Judaica Librarianship
Volume 8 Vol. 8 no. 1-2 40-44
9-1-1994 Anomalies in RLIN Hebraica Records: Reflections of a Recent Arrival on the Cataloging Scene Clifford B. Miller Jewish Theological Seminary of America
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Recommended Citation Miller, Clifford B.. 1994. "Anomalies in RLIN Hebraica Records: Reflections of a Recent Arrival on the Cataloging Scene." Judaica Librarianship 8: 40-44. doi:10.14263/2330-2976.1229. Association of Jewish Libraries, 28th Annual Convention, New York City
Anomalies in RLIN Hebraica Records: Reflections of a Recent Arrival on the Cataloging Scene*
CliffordB. Miller Jewish Theological Seminary of America New York, NY
Abstract: Hebraica records on the Re at implementing uniform policy and uni we disagree on the interpretation of search Libraries Information Network form practices. AACR2, or we change romanization feature many inconsistencies in ro better to match the vocalization of a manization, descriptive cataloging, and On the one hand, the administration of Biblical source; form · of heading. The categories of in the library desires that the largest number consistency are outlined, and exam of catalog records be completed in the we have a theological objection to a ples of the variations found on RLIN least amount of time. After all, we have a Christological established heading; are provided and discussed from the backlog of tens of thousands of titles: some of them gifts and bequests, some we have already established an author perspective of a novice cataloger. Clas heading or uniform title in a different sic Hebrew grammar and Biblical from the Rare Book collection that have never been cataloged in a modern way, form from the one found in the national sources are often cited as authorities for authority file. the correct forms, which may not be others remaining to be recataloged since found in Library of Congress records. the disastrous fire of nearly three decades Bearing these categories in mind, let us Local policies of the Jewish Theological ago, and still others-current purchases. turn to specific examples. Seminary regarding name and subject "Just input anything, fast and dirty, so that headings for Judaica are included. we can let the monograph circulate with Changes Relating to Limitations of out further delay!" the Aleph System Why was I invited to participate in this panel? It cannot be that I am an expert, On the other hand, as professionals with Ellipses-When some text from a title having been a librarian cataloger for only pride in our work, eager to make the infor page is omitted, many catalogers input about three years. My function must be to mation as accessible as possible to stu "word, no space, three dots, no space, raise questions more than to answer dents, faculty, and other users of the JTS word," but for Aleph to file properly, we them, to learn, not merely to speak. It is Library-who may not know what addi must add a space before and after not to find fault or to hold others up to tional author or title or subject is in a book ellipses: to alphabetize correctly, words ridicule that I offer examples of Hebraica if the access point does not appear in the must be separated from the three dots. cataloging with which I disagree. There is catalog record-we would like to bring much of cataloging rules and policies and every record up to the fullest possible Digraphs-RUN can display double vav the history of this discussion of which I level, to what the RUN standard for cata or double yod in a single space, but Aleph am ignorant, and some of my questions loging category designates "9114," meet cannot interpret this, and so we change may have answers in published sources. ing the latest standards for spacing and these digraphs to two separate vav'sor punctuation, AACR2 (Anglo-American two separate yod's. JTS Cataloging Policy Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., rev. 1988) description, and LC classification. Special characters-Aleph is not able to How and why does the