2.1 General Rules

This section provides guidelines that can be applied to many different types of information, or fields.

NOTE: Much of the information that would normally be included in a standard catalogue entry for a book, for example, is not available when describing an Internet resource. It is not necessary to be exhaustive–if the information is not plainly available in an unambiguous form, it should not be included.

2.1.1 Chief Source of Information

This refers to the part of a resource that provides most of the information required for a description. In a book, for example, this would be the title page. Therefore, for example, the title would be taken from the title page, and not the spine of the book where it may differ. In an Internet resource, there is no standard area for this kind of information. Therefore,

“the cataloger may consider using a title from a "home page" or from a

menu that provides access to the file, or from any published description of, or citation to, the file.” [1]

2.1.2 Dates

AACR2 does not contain specific guidelines for setting out dates. This is because most resources do not include day or month details in their publishing information. For the purposes of the Project, therefore, the following guidelines should be followed:

Day in numerals <space> Month in letters(first three letters only) <space> Year in numerals

2.1.3 Names

AACR2 has extensive guidelines on cataloguing personal names. The rules laid out here will deal with a small number of common examples. Where these rules are not adequate, AACR2 should be applied.

AACR2 states that one should “enter a name containing a surname (or consisting only of a surname, see 22.15A) under that surname unless subsequent rules (e.g., 22.6, 22.10, 22.28) provide for entry under a different element.”

e.g. Smith, John

2.1.3a Names with titles

• Do not use common titles such as Miss, Mr, Mrs or Ms when transcribing author name information
• If the author is referred to in the resource being catalogued by a title such as Dr., Prof., Rev., Lord, Lady, etc., it should be included when transcribing author name information

Use the following guidelines for recording titles in author name information:

2.1.3b Terms of honour:

“Add the term at the end of the name if the person is entered under given name or if the person is the wife of a baronet or knight (unless she is also the daughter of a duke, duchess, marquess, marchioness, earl or countess…).

Gregory, Augusta, Lady

(Wife of a knight)

Add the term before the forename(s) if the person is a baronet or knight, a dame of the Order of the British Empire (D.B.E.) or of the Royal Victorian Order (D.R.V.O.), a younger son of a duke, duchess, marquess, marchioness, earl or countess.

Landseer, Sir Edwin

(Knight)” [2]