RBMS Controlled Vocabularies

TYPE EVIDENCE: A Thesaurus for Use in Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloguing

Introduction
Copyright Page

Note: This text was electronically created from the introduction to the print version, to accompany and provide historical context to the database of thesaurus terms. Although not conforming to the format of the print text, it should reflect all content of the original. It has only been edited to correct errors in the OCR process, and to update MARC field numbers where changes have been made to the MARC format. Please bring other errors to the attention of the thesaurus editor, using the information found on the main thesaurus page. [12/2005, Beth M. Russell]

Introduction

I. History

The Independent Research Libraries Association (IRLA)’s Proposals for Establishing Standards for the Cataloguing of Rare Books and Specialized Research Materials in Machine-readable Form

(Worcester, Mass., 1979) called for a new field to be added to machine-readable cataloguing (MARC) formats for terms indicating the physical characteristics of materials catalogued (Proposal Five), including descriptions of the bindings. In the same proposal IRLA requested that the Standards Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL work toward developing standard terminology for use in such a field. The RBMS Standards Committee undertook the development of a thesaurus of terms, and a field for such terms (755 "Physical Characteristics Access", [since merged with 655, 12/2005]) was authorized for all MARC formats in January 1984.

In order to expedite publication of the thesaurus, the RBMS Standards Committee (now the RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee) decided to divide it into several separate thesauri, each treating evidence of a different aspect of book production and history. The Printing and Publishing Evidence, Provenance Evidence, and Binding Terms thesauri for use in rare book and special collections cataloguing were published by the Committee in 1986, 1988, and 1988 respectively. A thesaurus of paper terminology is forthcoming.

II. Purpose and scope

Many rare book libraries, concerned with the study of the book, maintain local files recording examples of various physical characteristics of items found in their collections. These files are used to retrieve books and other items by physical features rather than by intellectual content. Although such files are useful for selection of materials for exhibition, for class demonstration, and for cataloguing comparison, their primary use is to assist researchers interested in studying the physical characteristics of books as evidence of their production, distribution, or further history. Reflecting for the most part local rather than standard cataloguing practices, such files have often remained available only within individual libraries. Developed specifically for use in field 755, the following thesaurus provides standard terms for the retrieval of type evidence. Such standardization is a necessity for those institutions working in the context of shared, machine-readable cataloguing but may also prove beneficial to those maintaining in-house files.

The present list offers terms for the description of types--that is, type impressions as well as actual sorts--and includes descriptors relating to all features of types that cataloguers might need. The more general terms listed in this thesaurus come from the standard reference tools in the field. Major drafts of this thesaurus were prepared by Michele Valerie Cloonan with the assistance of Sidney E. Berger and Rebecca R. Hayne.

Terms relating to typesetting and composition such as Type-body impressions appear in the Printing and Publishing Evidence thesaurus. Specific names of typefaces are excluded from the Alphabetical List because of the multiplicity of names and the difficulty of their identifications. The Alphabetical List includes the broad term “Typefaces” which cataloguers may use to name undeniably identifiable typefaces. This term may be subdivided by the name of a specific typeface. For example:

655 Typefaces (Type evidence) $x Baskerville. $2 rbtyp

For the names of particular typefaces, cataloguers may wish to consult sources listed in the bibliography (see p. v-vi). Cataloguers may also use the term “Typefaces” without subdivisions as a broad term to name unidentifiable but noteworthy typefaces.

The term “Type evidence” is provided for use, preferably with subdivisions, to allow for identifications and classifications of interesting features of type that are not provided for by the terms in the present list.

III. Form

This thesaurus consists of an Alphabetical List and a hierarchical arrangement of terms. Following ANSI standards (American National Standards Institute, American National Standard Guidelines for Thesaurus Structure, Construction, and Use, New York, 1980) the are in plural natural language noun form whenever possible and appropriate.

The Alphabetical List contains authorized terms and cross-references. Scope notes follow terms thought to be obscure or ambiguous, or which are to be used in a technical sense. Each term is followed by the references, if any, made to and from other terms in the thesaurus. Symbols used in these references are those which ANSI prescribes:

USE leads from unused synonyms and inverted forms of the terms to the term used;

UF (used for) is the reciprocal of the USE reference and accompanies the term to which the USE reference refers;

BT (broader term) refers from a term for a member of a class to a term for the class;

NT (narrower term) refers from a term for a class to the term for one of its members;

RT (related term) is used between related terms when it seems helpful to bring associated types of evidence to the user's attention.