Jewish Theologi produce nor to read Polish slash L, nor Z cal Seminary (JTS) Library modify RUN The result is that some of us make a great with top dot or bottom curve or semi records before we derive them for our many enhancements and modifications to etna.hta vowels. Neither Aleph nor RUN Aleph online catalog? As is true for so RUN records, and hence add USMARC is able to produce script L ::: leaves. many questions in Judaism and in the field 040 (cataloging source) delimiter d world, the answer is: It depends. (modifying institution) and our library's iden Changes Made Because of Jewish tifying initials NNJ, while others of us make Theological Seminary Library Policy With only three remaining full-time profes no modifications or very few to existing sional catalogers and at least ten para records. Sometimes the very same cata The changes listed below are left in our professionals and part-time inputters, loger will accept one record as is, and intro RUN records. Unlike other libraries, we there is a great deal of variation in cata duce considerable modifications in others. do not pass modified records to the local loging in. our library, despite our attempts system and then change them back to Seminary Library catalogers may modify "standard" forms on the network. an RUN record for any of the following reasons: 1. We do not number years "Before Christ'' nor "Anno Domini." Thus the heading *Paper presented as part of the panel it contains a character which our in 100 O $aHillel, $d1 st cent. B.C. I 1st session, "Modification of RUN Hebraica house Aleph system cannot display; cent. A.D. becomes: Records:A Cataloging Workshop," held at 100 0 $aHillel, $d1 st cent. B.C.E. / 1st the 28th Annual Convention ofthe Associ there is an error in spelling or punctua cent. ation ofJewish Libraries, New York, June tion, in spacing, in romanization accord 22, 1993. ing to the rules of Hebrew grammar; 2. We do not accept the New Testament
40 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 8 No. 1-2 Spring 1993-Winter 1994 1 Association of Jewish Libraries, 28th Annual Convention, New York City
nor the Apocrypha as parts of the 4. Ba-midbar ba-Midbar be-Midbar which LC purports to follow, is NOT Bible. Hence we change: [nismakh] . Tohorat ha-metim but . Tahorat ha-metim. (a) Bible. $0.T. to Bible .... (b) Bible. $N.T. to N.T.. . . Acronyms- Hebraica Cataloging (Maher, Conjunctions-Rules for vocalizing pre [We do not spell out N.T.] 1987, p. 30) allows us to romanize an fixed vav ha-l]ibur (for example, those (c) Bible . ... Apocrypha to Apocrypha ... acronym or initialism as a word only if it found in the grammatical supplement to [Caveat: The Library of Congress appears vocalized for pronunciation as a Even-Shoshan's Hebrew dictionary) Name Authority File shows a broad word in Even-Shoshan; JTS's latest edi sometimes allow latitude for style, for "the diversity among the headings Bible. tion of this dictionary does not treat the beauty of the language": Q.T. Apocrypha, Bible. N.T. Apocrypha, abbreviation for "Responsa" as a word; and just plain Apocrypha.] therefore we change Shut to Sh. u-t, the Halakhah .ve-agadah / Halakhah .va-agadah 'E'srim .ve-.hamesh / 'E'srim .va-.hamesh. 3. We do not recognize Jesus as the LC form. Messiah, nor do we add honorifics to For the Hasidic honorific, LC recently con How should catalogers handle this? headings for Christian saints. Hence sistently has the romanization Admur, Rafeh-lt a title alludes to a Biblical we change the following names in sub while all our references agree on Admor. ject fields: phrase, should we ignore pausal vowel (a) 600 00 Jesus Christ to Jesus An obsolete practice reflected in older shift and the rafeh (undotted) form? (b) 600 00 Saint Paul $cApostle to Paul, $cApostle. RLIN records that we derive was to use lmre binah I vinah [bgd kpt after the let- 4. Maimonides' Tham-aniyat fu.sul. $1 capital letters for consonants and lower ters alef, he, vav; yod] Judeo-German is a heading estab case for vowels in acronyms, as in: Mishnah berurahI