THE PRINCIPAL ENTRY.--THE AUTHOR ENTRY, 2.
=28.=--Having laid down some of the general principles to be followed in
making the author-entry in a complete form, we proceed to take further
examples selected because they happen to be at hand and not for any
difficulty they present. Any batch of ordinary books will contain some
that are troublesome to the beginner in cataloguing, and for this reason
nothing that can be regarded as of an out-of-the-way character has been
taken in illustration.
The next book is:
Historic survey of German poetry, interspersed with various
translations. By W. Taylor, of Norwich. London: Treuttel, &c.
The work is in three volumes, the first being dated 1828, the second
1829, and the third 1830. We ascertain by reference to a biographical
dictionary, or other likely work, that the author’s name is William, and
as Wm. Taylor is a somewhat common name we retain the description “of
Norwich,” so that he may be distinguished from any other author of the
same name. The author-entry then is:
TAYLOR, William (_of Norwich_).
Historic survey of German poetry, interspersed with various
translations. 3 v. 8o. 1828-30
This book being in more than one volume a collation of each is not
given, as the statement of the number of volumes is considered to give
sufficient idea of its extent. If the work were illustrated this fact
would still be stated, not usually as “3 v., illus.” but “Illus. 3 v.” or
“illus. 3 v.” It will be seen that the date of publication of each volume
is not given but the first and last dates only. It is necessary to point
out that the earliest and latest dates are not always those of the first
and last volumes of a set, as it sometimes happens that they are not the
first or last issued. Often enough the volumes of a set are made up of
two or more editions with long intervals between the dates. In all cases
the earliest and latest dates are to be given, and any peculiarities of
the edition can be stated in the form of a note at the end of the entry.
Taking another book we find that the title-page reads:
Life of Ralph Waldo Emerson, by Richard Garnett, LL.D. London,
Walter Scott, &c. 1888
and after an exhaustive examination the entry comes out as
GARNETT, Richard.
Life of Ralph Waldo Emerson. (_Great writers._) pp. 200, xiv.
sm. 8o. 1888
With a bibliography by John P. Anderson.
=29.=--The desirability, or otherwise, of using initials instead of
giving the Christian name in full in an author-entry depends largely upon
the requirements of the library and the space taken up.
There seems to be a growing practice to search out from any available
source all the names that an author was ever saddled with. The object
of this for catalogues, other than those of great libraries of national
importance, is not very obvious, and it should not concern the cataloguer
why Dickens chose to be known as Charles simply instead of Charles
John Huffam, or Du Maurier preferred to be called George rather than
George Louis Palmela Busson, or even why Hall Caine has dropped the use
of Thomas Henry from the fore part of his name. Yet these and other
persons have appeared with all the names set out at length even in minor
catalogues, and sometimes with the titles of the books cut down to the
finest limit in order that the whole name might be got in. The spirit of
infinite research is not always an advantage to the cataloguer.
=30.=--On the other hand, bare initials have a meagre appearance, and the
middle course should be adopted even when expense is a consideration, as
it adds very little to the cost of printing to give at least one name
in full. It must be admitted that in many instances where there are two
or more Christian names, the initials are distinctive enough for all
reasonable purposes, as E. A. Abbott, A. K. H. Boyd, E. A. Freeman, and
can be so used. Well-understood abbreviations, like Chas. Dickens, Geo.
R. Sims, Robt. Browning, Thos. Carlyle, can also be used, but the gain is
so trifling as not to be worth consideration. The first Christian name in
use should be given in full, unless it happens that some other is better
or specially known, as W. H. Davenport Adams, J. Percy Groves, J. Cotter
Morison, R. Bosworth Smith.
=31.=--With the commoner surnames, as Smith, Brown, Jones, and the rest,
there will be a number of authors who will have also the same Christian
name, when particular care must be exercised not to mix the works
together, and so attribute books to a wrong author. Some distinction
must be given, like that shown in the “Taylor of Norwich” entry (p. 27),
and these are better printed in italics. Examples of these, taken from a
catalogue, are
Smith, John, _A. L. S._
Smith, John, _of Kilwinning_.
Smith, John, _of Malton_.
Thomson, James (_poet_, 1700-48).
Thomson, James (“B. V.”)
Thomson, James (_Traveller_).
