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 /.54 American poetry, /.54 American drama, /.54 American fiction,

Two decisions beyond assigning the LCC number PS3500-PS3549 American literatureIndividual authors /.52 American poetry, /.52 American drama, /.52 American fiction, /.54 American poetry, /.54 American drama, /.54 American fiction,

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 Literary periods: from the Manual at T3A

WorldCat Identities (1)

WorldCat Identities (2)

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. Literary periods: LCs Dewey authority file

LC name authority record example (1) 010n PS3535.O Roethke, Theodore, ǂ d Meaning of LCC number excluding cutter (not given in name authority record): PS3535.A-PS3535.Z American literatureIndividual authors R

LC name authority record example (2) 010n PR M McCullough, Colleen, ǂ d Meaning of LCC number excluding cutter (not given in name authority record): PR A-PR Z English literatureEnglish literature: Provincial, local, etc.English literature outside of Great BritainAustraliaIndividual authors20th century, A-Z

083 field in MARC 21 authorities format 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 : 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

Literary period: How to specify in 083 field? (2) Alternatively, give full number, including form? For Theodore Roethke: $a $2 22 For Colleen McCullough: $a $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: $a $c American poetry $2 22 For Colleen McCullough: $a $c English fiction $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 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 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 * For Colleen McCullough *

Interdisciplinary works information in LCs Dewey authority file An authors interdisciplinary number may also be marked with an asterisk For Vaclav Havel * [* 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: $a $c Comprehensive works $2 22 For Colleen McCullough: $a $c Comprehensive works $2 22

How to indicate comprehensive and interdisciplinary works information? (2) For Vaclav Havel $a $c Interdisciplinary works $ $a $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: $a $c American poetry (Comprehensive works) $2 22 For Colleen McCullough: $a $c English fiction (Comprehensive works) $2 22

Give combined information? (2) For Vaclav Havel $a $c Czechoslovakia biography (Interdisciplinary works) $ $a $c Czech drama (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 : The Dewey blog entry on this topic. If you prefer, you may also send comments and suggestions directly to