In the present thesaurus, members of a class related to each other as narrower (NT) under a common class (BT) are not related to each other as related terms (RT). However, whenever a term for which there are narrower terms in the thesaurus appears under another term as either a narrower term (NT) or a related term (RT), it is followed by the symbol “>” to indicate that it is not the narrowest concept of its class. Users should consult the entry in the Alphabetical List to identify narrower terms.

In keeping with ANSI standards, this thesaurus also includes a hierarchical section which displays graphically the relationships between broader and narrower terms. Broad gathering terms (displayed within square brackets) are used to bring together terms relating to the same aspect of the subject. These gathering terms appear in both the alphabetical and hierarchical listings, but are not authorized for use in field 655.

Type Evidence refers to both type impressions and the physical characteristics of the sorts which ultimately determine type impressions. To reflect these two aspects of type evidence, the hierarchical arrangement of terms is divided into groups which progress from basic styles and classes of type impressions to the physical characteristics of impressions and sorts.

Any hierarchy must be the product of a number of compromises. Since it is not practical to include named typefaces, and because identification of any particular face may be difficult, the hierarchy has a necessary category, "Typeface elements," which contains terminology that designates individual features of particular letters (e.g., kerns, serifs). Hence, cataloguers need not know specific typeface names since the thesaurus presents terminology sufficient to describe any given typeface. The category “Type ornaments,”enables the cataloguer to describe type ornaments, borders, cartouches, and so on--printed features which are not related to typefaces per se.

IV. Application

In a record, these terms are to be entered in subfield $a (“access term”) of field 655. Terms which do not appear in this or other thesauri approved for field 655 may not be used in this field. When a term is used in a record, a parenthetical qualifier must be added in subfield $a following the term. The qualifier will aid users who may not see or know how to interpret the coding for subfield $2 (see below), and it also helps clarify terms which are ambiguous when taken out of context (e.g., “Axes” or “Swash”.) Terms from the present list receive the qualifier “(Type evidence)," even if the approved term itself ends with the word types. When the thesaurus term has a specific parenthetical qualifier, the general qualifier follows the specific qualifier within a separate set of parentheses.

Any term in this thesaurus may be subdivided by place ($z), period ($y), or other subdivision ($x), or by any combination of these subdivisions. Each library must determine its own scheme for chronological subdivision. Indirect subdivision, as outlined in LC's Cataloging Service Bulletin 120 (1977) , p 9-11, is to be used when subdividing by place. Libraries using other subdivisions ($x) should construct these to conform as closely as possible to LC practice as defined in publications such as Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings (3rd ed. , Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1988), or in notes or general references in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (12th ed. , Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1989) .

Each 655 field must close with a subfield $2 (source of access term.”) The Library of Congress has assigned the code “rbtyp” to the present thesaurus. Therefore, 655 fields using terms from the list of typeface terms must close with “$2 rbtyp”.

N.B.: Subfields $a (with qualifier) and $2 are mandatory, other subfields are optional.

Examples of the application of subdivided terms:

655 Black letter types (Type evidence) $z Nuremberg $y 1501. $2 rbtyp

655 Roman types (Type evidence) $z Venice $y 1472. $2 rbtyp

If the type designer is known (e.g. Nicolaus Jenson), he or she should be traced in the 700 field. If the type was designed under a corporate name (e.g. American Type Founders Company), it should be traced in the 710 field.

Field 655 is repeatable; assign as many as appropriate and desirable to retrieve types of evidence in an item. For example, a typeface could be described generically, by class, or by weight, and have any or all of these 655s: “Roman types,” “Old Style types, “ “Boldface types.”

Use of field 655 is voluntary. Some libraries may want to use the field only for several of the terms; other libraries may prefer to use none. In the case of those terms linked by a genus-species relationship, some libraries may wish to use only the broader term; other libraries may prefer to assign only the narrower terms when appropriate, saving the broader term for items not covered by any narrower terms in the thesaurus. The Type Evidence thesaurus is designed to create special files in a library of any size. Some libraries may want to identify typefaces for teaching or exhibition purposes, others may have a large collection of old or fine-press books for which particular characteristics are recorded systematically. Some libraries may have collections of type they wish to catalogue. A small file is more likely to consist of general terms, while a large one will probably contain many more specific terms, but these decisions should be based on the needs.

