1.4 Display issues
Although these guidelines are primarily focused on content, many users may also welcome some guidance in data presentation. This section gathers some of the common display questions with recommendations.
1.4.1 Punctuation¶
These guidelines do not mandate the use of any particular data presentation standard, such as ISBD punctuation. However, ISBD punctuation is recommended if punctuation guidance is desired. Please consult ISBD1 for general guidance and examples, or the FIAF Cataloguing Rules for Film Archives (1991)2.
These guidelines do advocate consistent usage where punctuation is needed as a cataloguing construction, for example, to separate Form elements in the creation of Partially or Fully Supplied/Devised Titles e.g.
Example
Jaws. Rushes.
For transcribed elements, record punctuation as found. For all other elements, record punctuation as found on the source(s) of information.
1.4.2 Capitalisation and Articles¶
Some institutions render Work titles in capitals – all upper-case – as a simple typographical method of identifying these key items of information, while others only capitalise the first letter of a title, in accordance with ISBD. Either usage is permitted by these guidelines, although institutions may prefer to retain the conventional practice of capitalising only the first letter of a title and any proper names as dictated by the usage of the language in which the information is given.
Users should recognise that using all capitals may create problems in the future when reformatting to mixed case if preferred in a new system, or when reformatting to mixed caps for display in a web platform where mixed caps is increasingly preferred. Although it is possible to automate the conversion of upper case to mixed caps, that automation cannot easily manage linguistic complexities or semantic rules and exceptions such as proper nouns, or place names. Therefore, it is recommended that an institution transition to ISBD capitalisation when and where possible.
When an “all capitals” practice is followed, institutions have the additional option of reducing to lower case words which are of minor importance to the substantive title (for filing purposes, etc.), such as sub-titles, a definite or indefinite article appearing as the first word of a title, etc. Experience has shown that this practice can make it easier for staff in institutions handling multi-lingual material to recognise, for filing purposes and interpretation, the different significance of words that are articles in one language but not in others.
While the guidelines permit both cases, it is recommended where permitted now or in the future, to use the conventional practice of capitalising only the first letter of a title and other letters as dictated by the usage of the language in which the information is given. Leading articles should ideally be placed in separate fields in keeping with the way systems are being developed for alphabetical sorting. Alternatively some systems (for example, those containing MARC21 records) indicate the number of non-filing characters to skip in alphabetization.
Alternative practices | ISBD practice
Example
Die Hard | Die hard
Example
Die DREIGROSCHENOPER | Die Dreigroschenoper
Example
LES PATTERSON SAVES THE WORLD | Les Patterson saves the world
Example
Les MISERABLES | Les miserables
Example
American in Paris, An | An American in Paris
MARC21 tag
Example
245 03 An American in Paris