Good morning, Mr. Oliver, et al.,
 
Firstly, thank you for all this information.  You ALL have all been most helpful, and I appreciate it.  This information is being collected and will be used in making final policy regarding "additions to names."
 
Secondly,  I have been cataloging theses and technical reports at another institution for 24+ years.  Indeed, especially over the past 10 years, the author's full, formal name appears less and less on the t.p. -- more nicknames, more abbreviations to middle names, etc.  The student is required to put their academic advisor[s] on the standardized t.p. as well.  They are using nicknames as well.  in our catalog, advisor names are indexed, but not controlled; hence, difficult to collocate.
 
We formulate the heading as to the way it appears on the chief source.
 
Best.
 
Rob.
 
 --
Robert C.W. Hall, Jr.
Technical Services Associate Librarian
Concord Free Public Library, Concord, MA 01742
978-318-3343 -- FAX: 978-318-3344 -- http://www.concordlibrary.org/
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-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Oliver <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2010 21:03:51 -0500
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Theses name hdgs.(headings) -- birthdates?

Mr. Hall and others

As an aside, I wonder if the old prescription to use a full, formal name in TDs and ETDs is loosening?
 
My institution's policy is full legal name.

I am amazed at the number of institutions that create authority records for authors of theses or dissertations.  Just last week I made a duplicate authority record for a speaker at an annual lectureship series at my institution because his preferred usage was radically different from the required full legal name required by the degree granting institution.  I never imagined that an authority record would have been made for an author whose only work was a thesis or dissertation.

I made an appointment with the assistant to the graduate dean to ask if a blank could be put on the library reproduction permission form that asks for the preferred name.  The assistant completely understood the problem because the name by witch everyone knows her is a nickname.  She thought it was a good a idea.  So beginning with the next round of theses and dissertations, I will be making authority records for our graduates, based on their preferred usage.

I appreciate hearing all this from all of you.

Gary Oliver
Abilene Christian University
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