1.   Elements that are not initials, etc.  Leave only one space after a period.  If a personal name consists of separate letters, record the letters without internal spaces, regardless of how they are presented in the source of information.

chief source:  X Y Z

(Letters representing a personal name)

transcription:  XYZ

2.   Initials, etc.  Record initials, initialisms, and acronyms without internal spaces, regardless of how they are presented in the source of information.  Apply this provision also whether these elements are presented with or without periods.

Pel battesimo di S.A.R. Ludovico ...

KL Ianuarius habet dies XXXI

Monasterij B.M.V. campililioru[m]

J.J. Rousseau

$aNew York :$bW.W. Morrow,$c1980.

In some cases personal name initials may be presented in a source without periods.  When they are known to be initials, regularize the punctuation by inserting a period after each letter.  In case of doubt, do not insert periods.

chief source:  by T S Eliot

transcription:  by T.S. Eliot

but    chief source:  Dr. X goes to the movies

transcription:  Dr. X goes to the movies

Input one space after an initial that is followed by a word or other element that is not an initial and no space after an initial that is followed by another initial consisting of one letter.

source:          F&H Denby

transcription:  F & H Denby ...

source:          AT&T Bell Laboratories technical journal

transcription:  AT & T Bell Laboratories technical journal ...

source:          R&D report

transcription:  R & D report ...

source:          U.S.D.A. Symposium ...

transcription:  U.S.D.A. Symposium ...

source:          B B C Symphony ...

transcription:  BBC Symphony ...

Treat an abbreviation consisting of more than a single letter as if it were a distinct word, separating it with a space from preceding and succeeding words or initials.

Ph. D.

Ad bibliothecam PP. Franciscan. in Anger

Mr. J.P. Morgan

Paratiyum camukamum /$cMa. Pa. Periyacamit Turan

$aCharleston, W. Va. :$b[s.n.],$c1980.

... by Wm. A. Brown

If two or more distinct initialisms (or set of initials), acronyms, or abbreviations appear in juxtaposition, separate each from the other with a space.

M. J.P. Rabaut

(i.e., Monsieur J.P. Rabaut)

par R.F. s. d. C. Paris ...

(i.e., par Roland Fréart, sieur de Chambray ...)

3.   Year in the name of a conference.  When transcribing the name of a conference that contains an abbreviated or full form of a year, regularize the spacing by insuring that one space precedes the year regardless of the configuration of the year (e.g., use of an apostrophe or other character as a substitute for a portion of the year; the full form of a year combined with another element without spacing.)

source:          CDS2000

transcription:  CDS 2000

source:          CP 2000

transcription:  CP 2000

source:          CP98

transcription:  CP 98

source:          ... ECOOP'98 workshop reader ...

transcription:  ... ECOOP '98 workshop reader ...

source:          ECOOP'99 SCM-9 Symposium

transcription:  ECOOP '99 SCM-9 Symposium

4.   Dash in a title.  When transcribing a title that contains a dash and it is to be retained because the data element(s) following the dash are part of the title proper, transcribe the dash as two adjacent hyphens, with no space on either side of the hyphens.

source:          Bridge reinspection report[dash]phase I ...

transcription:  Bridge reinspection report--phase I ...

source:          Byrd family in Indiana[dash]1880-1990

transcription:  Byrd family in Indiana--1880-1990

5.   Variant title.  Do not end a variant title ( field 246 ) with a mark of ending punctuation except when it is part of the data (e.g., a period in an abbreviation).

See also:

1.0C.  Punctuation/Spacing:  Table of Contents