Descriptions of type may be copy-specific. Even in the case of large editions prepared by a single publisher at one time, variants may occur which frequently constitute the principal points of interest for those studying the items. Libraries should describe the physical characteristics of their own copies; other libraries making later use of such cataloguing must evaluate the 655 entries for appropriateness to their own copies.

These terms are to be used in field 655 regardless of the appearance of the same information elsewhere in the record (such as in a subject heading or in a note), the primary purpose being to provide easy retrieval of examples of type characteristics through a single USMARC field.

V. Bibliography

Sources consulted from which the terms have been drawn are listed below. Some of these have their own bibliographies which may serve as useful starting points from which to approach the field of type evidence.

American Type Founders Company. The Book of American Types. Elizabeth, N.J.: ATF, 1941.

--- Specimen Book and Catalogue, 1923. Jersey City, N. J. : ATF, 1923, & the supplement.

Bennett, Paul A. “On Recognizing Type Faces.” The Dolphin 2 (1935): 11-59.

Carter, Sebastian. Twentieth Century Type Designers. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., 1987.

Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.

Hutchings, Reginald Salis. A Manual of Decorated Typefaces. New York: House, 1965.

--- A Manual of Script Typefaces. New York: House, 1965.

Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry, and A. F. Johnson. Encyclopedia of Typefaces. 5th ed. Poole, Dorset : Blandford Press, 1984.

Kelly, Rob Roy. American Wood Type, 1828-1900: Notes on the Evolution of Decorated and Large Types. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1969.

Lawson, Alexander. Printing Types: An Introduction. Boston: Beacon Press, 1971.

Luidl, Philipp. Typographical Ornaments. Poole, Dorset : Blandford Press, 1985.

McGrew, Mac. American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century. Preliminary ed. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Myriade Press, 1986.

Morison, Stanley. On Type Designs, Past and Present: A Brief Introduction. New ed. London: E. Benn, 1962.

Rondthaler, Edward, ed. Alphabet Thesaurus. New York: Publishing 1965.

Rookledge, Gordon and Christopher Perfect. Rookledge's International Type-Finder. New York: Frederic C. Beil, 1983.

Tanselle, G. Thomas. “The Identification of Type-faces in Bibliographical Description.” PBSA 60 (1966): 185-202.

Updike, Daniel Berkeley. Printing Types, Their History, and Use. 2nd ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1951.

VI. Revision

The RBMS Bibliographic Standards committee is responsible for the maintenance and revision of this thesaurus. It solicits suggestions for new terms, corrections, and alterations to terms, scope notes, and references. Any new term proposed should be accompanied by a scope note and references, if appropriate. Any correspondence regarding this thesaurus should be addressed to:

Chair, Bibliographic Standards Committee

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section

ACRL/ALA

50 East Huron Street

Chicago, IL 60611

Attention: Type Evidence

RBMS BIBLIOGRAPHIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, 1987-1990

Virginia L. Bartow

Sidney E. Berger

Scott Carlisle

Dianne M. Chilmonczyk

Michele Valerie Cloonan

Alan N. Degutis

Jackie M. Dooley

Rebecca R. Hayne

Sara Shatford Layne

Hope Mayo

Eve C. Pasternak

Deborah A. Ryszka

Cynthia Shelton

Joseph A. Springer

Laura Stalker

Suzy Taraba

John B. Thomas, III

Belinda D. Urquiza

Copyright Page

Type Evidence: A Thesaurus for Use in Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloguing

Prepared by the Bibliographic Standards Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (ACRL/ALA)

Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1990

The Library of Congress has assigned the following code to this thesaurus: rbtyp

This code must be entered in $2 of USMARC bibliographic record 655 when terms from this thesaurus are used in that field. [When this text was published, these terms were to be used in subfield $2 of MARC field 755. This has been corrected throughout the text to avoid confusion.]

Published by the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611.

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences--Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI z39.48-1984.

ISBN 0-8389-7428-7

Illustration from Printing Types: An Introduction by Alexander S. Lawson. Copyright c1971 by Alexander S. Lawson. Reprinted by permission of Beacon Press.

Printed in the United States of America.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The cover illustration, by Jost Amman, is taken from the Pierpont Morgan Library’s copy of Hartmann Schopper’s Panoplia omnium illiberalium mechanicarum aut sedentiarium artium genera. Frankfurt, 1568 (PML 76069). We are grateful to the library for permission to reproduce it.