verurah lished nationally, but at JTS, the estab .Hayyim BLA"A Mosheh; but now: . Hayim 'Amude kesefI khesef I kasef I khasef? lished uniform title is in Hebrew, not b. le-a. (a. ) Mosheh. We no longer tran Arabic: scribe double apostrophe or quotation Modern Hebrew may ignore the rule Shemonah pera. kim. $1 Yiddish. marks (gershayim) that indicate a Hebrew requiring removal of dagesh from initial abbreviation with the equivalent English bet, gimel, dalet, kaf, tag">pe, and tav, immedi 5. The "kosher" Library of Congress sub punctuation mark, but use periods. ately following final alef, he, vav, or yod, ject heading for Responsa leaves the but if a title contains a Biblical allusion, date open: Changes Mandatedb y should the romanization preserve the 650 0 Responsa$y-1800- HebrewGrammar classical vocalization? We trace both but JTS adds a closing date: forms to enhance access. 650 4 Responsa$y-1800-1945 Position of 'ayin-Just as patal:, under final l:,etis pronounced before the conso . Kishu.te kalah I .Kishu. te khalah. 6. For the LC subject heading Passover nant (tapualJ, RualJ), and patalJ under Popular pronunciation-Should customs and ... , which implies volition, final he is pronounced before it ( Gavoah; the cata JTS substitutes the subject heading Eloah), so too patal:, under final 'ayin is loger follow Yiddishized Hebrew, or pro "Passover (Jewish law)," implying obliga pronounced before the (Ashkenazically vide a strict, grammatical romanization? tion. silent but Sefardically semi-glottal stop) Lashon ha-ra' [nifrad] or Leshon ha-ra' 'ayin.1 Hence NOT [nismakh]? Romanization Shalom bayit She/om bayif? Pola.k, Yehoshu'a but or Changes Mandatedb y LC Practice Pola.k, Yehoshua' ['ayin .ha.tufah] Do we transcribe what the author/editor Vowels-lsthere a danger of misreading NOT Sha'ashu'a, Yosef Shalom but intended, or the correct form? two consecutive vowels if they are not Sha'ashua', YosefShalom ben .Hayim In a Brooklyn publisher statement we find separated by an apostrophe? Note: NOT Be'er Shev'a but Be'er Sheva' the word nun khaf dalet yod. Is the correct (the patal:,is under the veQ. Haryeraeh vs Har yera'eh? romanization nekhde or nikhde? (Even nekhde. ) Kamats katan-Hebrew grammarians Shoshan has LC (Maher, 1987, p. 12) does require an agree that all semivowels combining a/if (apostrophe) before an a/et that Changes to Conform with shevawith a vowel are treated as moving Biblical Vocalization begins a new syllable. Should we supply sheva, i.e., sheva na', which cannot be it in records that lack it? accented, and which makes the previous Sometimes a given romanization is gram Hyphenation-Where do you hyphenate syllable always end with a vowel sound matical, but not correct because the title 2 the prefix in the books of Torah and other and always have some emphasis. A is a Biblical Hebrew pausal form; some titles? The following inconsistencies are kamats katan cannot be accented and times a dictionary cannot resolve the found in the contents notes of RLIN cannot be in a syllable ending with a dilemma; a concordance of the Bible or Hebraica records: vowel sound, but rather always in a sylla Talmudic literature is needed: ble ending with a sheva or consonant Rishpe .keshet should be romanized 1. Be-reshit be-Reshit Bereshit sound. Rishfe . kashet [Psalm 76:4]. 2. Shmot Shemot Another Biblical pausal: 3.. va-Yi .kra .Va-yi.kra .Vayi.kra Nonetheless, in speaking Sefardic lmre shefer I /mre shafer. Hebrew, Ashkenazic Jews pronounce If we are transcribing the fifth word in the kamatsbefore IJataf-kamatsas katan (like A rabbinic title may allude to Midrashic lit fourth book of scripture, all Masoretes English AW /0), while Sefardim pro erature: agree that the initial vowel is sheva, not nounce it as ordinary kamats gadol (like 'Alebe'er or 'Ale ve'er [Exodus Rabba 1: 37] patal:,. The following variations are found English AH/A); ergo the correct romaniza rather than to a Biblical source: on RUN: tion according to Sefardic pronunciation, 'Ali be'er or 'Ali ve'er [Numbers 21 :17].
