I'm totally with Sara on this.  If someone considers it important enough to include gender in the record, then it is imperative that they do whatever research may be required to ensure that they have it correct.  An assumption based on the name alone is not enough.  (I'm sure I'm not the only one who has made an assumption--on multiple occasions!--regarding the gender of a professional colleague based on seeing their name in a publication or on discussion lists, and then have that assumption corrected when meeting the person at a conference or speaking with them on the telephone...)

Kevin M. Randall
Principal Serials Cataloger
Northwestern University Library
[log in to unmask]
(847) 491-2939

Proudly wearing the sensible shoes since 1978!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Layne, Sara
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 12:04 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] terms for sex in 375
> 
> I really caution against inferring gender based on name. One of my
> (female) college roommates was named "Keith", and I spent some time
> earlier this year trying to resolve the authority problems caused by
> catalogers making unwarranted assumptions regarding her gender.
> 
> Sara
> 
> Sara Shatford Layne
> Principal Cataloger
> UCLA Library Cataloging & Metadata Center
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Maxwell
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 9:32 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] terms for sex in 375
> 
> This is one of the elements that we can infer. You don't need to find a
> statement somewhere stating "John Smith is male". Certainly you
> shouldn't make wild guesses, especially when a name is ambiguous like
> "Jimmie". But if the name is pretty clearly of one gender or another I
> encourage you to record the information. As Richard pointed out, it's very
> useful to have this information in the records even if it seems obvious to a
> human reader. It isn't obvious to a machine and it is going to be very
> useful to be able to sort or limit by gender for our users who want to
> produce works by groups like "Argentine women poets".
> 
> Bob
> 
> Robert L. Maxwell
> Special Collections and Ancient Languages Catalog Librarian
> Genre/Form Authorities Librarian
> 6728 Harold B. Lee Library
> Brigham Young University
> Provo, UT 84602
> (801)422-5568
> 
> "We should set an example for all the world, rather than confine ourselves
> to the course which has been heretofore pursued"--Eliza R. Snow, 1842.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hall, Jack
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 7:40 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: terms for sex in 375
> 
> A new question: how do we determine the sex of a person. May we infer
> from the forename if we assume it is (usually?) used for one sex or the
> other? Do we need further evidence, and what might that be? I hesitate to
> email someone asking: What sex are you?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jack Hall
> Manager of Cataloging Services
> Linguistics Librarian
> University of Houston Libraries
> Houston, TX 77204-2000
> phone: 713 743 9687
> fax: 713 743 9748
> email: [log in to unmask]