 643-9709
https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/the-robbins-collection/
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