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 8 No. 1-2 Spring 1993-Winter 1994 41 . ,! Association of Jewish Libraries, 28th Annual Convention, New York City Although aware of the possible variations, Weinber� {1980, p. 324) provides addi If a title page and field 260 do name place I generally accept the romanization found tional examples of biblical phrases in titles of publication, I do not like to leave field in the RUN database. whose romanization is uncertain. CP with the code xx (country of publica tion unknown). Vowel reduction-ls the correct vowel Yiddish sheva or patal:,? Where is Hiberniae Berolini (a place of Tosfot I Tosafot I Tosefot ha-Rosh? Language tagging- If the body of a book publication found in rare books)? According to Alcalay (1974), Tosefot is is in Yiddish, but the title page is in correct, but all 3 forms are found on RUN. Hebrew, do you romanize the title: in If the verso of a title page (t.p.) tells you Hebrew or in Yiddish? that Yits.ha. k Broch lives in Monroe, Indeterminate Romanization-How can mem alef vav resh vav tav space he gimel spelled only in English, but works in one distinguish a Hebrew noun from a daletvav lamed yod mem sofit: Brooklyn, and the work is printed in verb? Daber tov le-Yisrael versus Davar Me'orot ha-gedolim? Brooklyn (spelled in Hebrew on the t.p.), (or diber?) tov /e-Yisrael? Meoyres hagdoylim? [for both PC is nyu] which place of publi Me'oro's ha-gedolim? cation do you put in field 260? How do we know which vowels an author intended in an ambiguous verb/noun For an all-Yiddish translation: Zohar or Homographic place names-How do you form? .Hashav or .Hishev Sofer or .Hes Zoyher? know whether a publication emanates hev Sofer? · from Mogilev Belorus or from Mogilev Variant orthography-A Yiddish title page v Podolski, Ukraine, since many Jews lived Some simple old Hebrew titles defy has a word spelled alef, va, fe sofit; and wrote in both places? Piotrk'ow Try agreement in romanization: 'Ebronot[Har Should the romanization be ofor oyf? bulanski, Poland, or Piotrkov, Belarus? vard] 'Evronot[Yale , Princeton, Stanford] Diacritics- If Yiddish romanization Publisher-If a title page names a pub 'lbronot [JewishEnc yclopedia] requires the same diacritics for conso lisher OR printer, I do not like to leave 'lvronot [LC] nants as Hebrew, why do some cata field 260 subfield $$b:s.n. (= sine nomine, logers omit diacritical marks for . va. v; .het, i.e., no name) or [. h(asar) mo (tsi) /(a-or)], Why use intensive verb forms when sim .tet, .kuf, and 'sin? but we are required to use s.n. if no pub ple (kal I pa'al) forms convey the same lisher is named. meaning? asher izen .ve-. hi.ker or asher Descriptive Cataloging What to transcribe in MARC field 260? I azan . ve-. ha.kar? Capitalization-When a title plays on the name printer in the 260 field only when no author's name, I use a capital letter for Sometimes authorities differ on the publisher is named, and I do not input the word corresponding to the name, romanization of the same title: .Kehilat "distributed by," but what would you do rather than treat it as a common noun. Shelomoh [LC] versus .Kohelet Shelomoh when a book indicates For example, I input NOT [EJ] PRINTED: Bene Bera.k : Y.'Zinger Oho/ey .hayimbut Aho/ey .HayimI Isaac But publisher is In the following case, did the author ben .Hayim, of Volozhin. London : G. J. George & Co., Ltd. intend modern Hebrew or Biblical but the introduction says Hebrew? Hebrew and Yiddish books often have added title pages in other languages. The London : Shelomoh ben Zekhariah Masa Damese. k or Masa Damase.k? rules for cataloging in those languages .Hayim Dzialo.vs.ki et al. are therefore relevant to Hebraica cata Is objective, mechanical romanization Lamed fe yod space s
42 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 8 No. 1-2 Spring 1993-Winter 1994 1 Association of Jewish Libraries, 28th Annual Convention, New York City
Dates-When the date of publication is a all of the above forms, and/or acronyms. without this element? single Hebrew year, some see that as a The cataloger's choices include: input the Schiff, David Tevele NOT questionable secular year and code it PC: author's Hebrew name, coded 100 1 Schiff, David Tebele, d. 1791? q 1968/1969 [=5729=] in the fixed field of (main entry) or 796 10/796 00 (local the RUN/MARC record, while others see heading}, or not at all (many libraries do When you give the dates of an author's the two possible years as a multiple date not input headings in Hebrew script). birth and death with the Hebrew name, do of publication: PC m 1968/1969; but we you read the dates from left to right or read AACR2 as requiring the code s 1969 The Hebraica catalogs of the Bodleian from right to left? How do you represent in if the date is certain or probable, because Library, the British Museum, etc., can help Hebrew the abbreviations: three-quarters of the Jewish and secular us decide how to romanize names of b. (= born; no/ad?) year overlap. (75% of 1969 = 75% of older authors: d. (= died; niftar?) 5729 = high probability!) ca. (= circa; be'erekh?) Haida or Haide (British Museum, 1867) 15th cent. (= ha-me'ah ha-tet yay?) versus Heida (Oxford University, 1852; Year of Publication Expressed in Hebrew 1929) or Heide. Letters; Chronograms-Rabbinic title On which side do you enter question marks: ? 1204?- ? 1199? Because this is pages often encode date of publication in We must bear in mind that some bibliog one or more words, but I transcribe the so awkward, I prefer to omit questionable raphers, such as Steinschneider, were dates from Hebrew author headings. letters into digits as Maher (1987, p. 40) thinking in German or writing in Latin. suggests; I do not romanize them as words as one cataloging agency did; Linking names and titles-How do you Surnames "Lashshon" was intended to be read "le decide whether the author of a previously How shall we romanize the surname sason!" Since the Hebrew date is the one unknown work appearing for the first time, for which we do not that appears on the title page, I transcribe e.g., "Maharam Galanti" is: zayin nun gimel resh know the correct vowels? There is no that first in numerals and the secular Galante, Mosheh ben Mordecai, d. 1608 record in the Name Authority File (NAF), equivalent second. or and there are no prior publications by the Galante, Mosheh ben Yehonatan, author. Collation-If a rabbinic work has only 1620-1689 or each sheet of paper (leaf) numbered but Galante, Mordekhai, d. 1781 or has text printed on both sides of each Singer, Yorn .Tov ben Ya'a.kov Yisra'el Galante, Moshe, d. 1804? Sanger I Senger I Zanger I Zenger I leaf, I convert (giyur ka-halakhah) 33 Zinger leaves into [i.e., 66] p.; I construe AACR2 Variant authorities-Should we spell an (1988, rule 2.581) as allowing us to num author's name as the Library of Congress For the sequence of letters pe
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 8 No. 1-2 Spring 1993-Winter 1994 43 , Association of Jewish Libraries, 28th Annual Convention, New York City Cardena [using information not on the Ketubbot [United Kingdom: Ketuboth] References title page] Kiddushin New York University (NYCX): Aaron of Kodashim [AACR2] Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. 2nd ed. 1988 Revision. Chicago: American Cardina [some sources with tilde over n] Ma'aserot Library Association, 1988. Harvard University (MHAU): Aaron Abra Mo'ed ka tan ham ben Baruch Simeon, ha-Levi, 16th Nezikin Alcalay, Reuben. The Complete Hebrew-Eng cent. Shekalim lish Dictionary. Rev. ed. Bridgeport, CT: The Sotah Prayer Book Press, Hartmore House, c1974. Yiddish forenames- Mosheh Ya'a.kov Tohorot British Museum. Catalogue of the Hebrew Ya'a. kel- isn't the final Yiddish nickname Yevamot. Books in the Library of the British Museum, merely a variant of the Hebrew given [comp. Joseph Zedner]. London: British name? Why include both? Although unhappy with the inconsistency, Museum, Dept. of Oriental Printed Books we do not change the official headings. and Manuscripts, 1867. Added forenames- Perlov, .Hayim Mordekhai a.k.a. Mordekhai, mi-Kherson For parts of works, various catalogers Even-Shoshan, Avraham. Ha-Milon he-Hadash. or Perlo.v, Mordekhai ben Da.vid, ha supply inconsistent punctuation and capi Jerusalem: Kiryath Sepher, c1979. 