Literary Authors: AutoDewey and LC Name Authority File

Dewey Breakfast/Update ALA Midwinter Meeting January 12, 2008

Overview

LCs AutoDewey program in literature Issues: Adding Dewey numbers to records for literary authors in the LC Name Authority File

LCs AutoDewey program in literature (1)

AutoDewey takes advantage of those places where Library of Congress Classification (LCC) and DDC are similar enough to facilitate mapping from LCC to DDC AutoDewey is currently limited to Individual literary authors Poetry, drama, & fiction

English, French, & Italian literature

LCs AutoDewey program in literature (2)

Where one-to-one mapping is possible, AutoDewey assigns DDC numbers automatically, based on the LCC number Where one-to-one mapping is not possible, AutoDewey assigns the DDC number only after the cataloger has made one or two decisions beyond assigning the LCC number About form (poetry, drama, fiction) About literary period If AutoDewey choices are not right for a work (e.g., the form is essays), a cataloger must assign the number

One-to-one mapping (or many-to-one mapping, if the one is DDC)

AutoDewey assigns DDC numbers automatically (with segmentation mark) Example:

PR1580-PR1588 Beowulf
829/.3 Beowulf

One decision beyond assigning the LCC number

PS3550-PS3576 American literatureIndividual authors 1961-2000

811/.54 American poetry, 1945-1999 812/.54 American drama, 1945-1999 813/.54 American fiction, 1945-1999

Two decisions beyond assigning the LCC number

PS3500-PS3549 American literatureIndividual authors 1900-1960 1900-1945 811/.52 American poetry, 1900-1945 812/.52 American drama, 1900-1945 813/.52 American fiction, 1900-1945 1945-1999

811/.54 American poetry, 1945-1999

812/.54 American drama, 1945-1999 813/.54 American fiction, 1945-1999

Literary periods: from the Manual at T3A

Use only one literary period for an author and all of the author's works, including works that may have been published earlier or later than the dates covered by that period. Determine the literary period in accordance with scholarly consensus about when an author flourished. . . . In the absence of scholarly comment, use the weight of bibliographic evidence to determine when an author flourished. For example, class an author who published one novel in 1999, one novel in 2000, one in 2001, and one in 2002 in the literary period beginning with 2000.

WorldCat Identities (1)

WorldCat Identities (2)

Literary periods: LCs Dewey authority file

LCs Decimal Classification Division has card files that give the established literary period for literary authorscard files not accessible by AutoDewey and not available to catalogers who assign LCC numbers and use AutoDewey, unless they leave their work area and walk into the Decimal Classification Division. What is the best way to make that information available?

One possibility is to put that information in the LC Name Authority record for the author.

LC name authority record example (1)

010

n 79060436

053 0 PS3535.O39 100 1 Roethke, Theodore, d 1908-1963

Meaning of LCC number excluding cutter (not given in name authority record): PS3535.A-PS3535.Z American literatureIndividual authors1900-1960R

LC name authority record example (2)

010

n 50007725

053 0 PR9619.3.M32 100 1 McCullough, Colleen, d 1937-

Meaning of LCC number excluding cutter (not given in name authority record): PR9619.3.A-PR9619.3.Z English literatureEnglish literature: Provincial, local, etc.English literature outside of Great BritainAustraliaIndividual authors20th century, A-Z

083 field in MARC 21 authorities format

083 - DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION NUMBER (R) $a - Classification number elementsingle number or beginning number of span (NR) $b - Classification number elementending number of span (NR) $c - Explanatory term (NR) A phrase or term that specifies the topic of the classification number when the heading is represented in more than one place in the classification schedules. $z - Table identificationtable number (NR)

$2 - Edition number (NR)

Literary period: How to specify in 083 field? (1)

In LCs Dewey authority file, an authors literary period is shown in a way not appropriate for MARC 21
For Theodore Roethke 81X.54 For Colleen McCullough 82X.914

X represents the form

MARC Proposal 2008-01: Representation of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) System in MARC 21 formats has a $y

subfield that could be used to represent the literary period without specifying form; for details see
http://www.loc.gov/marc/marbi/2008/2008-01.html

Literary period: How to specify in 083 field? (2)

Alternatively, give full number, including form? For Theodore Roethke:

083 00 $a 811.54 $2 22

For Colleen McCullough:

083 00 $a 823.914 $2 22

Potential problem: people may think that number should be used for every literary work by that author, even works in a different form

What other information would you like to see in the 083 field?

Use the subfield $c - Explanatory term to give information about the meaning of the number, e.g., caption substitute as in WebDewey? For Theodore Roethke:
083 00 $a 811.54 $c American poetry1945-1999 $2 22

For Colleen McCullough:

083 00 $a 823.914 $c English fiction1945-1999 $2 22

Literary authors: Comprehensive works

From the Manual at T3A: Literary form For comprehensive works, use the form with which an author is chiefly identified, e.g., Jane Austen 823.7. If the author is not chiefly identified with one form, use T3A8 Miscellaneous writings plus literary period plus notation 09 from the table at T3A81-T3A89, e.g., use 828.91409 for a late-20th century English author who is equally famous as a novelist, dramatist, and poet. For an individual work, use the form in which the work is written.

Comprehensive works information in LCs Dewey authority file

In LCs Dewey authority file, an authors comprehensive works number is identified by an asterisk
For Theodore Roethke 811.54*

For Colleen McCullough 823.914*

Interdisciplinary works information in LCs Dewey authority file

An authors interdisciplinary number may also be marked with an asterisk For Vaclav Havel
943.7043092*
891.86254 [* for belles lettres]

How to indicate comprehensive and interdisciplinary works information? (1)

Use the subfield $c - Explanatory term to specify the comprehensive and interdisciplinary works numbers? For Theodore Roethke:
083 00 $a 811.54 $c Comprehensive works $2 22

For Colleen McCullough:

083 00 $a 823.914 $c Comprehensive works $2 22

How to indicate comprehensive and interdisciplinary works information? (2)

For Vaclav Havel

083 00 $a 943.7043092 $c Interdisciplinary works $2 22 083 00 $a 891.86254 $c Comprehensive works $2 22

Give combined information? (1)

Use the subfield $c - Explanatory term to give information about the meaning of the number and to specify the comprehensive and interdisciplinary works numbers? For Theodore Roethke:
083 00 $a 811.54 $c American poetry1945-1999 (Comprehensive works) $2 22

For Colleen McCullough:

083 00 $a 823.914 $c English fiction1945-1999 (Comprehensive works) $2 22

Give combined information? (2)

For Vaclav Havel

083 00 $a 943.7043092 $c Czechoslovakia1968-1992 biography (Interdisciplinary works) $2 22 083 00 $a 891.86254 $c Czech drama1945-1989 (Comprehensive works) $2 22

Information in name authority files: Summary list of questions

To indicate literary period, give full number with form? Give information about meaning of DDC number? Indicate comprehensive and interdisciplinary works numbers? Indicate both meaning of number and comprehensive and interdisciplinary works numbers?

Please reply directly to the 025.431: The Dewey blog entry on this topic. If you prefer, you may also send comments and suggestions directly to dewey@loc.gov.