When father and son with the same name are authors, and the difference
between them appears in the book as “the elder,” “jun.,” “fils,” “aîné,”
&c., it should be given at the time the entry is made, even though not
then required for distinguishing purposes, the library only possessing
the works of one or the other. Frequently such a distinction is not shown
on the book, and the cataloguer must add it. Strange to say, entries like
the following have been seen in catalogues:--
Frères, P. Modes et costumes historiques.
Nassau, W., _sen._ Journals kept in France and Italy.
The first book being by the Paquet frères, and the other by Nassau W.
Senior.
=32.=--Biographical dictionaries of all kinds are useful to the
cataloguer, but for making distinctions like those referred to above, and
for general use, the most serviceable and handiest, because concise and
comprehensive, is “The dictionary of biographical reference, containing
one hundred thousand names,” by Lawrence B. Phillips (Sampson Low,
1871.) There is a later edition of this work, but it is merely a reprint
with no new matter. It should be superfluous to name the valuable and
indispensable “Dictionary of national biography” for British names.
Allibone’s “Critical dictionary of English literature and British and
American authors,” with its supplement by Kirk, is an every-day book of
reference for cataloguers. For German biography the “Allgemeine deutsche
Biographie” (Leipzig, 1875-98), is the most important, and for French
names the “Biographie universelle” (Paris, 1842-65) is very serviceable,
as well as for names generally. It should be supplemented by Vapereau’s
“Dictionnaire des contemporains.”
=33.=--The form for author-entry is clear and simple enough, and seems
easy to put into practice, but difficulties soon arise, and the amount
of knowledge the cataloguer possesses upon men in general and authors in
particular will be early put to the test. The next book coming before us
is
Vice versâ; or, a lesson to fathers. By F. Anstey. New and
revised ed. London, Smith, Elder, &c., 1883.
The author’s name in this instance is a pseudonym, and the mode of
treating such names has given rise to differences of opinion, and
consequently of practice. In many catalogues the real name of the author,
when known, is taken for the author-entry, and a reference given from
the pseudonym to it. This may be a good rule to follow in very special
catalogues, but there is no doubt that it is against the convenience of
the great majority of persons who use libraries; and therefore the best,
because most convenient and useful, plan is to make the entry under the
_best known name_, whether it be assumed or real. It has been often
said, and with much truth, that it is not the business of librarians
to discover the identity of an author by proving his use of an _alias_
unless for some sufficient reason. It has become quite a mania with some
cataloguers to hunt and pry until they find out whether a name is real
or not, and their zeal in this direction sometimes misleads them, as
witness the fact that “George Eliot” has been entered as Mrs. Lewes in
quite a number of catalogues, and Marie Corelli is called Marion Mackay.
The cataloguer, besides putting himself to the bother of being ever on
the look-out for real names, gives readers the trouble and vexation of
looking in several places in the catalogue before they can find the
author’s works they are in search of. People wanting books by “Ouida”
do not care to be told on turning to that name to “see De la Ramé,” or
“Ramée, L. de la,” or even “La Ramé.” It would be equally absurd, on the
other hand, to refer from Dickens to “Boz,” or Thackeray to “Titmarsh;”
therefore use the best known names. When the pseudonym is the most
familiar name, and the principal entry is accordingly given under that
form, then it is desirable, but not absolutely essential, to also give
the real name, when known with certainty, enclosing it in parentheses, as
Anstey, F. (T. Anstey Guthrie).
Hobbes, John Oliver (Mrs. P. M. T. Craigie).
Sometimes the pseudonym is printed in italics in all entries, but this
only serves to emphasise the name, without indicating that it is a
known pseudonym. If it is wished to point out that the name is assumed,
then the customary form of printing it in inverted commas is better
understood, as
“Twain, Mark” (Samuel L. Clemens),
but this need only be in the author-entry. Upon these lines the book
before us appears as
“ANSTEY, F.” (T. Anstey Guthrie).
Vice versâ; or, a lesson to fathers. New ed. 1883
To perfectly complete the author-entry and to prevent any possibility of
mistake, we require a cross-reference pointing from the real name to the
pseudonym under which the entry is found, thus:
Guthrie, T. Anstey. _See_ Anstey, F.
