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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

 

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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

www.library.northwestern.edu

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847.491.2939

 

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