Descriptive Bibliography

Course Information

Instructor: Deborah J. Leslie
Location: Los Angeles, California
Mode: In-person
Dates: August 7–11, 2006
Tuition: $995.00

not currently accepting applications

Description

Aimed at catalog librarians who find that their present duties include (or shortly will include) the cataloging of rare books or special collections materials. Attention will be given primarily to cataloging books from the hand-press period, with some discussion given to c19 and c20 books in a special collections context. Topics include: comparison of rare book and general cataloging; application of codes and standards (especially DCRM(B)); uses of special files; problems in transcription, collation and physical description; and setting cataloging policy within an institutional context.

This course — restricted to working catalogers experienced in AACR2r, MARC, and general cataloging principles and practices — will provide training in the application of DCRM(B): Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books). Lectures, discussion, and exercises will center around the following topics: DCRM(B) and the differences between rare book and general cataloging; a brief introduction to printing and binding in the hand-press era; basic concepts of edition, issue, and state; the organization of the cataloging record, including levels of detail and variety of access points; problems in transcription, format and collation, and physical description; recent developments in codes and standards; the uses and requirements of special files; and setting rare book and/or special collections cataloging policy within an institutional context. The goal of this course is to provide practice in each of the primary elements of the rare book catalog record, so that students will be equipped to begin cataloging their institutions’ rare book and special collections materials. Although some attention will be given to post-1800 books, the primary focus will be on books of the hand-press era.

Requirements

In their personal statement, applicants should describe their experience with machine-readable AACR2 cataloging and provide a brief description of the types and date range of materials they expect to catalog with DCRM(B). In addition, applicants are requested to submit 1-3 typical bibliographic records of materials they currently are cataloging, preferably original cataloging of modern books or serials.

Course Readings:

READ BEFORE COMING TO CLASS, & BRING COPIES WITH YOU:

  • DCRM(B) Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books), most recent draft. Available online at www.folger.edu/bsc/dcrb/dcrmtext.html. Although in draft form, this new revision of DCRB will provide the primary cataloging rules for the code. The instructor recommends printing one of the two “clean copy” documents and putting in a three-ring binder. Please read through from cover to cover. You won’t understand everything (if you did, you wouldn’t need the class), but an orderly, initial iteration of DCRM(B) is necessary to reap substantial benefit from the course.
  • Examples to Accompany Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books. Chicago. 2nd ed.: ACRL, 1999. Bring this book to class; make sure you have the second edition.. Available from ALA Publishing Services, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611 for $35.00 [10% discount for ALA members] plus $7 postage and handling [no discount]; telephone credit-card orders to 1-800/545-2433 [press 7 at the recorded message]. ISBN: 0-8389-8014-7. Please look through the examples. 

BRING TO CLASS:

READ BEFORE CLASS:

[Instructor’s advice: start with the first title, work your way down, and read what you can before time is called.]

  • Belanger, Terry. “Descriptive Bibliography,” in Book Collecting: a Modern Guide, ed. Jean Peters (New York: R. R. Bowker, 1977), 97-115. This is a mandatory text.
  • Leslie, Deborah J. and Benjamin Griffin. Transcription of Early Letter Forms in Rare Materials Cataloging. URL: www.folger.edu/bsc/dcrb/wg2LeslieGriffin.doc
  • Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, rev 1974, &c.; 1995 pb version currently in print (Winchester: St Paul’s Bibliographies/New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Books). Familiarize yourself with the scope and contents of Gaskell before coming to class, read pages 313-320 (“Identification”), pages 328-335 (“Formula”), and as much as you have time for in the first section (pages 1-185).

OPTIONAL PRE-COURSE READING:

Bibliographical issues

  • Stalker, Laura, and Jackie M. Dooley. “Descriptive Cataloging and Rare Rooks,” in Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship 7:1 (1992), 7-23.
  • Tanselle, G. Thomas. “Descriptive Bibliography and Library Cataloguing,” in Studies in Bibliography 30 (1977), 1-56.
  • Tanselle, G. Thomas. “The Bibliographical Concepts of Issue and State, ” in PBSA 69:1 (1975), 17-66.

POST-COURSE TITLES OF POTENTIAL INTEREST:

Library systems & records

  • RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee. Draft Appendix on Collection-Level Cataloging. URL: www.folger.edu/bsc/dcrb/wg4jd030407.doc
  • Raine, Henry, and Laura Stalker, “Rare Book Records in Online Systems,” in Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship 11:2 (1996), 103-118.
  • Guide to Rare Book Records in Online Systems, available online. A bit dated, but still useful in identifying aspects and features of online library systems necessary for appropriate indexing, searching, and display of rare materials and special collections. 
  • Overmier, Judith A. and Elaine M. Doak. “Provenance Records in Rare Book and Special Collections,” in Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship 11:1 (1996), 91-99.

Management issues

  • Bradshaw, Elaine Beckley and Stephen C. Wagner. “A Common Ground: Communication and Allegiance Between Cataloger and Curator for Improved Access to Rare Books and Special Collections,” in College & Research Libraries 61:6 (Nov. 2000): 525-534. Although leaving something to be desired in academic rigor, this article provides an overview of some of the issues involved in setting policy.
  • Taraba, Suzy. “Administering the cataloging of special collections materials,” in Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship 7:2 (1992), 87-90.

Special collections cataloging

  • Russell, Beth M. “Looking for Someone Special : Special Collections Cataloging, 1980-2000,” in Library Resources and Technical Services 47:4 (Oct 2003), 149-159.

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE FOLLOWING BEFORE COMING TO CLASS:

  • The six thesauri for use in rare book and special collections cataloguing, prepared by the Bibliographic Standards Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (ACRL/ALA). Chicago: ACRL, 1986-1991. (For ordering information, see above, no. 2.) Read the introduction of any one of them and glance at the text.
    • Genre Terms (2nd ed.)
    • Paper Terms
    • Type Evidence
    • Binding Terms
    • Printing & Publishing Evidence
    • Provenance Evidence

ALSO BRING WITH YOU TO CLASS

  • Twelve copies of your institution’s rare book cataloging policy, if you have one and if feasible.
  • Twelve business cards
  • Definitions for the following terms (look first in John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors or G.A. Glaister’s Encyclopedia of the Book).
    • format
    • signatures
    • letterpress
    • plate
    • integral
    • incunabula
    • cancel, cancellandum (cancellanda) cancellans (cancellantiae) 
    • unopened
    • uncut
    • half-title
    • recto
    • verso
    • press figures
    • catchword
    • direction line
    • ideal copy
    • Pollard & Redgrave
    • STC
    • Wing
    • ESTC

Offered

Credit

Completion of this course helps to meet requirements for one of the following certificate requirements:

  • 1 of 3 elective credit courses for Certificate in Rare Books and Manuscripts, or
  • 1 of 2 elective credit courses for Certificate in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice