I agree, and justification for the gender recorded should be given in
the authority record, even if only by recording a gendered pronoun when
citing a source of information ("He was professor of...").

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 Carlton, Tim
Sent: 06 August 2013 13:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] authorities for alternate identities

And certainly, one should not assign the field merely on the basis of
thinking you recognize the gender.  The example I always think of is the
actress who played "Mrs. Walton" on TV: Michael Learned.  
Never mind names such as Jesse and Jamie (my nephew and niece -- in that
order, I think), and others that have already been mentioned.

Timothy J. Carlton
Senior Instructor
Cooperative and Instructional Programs Division Library of Congress
202-707-5323
[log in to unmask]

Usual disclaimers apply



-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin M Randall
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 1:34 PM
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!

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