Very interesting. Thanks so much to both of you for your help with this. It seems odd to me, but those explanations at least make clear the rationale behind the inconsistent use of the full stop.
Chris On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 10:26 AM, Robert Maxwell <robert_maxw...@byu.edu>wrote: > I do not presume to speak for LC’s reasons, but as a testing library BYU is > following the practice recommended in LC’s training documentation for the > test. In their module 2 (“Identifying manifestations”) the instruction for > which system of measurement to use under RDA 3.5 says “Use > centimetres/millimetres for others [i.e., other than discs and audiotapes] > (“cm” and “mm” are symbols, not abbreviations) - use ISBD full stop after > symbol if 490 in record”. In other words, if the 300 field ends with “cm” > there is a full stop if there is a 490 and otherwise “cm” won’t have a full > stop after it. The lecture notes to this slide further explain “This > requirement is related to ISBD presentation of information.” > > > > This seemed strange to me, particularly given the MARC punctuation > instructions you cite, but I decided to delve further into the ISBD > presentation rules and I believe the LC training instruction is correct. The > ISBD punctuation instructions, as found in RDA Appendix D.1, reads: > > > > Precede each area, other than the first area, or each occurrence of a note > or standard number, etc., area, by a full stop, space, dash, space (. — ) > unless the area begins a new paragraph. > > > > So ISBD punctuation calls for that full stop at the end of certain MARC > fields, depending on the ISBD area that follows. In ISBD presentation, the > Physical Description Area is followed either by the Series Area (if there is > a series) or by the Note Area (if there isn’t a series). In North American > practice the Series Area did not begin a new paragraph, so it was preceded > by full stop, space, dash, space. However, in North American practice, the > Note Area began a new paragraph, and thus was *not* preceded by full stop, > space, dash, space. Therefore if there is no series area in the record, no > ISBD full stop will appear after the Physical Description Area. > > > > Now MARC as we all know is imperfectly wedded to ISBD, and so grafting in > the ISBD punctuation rules can produce some pretty arcane results, and this > is one place where this is so. This particular issue never came up before > RDA since previous to RDA there was always a period after “cm” because it > was regarded as an abbreviation. We are now learning, however, that that > period was not the ISBD full stop, but only a mark of punctuation. In any > case, I think LC’s instruction to its staff and to testers not to give a > full stop after “cm” unless the ISBD series area is present is consistent > with ISBD instructions. So as long as we continue to claim we are following > ISBD punctuation rules, that is correct practice. > > > > Bob > > > > Robert L. Maxwell > Head, Special Collections and Formats Catalog Dept. > 6728 Harold B. Lee Library > Brigham Young University > Provo, UT 84602 > (801)422-5568 > > > > *From:* Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access > [mailto:rd...@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca] *On Behalf Of *Christopher Case > *Sent:* Thursday, November 11, 2010 7:35 AM > *To:* RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA > *Subject:* [RDA-L] 300 Punctuation > > > > Greetings all, > > This may have been addressed already, but I have seen a lot of variation, > so I thought it worth bringing up. I understand that RDA is a content > standard and not a display standard. However, I was just curious how one > would punctuate the 300 field, specifically final punctuation in $c, when > cataloging a print monograph according to RDA using ISBD punctuation in > MARC21. I know that RDA now considers "cm" a metric symbol and not an > abbreviation, so it does not require a period, and that according to MARC21: > "*Punctuation* - Field 300 ends with a period if there is a 4XX in the > record; otherwise it ends with a period unless another mark of punctuation > or a closing parentheses is present. See also subfield descriptions for > punctuation information." I would assume that the $c should then end with a > period (or some other punctuation). > > All that having been said, in many many many LC RDA records, the 300 $c > does not end in a period. In many others, it does. Any clue as to why some > lack the period? For some examples, see OCLC #'s 677981165, 449856066, and > 587078028 (lacking period); and 308173544, 297147712, and 468854226 (with > period). > > Thanks! > > -- > Christopher Case > Content Management Librarian > Milton S. Eisenhower Library > Johns Hopkins University > -- Christopher Case Content Management Librarian Milton S. Eisenhower Library Johns Hopkins University
