Headings Being Coded AACR2:

If the forms of an author’s name vary in fullness from one work to another in the same language and the AACR2 form for the heading has not yet been determined, apply the following:

1. If the form found on the item being cataloged agrees with the form used for the heading on existing records in the catalog, accept this form as AACR2. (The "catalog" referred to here is the file against which the cataloging and searching is being done.)

2. If the form found on the item being cataloged does not agree with the form already in use as the heading, choose as the AACR2 form the form found in 80% of the author’s works as the most commonly found form (counting forms appearing on bibliographic records in which the heading is used in both main and added entries but considering only usage found in the bibliographic description -- primarily statements of responsibility -- not headings appearing as main or added entries). (The form found in the chief source of a person’s thesis is taken into account when choosing the form to be used in the heading.)

When calculating the 80%, do it quickly and use common sense. This means:

1. count the forms if there are no more than approximately 15 records or

2. if there are more than approximately 15, browse through the file, looking for an obvious case of predominance. If nothing is obvious, sample the file (every 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc., record, depending on the length of the file).

When there is no commonly found form (defined above), choose the fullest form as the AACR2 form. When determining the fullest form for a person who uses both forename initials and forenames, make no distinction between initials and forenames, e.g., "B.E.F. Pagen" is fuller than "Bernard Edward Pagen."

Note: Equating the predominant form or the commonly found form with the form found in 80% of the person’s works applies only 22.3A; no such formula has been assigned to "predominant form" or "commonly found form" in the other rules.

Headings Already Coded "AACR2" or "AACR2 Compatible":

If an established heading is already coded "AACR2" (including those labeled preliminary ( FN 1) --008 byte 33 = d) and subsequently received items show forms in the chief source that vary in fullness, generally do not change the established heading.

If an established heading is already coded "AACR2 compatible" because it varies in fullness from the AACR2 form, generally do not reconsider the heading.

Note: Occasionally the need arises to change a heading that has already been coded to reflect another form that varies solely in fullness. Two such exceptions to the basic policy of retaining the established heading are: (1) the author has notified the Library of Congress that another form is preferred or (2) the National Library of Medicine has more works of a medical author in its collections that show a different form. Other exceptions should be carefully considered before making the change.

Variant Forms Within One Item:

If the name of an author appears in two or more forms in one work, apply the following:

1. If the name appears in two or more sources, once in the chief source and one or more times in other sources, choose the form appearing in the chief source.

Example

2. If the name does not appear in the chief source but does appear once in another prominent source (cf. 0.8) and one or more times in other sources, choose the form appearing in the prominent source.

Example

3. In all situations not covered by 1. or 2. above, choose the fullest form of name.

Example

Note: Do not choose for the heading a form appearing in the following sources if the name appears prominently elsewhere in the item: 1. the copyright statement; 2. the colophon for items published in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

See also:

22.3. Choice Among Different Forms of the Same Name