I think one of the better decisions that went into the drafting and implementation of RDA was abandoning, for the most part, rules governing when variants are
required. Basically, having the rules dictate when and how to create authorized APs but leaving variants open to cataloger judgment. I think an exception to 9.19.2 (and its CB counterpart 11.13.2) allowing catalogers to create variant access points based off
of the preferred name is in keeping with that spirit.
Furthermore I would bet a careful study of ARs created post-RDA implementation would reveal that people are already doing this, whether it is "allowed" or not.
Sometimes, practice leads the way and rules must catch up.
I know the danger here is that catalogers will go overboard and begin to create VAPs for every concievable iteration of a person's name + any other identifying
characteristics. So the exception might need to be crafted in a way that offers some guidance when to do this (e.g. Jay Shorten's "
very common names", which would also be up to cataloger judgment.)
But in general I think it's a good idea to give cataloger's fairly wide leeway when it comes to creating variant access points.
b
Benjamin Abrahamse
Cataloging Coordinator
Acquisitions and Discovery Enhancement
MIT Libraries
617-253-7137
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Shorten, Jay
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 1:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Tom Watson (Children's story writer)
Exactly. The name may not be different, but the distinguishing data is different. I understand it may not be elegant in theory, but it’s a good idea in practice for common
names. Consider if Tom Watson next writes a book on accounting for grown-ups. I suspect that some cataloguers are going to automatically assume that this can’t possibly be written by “Watson, Tom (Children's story writer)” and not bother looking at that name
authority record even if they have fuller data.
I wouldn’t do this practice for every name, but for very common names it makes life easier.
Jay Shorten
Cataloger, Monographs and Electronic Resources
Associate Professor of Bibliography
Catalog Department
University Libraries
University of Oklahoma
Co-owner, PERSNAME-L, the list about personal names in bibliographic and authority records
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Kevin M Randall
Sent: 12 May 2016 10:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Tom Watson (Children's story writer)
I think as long as we have systems and applications that rely on AAP text strings, there will be a use for any and all VAPs. Or are
we to forget about the here and now, looking only at an access-point-free future?
If all AAPs and VAPs are interfiled in an alphabetized list, it is much easier to find the appropriate heading to use if there is a
recognizeable element appearing in the list—instead of having to open each and every "Watson, Tom" or "Smith, John" until one happens upon the correct one. (Someone may know that their Tom Watson is a children's story writer; others may know that he was
born in 1965.)
Kevin M. Randall
Principal Serials Cataloger
Northwestern University Libraries
Northwestern University
847.491.2939
Proudly wearing the sensible shoes since 1978!