Just a couple comments to add to those already made:

1)  Harvard plans a keyword name index, with a search screen constructed
in such a way that it won't matter if you enter "Fisher, Dorothy Canfield"
or "Dorothy Canfield Fisher"--the search will look for the word "Fisher"
and the word "Dorothy" within the *same* <persname> tag, and pull it up no
matter if it's in inverted or natural order.

2) However, will this make for a hopelessly confusing search results
display?  We don't know, since we don't have the search engine up yet, but
hope to find out very soon!

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Leslie A. Morris
Curator of Manuscripts in the Harvard College Library
Houghton Library, Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
phone:  617.495.2449
fax:    617.495.1376
http://hcl.harvard.edu/houghton/mss/
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On Tue, 11 Nov 1997, Elizabeth H. Dow wrote:

> Although I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps these questions might better
> go to a catalogers' list, or better still, an archives catalogers' list,
> until I find one (that's a hint for suggestions), I'm afraid I'm bound to
> pound on your heads.
>
> As I crank up to start wrapping names with <persname> and <corpname> tags,
> I'm wondering if it's truly necessary to take the time to reverse the
> order of personal names that contain all the words the LCNAF entry
> requires: Dorothy Canfield Fisher vs. Fisher, Dorothy Canfield.
>
> I speculate that the "surname first" rule came from having to alphabetize
> a physical medium and I question whether it's necessary in an electronic
> medium.
>
> Thoughts? Opinions? Knowledge?
>
> Elizabeth H. Dow, Ph.D.   [log in to unmask]
> Special Collections -- Bailey/Howe Library
> University of Vermont
>