7 vols. Kohen? tals: Maher, Paul. Hebraica Cataloging: A Guide to Midrash. Aggadat Bereshit ALA/LC Romanization and Descriptive Cata The author says he was always called Midrash agadat Be-reshit ' toging. Washington, DC: Cataloging Distribu Mordekhai, but the name Haim was Midrash Agadat Be-reshit tion Service, Libraryof Congress, 1987. added when he was critically ill. Aggadat Bereshit Oxford University. Bodleian Library. Catalogus Biblical names- Yi'sakhar: One sin or Agadat Bereshit Librorum Hebraeorum in Bibliotheca two? One shin or two? Or one of each? Midrash Aggadat Bereshit Bodleiana, [ed.] M. Steinschneider. 1st ed., The pronunciation may be Yish'sakharor 1852-60. Zweite (Faksimile) Auflage, Berlin: What is the point in having identical, Welt-Verlag, 1 931. 3 vols. Yi'sa'skhar, according to different Maso redundant Uniform titles (240 10) and retes. Do we try to replicate the way each Added titles (7 40 01 )? If I can enter a 500 Oxford University. Bodleian Library. A Concise author pronounced his own name and (note) field justifying an added title as a Catalogue of the Hebrew Printed Books in how those who knew him pronounced his cover title or spine title or running title or the Bodleian Library, by A.E. Cowley. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1929. book title? Or should we always romanize added t.p. title, I do so; if I find no justifi a given name in the same way? cation except convenience, I add a uni Weinberg, Bella Hass. "Hebraica Cataloging Corporate headings form title (240 10). and Classification." In Cataloging and Classi fication of Non-Western Material, ed. by I'm confused by the heading Algemeyner Subject Access Mohammed M. Aman. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx ldisher arbey. terb und in Li.ta, Poylen un Press, 1980, p. 321-357. Rusland-wh ich is NOT IDENTICAL If a book was published in Vilna during WITH Og'olny Zydowski Zwiasek Robot the Nazi occupation, is the correct subject n iczy "Sund" w Polsce, although the heading: Name Authority File equates them. Jews$$z-Poland$$z-Vilna or Uniform Titles Jews$$z-Lithuania$$z-Vilnius? Who defines designations such as: Sid Several LC subject headings approximate Clifford Bruce Miller is Cataloger of rab d ur (Persian rite)? What distinguishes peripherally the concept of charms / talis binic literature at the Library of the Jewish Siddur (Hasidic) from Siddur (Habad) mans, but neither of these is really the Theological Seminary of America in New from Siddur (Ari) from Siddur (Hasidic, equivalent of segulot. York City and has served as Rabbi of sev Sephardic)? era l congregations. He holds an ML S There is an LC class number for Christian degreefro m Rutgers University, and ordi Uniform titles are not the same as roman liturgical use, but no official class number nation and a Master of HebrewLite rature ized transcriptions; so in titles of tractates, for Jewish liturgical use of Psalms. degree fro m JTS. In 1992 Rabbi Miller we have inconsistent 'ayin without apos was awarded an honorary Doctor of There is a suitable subject heading for z tsade, Divinity degree fro m JTS, where he is a trophe, dotted for sometimes Piety-Christianity, but no "Piety$$x candidate for a doctorate in Hebrew Liter doubled and sometimes ungeminated let Judaism"! There is no Jewish piety?! ters with dagesh, and yay, !Jet, tet, �uf ature. From 1966 to 1968 he served as a dots: without Notes chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, with aper Arakhin manent commission as Ca ptain and four Avodah zarah 1. All of these are in the category of patalJ decorations. Rabbi Miller is theauth or of Be. zah genuvah, as explained in the 7th edition of "A merican Hebrew Books, 1991-1992" in Derekh ere. z Even-Shoshan's Hebrew dictionary (1960), the Jewish Book Annual and coauthor of Eruvin Vol. 4, Appendix 6, Chapter 1, Section 9. a chapter in Shavat va-Yinafash, a study Giffin 2. Loe. cit., Section 5, states that a hataf is like guide about Shabbat, edited by Steven .Hullin a sheva na'; Section 7 deals with the rules Garfinkel (New York: United Synagogue, Keritot for open and closed syllables. 1980).
44 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 8 No. 1-2 Spring 1993-Winter 1994