[DCRM-L] Superscript Letters in Collational Formulas (using Unicode)

Tue Mar 25 14:45:58 MDT 2025

Dear Stefan,

In my experience, it's a mistake to try to approximate the look of one character by replacing it with a different character that carries its own meaning. For instance, using superscript zero in place of a superscript o (oh)—rendering the statement nonsensical if the font displays zeroes with a slash. Use of the prime character would be an example of this.

It's far preferable to preserve standard meaning when encoding characters, making necessary accommodations based on what characters are available, so long as the result is clear. The superscript slash is a mark of punctuation; the task is to find another mark of punctuation that fulfills the function of indicating alternating split gatherings. When I was a new cataloger, I used a standard slash, which is unsightly and can be slightly confusing when mixed with superscript letters, such as this: Signatures: ã⁸ ẽ⁴ A-2E⁸/⁴
I have since settled on using the "dot in the center of the line" as it is called in OCLC Connexion—which I believe is equivalent to the the middle dot in unicode (U+00B7)—and have been training other catalogers to do the same. It doesn't look like a slash, but in context it is perfectly clear to those who can read signature statements. (For those who can't, it's gibberish in any case): Signatures: A-O8·4

I'd be open to other alternatives if someone knows of a better way; in the meantime, I commend "middle dot" to your consideration.
Best wishes,
Deborah

______________________

Deborah J Leslie [cid:792fd858-8d4e-44ac-99d7-9536134cbb4a] , M.A., M.L.S. | Senior Cataloger | Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | Opinions her own

________________________________
From: DCRM-L on behalf of Duhr, Stefan via DCRM-L
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 08:00
To: DCRM Users' Group
Cc: Duhr, Stefan
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] [EXT] Re: Superscript Letters in Collational Formulas (using Unicode)

Dear colleagues,

Thank you very much for your answers. While creating rules for Collational Formulas for German-speaking countries based on Bowers, DCRMR, Gaskell, Greg and Tanselle, I noticed that in addition to superscript and subscript numerals and individual superscript letters, a further character is required, a superscript slash (“/”). However, this is not defined in Unicode.

It is used to describe gathering sequences with an alternating range. David Whitesell provides a corresponding example in his collection of examples created for the Rare Book School (https://rarebookschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/G-10HomeworkExamples2014.pdf) on the penultimate page.

Here is the example:

12° : A-O⁸/⁴ P⁴ [$4/2 signed]

12° : A⁸ B-P⁸/⁴ [$4/2 signed; missigning B3,4 as A3,4, D4 as D3, N2 as 'N1']

Such phenomena are mainly found in French prints and I have often encountered them in my work.

There are also gathering sequences in the form 4/2/4/2 (cf. K10plus-PPN 1686415796<https://opac.k10plus.de/DB=2.299/PPNSET?PPN=1686415796&PRS=HOL&INDEXSET=21>).

Hence my question:

Which Unicode character do you use for such phenomena?

The use of ᐟ (U+141F) or ′ (U+2032) does not seem quite appropriate to me.

Best,

Stefan

___________________________________________________

Stefan Duhr, M.A.
Abteilung Handschriften und Historische Drucke | Department of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz | Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Unter den Linden 8
10117 Berlin

+49 30 266-43 6688
stefan.duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de<mailto:stefan.duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de>
https://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/die-staatsbibliothek/abteilungen/handschriften-und-historische-drucke

Im Rahmen der E-Mail-Kommunikation werden gegebenenfalls personenbezogene Daten verarbeitet. Hinweise zum Datenschutz: http://sbb.berlin/datenschutz

“There is no bounds to be set upon human stupidity, where books are concerned.”

James Duff Brown, Scottish bibliographer and librarian (A manual of practical bibliography. London 1906, p. 92)

Von: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> Im Auftrag von Deborah J. Leslie via DCRM-L
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 27. Februar 2025 16:53
An: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Cc: Deborah J. Leslie <DJLeslie at FOLGER.edu>
Betreff: [EXT] Re: [DCRM-L] Superscript Letters in Collational Formulas (using Unicode)

EXTERNE E-MAIL - SEIEN SIE ACHTSAM BEIM ÖFFNEN VON LINKS UND ANHÄNGEN

And does it bother the heck out of us? (Need you ask?) 👿

______________________

Deborah J Leslie [cid:image004.png at 01DB9D78.696143E0] , M.A., M.L.S. | Senior Cataloger | Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | Opinions her own

________________________________

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu>> on behalf of Erin Blake via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>>
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2025 10:22
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>>
Cc: Erin Blake <EBlake at FOLGER.edu<mailto:EBlake at FOLGER.edu>>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Superscript Letters in Collational Formulas (using Unicode)

At the Folger, we do use Unicode superscripts and subscripts in our online catalog. See https://folgerpedia.folger.edu/Unicode_characters_for_cataloging.

