Coding for gender, etc. is not just to help a person looking at the
authority record decide who it represents. It is also for retrieval. If
you want a program to retrieve authorities for all persons of a
particular gender and occupation, then this coding needs to be the norm.


Names that may obviously reflect a gender in one language don't
necessarily reflect the same gender in other languages: Andrea, Joan,
Gabriele, Simone.  Many names are gender neutral: Alex, Joss, Sidney,
Lou. What about Dakota, Skyler, Phoenix, or Rowan? If you want VIAF,
ISNI, etc. to match this data reliably using RDA, then this coding needs
to be the norm, not based on whether it seems obvious to an individuall
cataloger that the identity is male or female.

We always include 375 in our NACO authority records. On Aleph we have it
as a macro, entered with a couple of keystrokes. We've also set up
macros for common languages in 377, and for relationship designators in
5XX fields. 

RDA authorities work at the element level.


Regards
Richard

_________________________
Richard Moore 
Authority Control Team Manager 
The British Library
                                                                        
Tel.: +44 (0)1937 546806                                
E-mail: [log in to unmask]                            
   

-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin M Randall
Sent: 05 August 2013 18:34
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] authorities for alternate identities

Ted Gemberling wrote:

> Robert Galbraith is a male name. Catalogers in the Anglo-American 
> tradition would recognize that. Why is it necessary to code for the 
> gender at all?

That question is a very good one, and I believe the main answer to it
is:  In the vast majority of cases, it is NOT necessary to code for
gender.

We should keep in mind that just because an element is defined, does not
mean that we MUST use that element!  Only elements that are designated
as CORE are required.  There may be communities using RDA that also
require the use of the gender element.  But I don't think any of our
libraries happen to be in those communities.

There may be the rare circumstance in which the gender of the person is
an important element to be recorded, perhaps to distinguish between
multiple people with the same or similar names.  But I would submit that
those cases are going to be very rare.

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

Proudly wearing the sensible shoes since 1978!

**************************************************************************
Experience the British Library online at http://www.bl.uk/
 
The British Library’s latest Annual Report and Accounts : http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/annrep/index.html
 
Help the British Library conserve the world's knowledge. Adopt a Book. http://www.bl.uk/adoptabook
 
The Library's St Pancras site is WiFi - enabled
 
*************************************************************************
 
The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail and notify the mailto:[log in to unmask] : The contents of this e-mail must not be disclosed or copied without the sender's consent.
 
The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the British Library. The British Library does not take any responsibility for the views of the author.
 
*************************************************************************
 Think before you print