Michael Jost wrote:
> Totally agree! But in *which* catalog? Yours at Princeton? The one at "La Sapienza"
> in Rome?
> I would say that you'll find different forms in different catalogues.
> Each of the catalogues is probably consistent.
Actually, our form is: "di Biase, Fausto, 1962- "
But, I'm not saying that it has to be the AACR2, English-language form, although now we're
discussing the vexing problem of international authorities. Obviously, a subject heading such as
"United States--Politics and government--To 1775" would be completely wrong for a Russian or
Chinese user.
Barbara Tillett discusses these questions in her paper at: International Shared Resource Records
for Controlled Access [http://www.ala.org/alcts/alcts_news/v10n1/gateway.html].
(I hope what follows are her ideas, or that she would agree with me, at least!)
The heading should not be a string of characters, but a link to a record that allows varying
displays. For example, the heading should not be "Geneva (Switzerland)" but structured something
like (I'm making up the structure):
[arbitrary authority record number]
English form: Geneva
French form: Geneve
Italian form: Ginevra
German form: Genf
Russian form: Zheneva
etc.
In the individual catalog record about Geneva, we would make a link to the arbitrary record
number. Then, the machine would retrieve the authority record, and would display the language
form it was set for. Each person could even set his/her own preferred forms.
I think this could be most simply accomplished for personal names (although varying treatments
for pseudonyms could be tough). Corporate bodies may even be possible, but subjects are probably
too difficult.
So, one form is not right, and another form is not wrong, but consistency need not be sacrificed,
while I am not forced to search for e.g. a Russian form.
I think the technology exists so that, if we insist on high standards, we really can have it all!
If we settle for less, I fear the entire enterprise will sink.
Jim Weinheimer
Princeton University
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