Contents Notes:

Simple Contents - Construction:

Items are described either by use of a generic or descriptive term, quoting titles, or a combination of these methods. The cataloger decides which approach would result in the most useful or readable note.

In a simple contents note, items are generally listed in order of importance or prominence, though this order may be altered for aesthetic, stylistic, or other reasons. One common alteration of order in a simple contents note is to move quoted items toward the end of the note.

Items described without quotation marks are described according to normal English usage. Example:

So long as terms used in a contents note are considered normal English language usage they may be used without quotation marks, regardless of whether or not the identical word(s) appears on the item being described.

A map with insets respectively titles New York, Chicago, and Cleveland may be described as:

.. insets of New York, Chicago, and Cleveland.

it is not necessary, though permissible, to describe the insets as

... insets of "New York," "Chicago," and "Cleveland" since the words are those of normal usage.

If an inset of New York has the title The Big Apple the inset could be described as

... inset of New York

or

... inset of "The Big Apple"

but not

... inset of The Big Apple.

In most cases it is more helpful to the user to have the English language term for an item in a contents note, rather than quoting a foreign language equivalent. Examples:

Simplification

Recto

Verso

Cover

See also:

Contents Notes