One other wrinkle in this that should be considered--how will the proposed
change impact unauthorized name headings? Many libraries that aren't in
BIBCO or NACO nevertheless strive to adhere to the standards that operate
in those programs. Currently, the NACO Personal Name FAQ (
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/personnamefaq.html ) includes an
advisory that when a heading form is in use on bib records in OCLC or RLIN,
the used form should be respected as new headings are established. In
practice, this is an acknowledged exception to the rule that fuller forms
or dates should be added when known. Consistency with existing headings and
minimizing BFM are valued over the inclusion of additional information.
Presumably, this advisory would be contradicted by the proposed policy of
adding dates at will. If the new policy is that one should add dates
whenever they're known, regardless of existing bib headings, how will this
impact the personal name headings in a large shared environment like OCLC?
I would guess that in addition to requiring lots more BFM for established
headings, variant forms of unauthorized names will occur more frequently as
well.
Stephen
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