Hello Ben

“Do we need a relator term "spirit of" to connect the ARs?”

Possibly, although the connection should be apparent from the name, and we might appear to suggest more than we want to.

I think it would be useful to link the name of the spirit to the name of the medium who actually wrote the work…  “Chaneller” and “Channelled by” (with the obligatory transatlantic discussion about spelling).

Regards

Richard

_________________________

Richard Moore

Authority Control Team Manager

The British Library

Tel.: +44 (0)1937 546806                      

E-mail: [log in to unmask]                                 

I certainly agree the 046 is nonsensical.  Who can say if spirits have biographical (thanatographical?) data.  (Perhaps someone should pour out two long glasses brimmed with muscatel on All Soul's Night and ask.)

So it would be this weird case where you need to include the 100 $d to make it clear this is the spirit of the John Smith who was born in 1790 and died in 1856, but no accompanying 046. (This is what the second example in 9.19.1.2.5 would suggest.)  Do we need a relator term "spirit of" to connect the ARs?

--Ben

Would people agree that it would be incorrect to record, in 046 of a NAR for a spirit, the dates of the deceased person whose spirit is being described?

For (hypothetical) example:

046 $a $f 1790 $g 1856

1001 $a Smith, John, $d 1790-1856  

is correct, because these dates of birth and death are attributes of the entity “John Smith”, whose authority record this is. John Smith was born in 1790 and died in 1856.

However:

046 $a $f 1790 $g 1856

1001 $a Smith, John, $d 1790-1856 $c (Spirit)

is wrong, because these dates and birth are not attributes of the entity “John Smith (Spirit)” whose authority record this is. The spirit did not have dates of birth and death, and must also (purportedly) still have existed when the work was channelled. The whole point of the spirit of a deceased person (as a bibliographic entity) is that it is still around after the person has died, to write things through a medium….

Regards

Richard

_________________________

Richard Moore

Authority Control Team Manager

The British Library

Tel.: +44 (0)1937 546806                      

E-mail: [log in to unmask]