Unicode can also be used when cataloging in OCLC Connexion’s shared environment (see https://help.oclc.org/Metadata_Services/Connexion/Connexion_client/International_cataloging for examples).

Unfortunately, Unicode superscripts 1, 2, and 3 are in a different block from the other digits, and some computer fonts display them with different alignments and weights. This wasn’t a problem with our previous online catalog, but is with our current catalog. Here’s a screenshot for example:

[cid:image006.png at 01DB9D78.696143E0]

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_subscripts_and_superscripts.

Best,

Erin

_______________________________

Erin Blake, PhD | she/her | Senior Cataloger | Folger Shakespeare Library | Washington, DC 20003 | eblake at folger.edu<mailto:eblake at folger.edu>
[Folger Shakespeare Library logo]

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu>> On Behalf Of Duhr, Stefan via DCRM-L
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 3:52 AM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>>
Cc: Duhr, Stefan <Stefan.Duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de<mailto:Stefan.Duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de>>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Superscript Letters in Collational Formulas (using Unicode)

Dear Sir or Madam,

As a member of the committee responsible for the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Alte Drucke beim Standardisierungsauschuss der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek<https://wiki.dnb.de/display/STAC/AG+Alte+Drucke>”, I have the following question for you:

In the German union database K10plus<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K10plus>, superscript and subscript numbers and letters that can be recorded using Unicode have recently been permitted. This now enables us to specify these when writing collation formulas as part of the cataloging of Early Printed Books. There should be no problems when exchanging data.

We do not see any problems with superscript and subscript numbers in this regard. However, there is still some doubt about superscript letters, as these originate from different Unicode blocks* and are not represented uniformly in our union catalog.

A German-language overview of the numbers and letters to be used can be found here: https://verbundwiki.gbv.de/download/attachments/201228317/Signaturformeln_Unicode.pdf.

Our question is whether you in English-speaking countries also use Unicode when entering collational formulas – especially for superscript letters – or whether you use a different character set (which one?).

As we have been able to ascertain, the use of superscript letters in collational formulas is permitted according to the DCRM (see 6.215 — Note on extent of manifestation - DCRM (RDA Edition)<https://bsc.rbms.info/DCRMR/phys-desc/Note-on-extent-of-manifestation/#621544-signatures> under 6.215.44.3).

With kind regards

p.p. Stefan Duhr

*) ᵖ and ᵛ => "Phonetic Extensions", ᶜ => "Phonetic Extensions Supplement", ʰ and ʳ => "Spacing Modifier Letters" and ⁱ => "Superscripts and Subscripts"

___________________________________________________

Stefan Duhr, M.A.
Abteilung Handschriften und Historische Drucke | Department of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz | Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Unter den Linden 8
10117 Berlin

+49 30 266-43 6688
stefan.duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de<mailto:stefan.duhr at sbb.spk-berlin.de>
https://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/die-staatsbibliothek/abteilungen/handschriften-und-historische-drucke

Im Rahmen der E-Mail-Kommunikation werden gegebenenfalls personenbezogene Daten verarbeitet. Hinweise zum Datenschutz: http://sbb.berlin/datenschutz

“There is no bounds to be set upon human stupidity, where books are concerned.”

James Duff Brown, Scottish bibliographer and librarian (A manual of practical bibliography. London 1906, p. 92)

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20250325/9c16f0b1/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image004.png
Type: image/png
Size: 449 bytes
Desc: image004.png
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20250325/9c16f0b1/attachment-0003.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.png
Type: image/png
Size: 39136 bytes
Desc: image006.png
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20250325/9c16f0b1/attachment-0004.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image008.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 2042 bytes
Desc: image008.jpg
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20250325/9c16f0b1/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Outlook-qwcooqju.png
Type: image/png
Size: 1032 bytes
Desc: Outlook-qwcooqju.png
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20250325/9c16f0b1/attachment-0005.png>