If the information is present in the thesis or dissertation, we will add it to the heading, following the LCRI for 22.17 on Establishing New Headings That Do Not Conflict: "Apply the optional provision. This means adding a date whenever it is known." Some of these people, at least, will produce other monographs where a date might be useful in resolving conflicts. I have seen the discussions about authors who do not want their DOB on the catalog record and am not overly sympathetic. If the date is not present within the document, however, we do not go looking for it. Even when there is a conflict, there is rarely any point in trying to contact the individual. By the time we receive the dissertation or thesis to catalog, the student has usually left the university and our area, particularly if the student is an international one. I do not remember ever encountering a situation where the date of birth in a catalog record was objected to by a former student. We do get get Vitae with no birth date. Some departments seem to encourage their students not to record the data, others don't seem to take a stance. Laurence S. Creider Special Collections Librarian New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM 88003 Work: 575-646-7227 Fax: 575-646-7477 [log in to unmask] On Mon, 4 Oct 2010, Bob Hall wrote: > Good morning, > > Are there any theses catalogers on this list? I ask, as I have a question > regarding birthdates. Do you add birthdates to name hdgs. for theses? > > If so: > --Where do you get said information (via Registrar's office?, Vita?, CV fact > sheet etc.)? > --Do you routinely add them, or do you just use them to break a conflict? > --Are there issues you confront from authors if they see this information in > FirstSearch, public catalog &/or the Web? How do you handle such issues? > > Thanking you in advance for your time. > > R. > > -- > 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/ > [log in to unmask] > -- >