If space is of no consideration, and it is wished to make the entry as
exact as possible, then the form is
Anstey, F. (_pseudonym of_ T. Anstey Guthrie),
and the reference reads
Guthrie, T. Anstey. _See_ Anstey F. (_pseud._)
=34.=--Before leaving this question of the treatment of pseudonymous
books attention may be directed to other phases of it. There is the
difficulty that occasionally arises of an author publishing under a
pseudonym and under his real name and being equally as well-known
under both. Instances of this would be the Rev. John M. Watson, whose
theological works appear under his own name, and his stories under “Ian
Maclaren;” and J. E. Muddock, who publishes some stories under that name
and, it is said, his detective stories under the name of “Dick Donovan.”
Common-sense might offer the suggestion to adhere to the rule already
laid down and enter under both names, but this violates one of the first
principles of dictionary cataloguing, viz., that all works by an author
must be brought together under a single name. Therefore in such cases
there is no option but to adopt the real name, at the same time taking
care to remove all occasion of difficulty by giving cross-references, as
“Maclaren, Ian.” _See_ Watson, John M.
“Donovan, Dick.” _See_ Muddock, J. E.
=35.=--Then there are books that have a phrase for the pseudonym, like
“One who has kept a diary,” or “A whistler at the plough.” These, while
nominally pseudonyms, are virtually anonyms, and it is customary in full
and special catalogues to make the entry under the first word not an
article of such a phrase-name. It may be considered as very likely that
such an entry in the majority of catalogues would be quite superfluous.
Books like:
“Five years penal servitude, by One who has endured it.”
“Three in Norway, by Two of them.”
would be better dealt with if the title-entries, such as these, were
taken as the principal entries and the pseudonym ignored. This is a case
where the cataloguer will use his discretion as to the best course to
pursue, being guided by the requirements of the library, but it is a
mistake on the right side to give both forms if there is the least doubt.
=36.=--Books with initials only instead of the author’s name come between
the pseudonymous and anonymous. The initials may be those of a name or
indicate a title or profession. In all cases where the name veiled by the
initials cannot be discovered, or their meaning ascertained, then the
entry is given under the _last_ letter, but if the letters stand for a
known pseudonym, as “A.L.O.E.,” or a title or degree, as “by an M.P.,”
or “M.A. (Oxon),” then the first letter is taken instead of the last.
Occasionally an initialism will be given like, “by B.H.W., D.D.,” when,
the meaning being clear, the entry will be under the W., as
W., B.H., _D.D._
If it is known what the name is that is covered by the initials, as
A.K.H.B., or L.E.L., then the entry is given under the name in full,
Boyd, A.H.K.
Landon, L.E.
but it is requisite that cross-references be given from the initialism, as
B., A.K.H. _See_ Boyd, A.K.H.
L., L.E. _See_ Landon, L.E.
The remark as to whether it is worth while in minor catalogues to give an
entry under a phrase-pseudonym applies equally to the initials, and is
open to the same doubts.
=37.=--In arranging the entries in alphabetical order it should be noted
that initials take precedence of all other names in each particular
letter, as
B., A.K.H.
B., G.W.
Baar, Thomas.
“Bab.”
The works most useful to the cataloguer in revealing real names are
Halkett and Laing’s _Dictionary of the anonymous and pseudonymous
literature of Great Britain_, Cushing’s _Initials and pseudonyms_,
and _Les supercheries littéraires dévoilées_, par Quérard. A list of
pseudonyms, mostly modern instances, with the real names, will be found
in Appendix C, by those who may require it.
=38.=--The next illustration is selected because it is distinctly
anonymous, that is the author is not shown in any form in the book,
either by a pseudonym or initialism, and the ordinary sources of
information do not enable the authorship to be discovered.
Times and days: being essays in romance and history, pp. viii,
215. sm. 8o. 1889
Upon such books, if they are worth it, the industry of the cataloguer
may very well be exercised, as librarians and the public feel that
they are fully justified in finding out who the author is if they can.
If the book is of any importance the name of the author is sure to be
revealed for general information sooner or later, and the possibility
of this adds zest to the search for the name at the moment it is needed
by the cataloguer. Besides the works of reference mentioned already,
Watt’s _Bibliotheca Britannica_ should be consulted (for the older
books), Barbier’s _Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes_, and any special
bibliographies or catalogues within reach, not forgetting the great
_British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books_. Local catalogues often prove
valuable in this work, as the identity of an author may be well-known
locally but not further. It is as well to point out that if a work is
merely “ascribed,” or “said to be” by a particular person it is better to
regard the book as altogether anonymous. To name a case in point, Halkett
and Laing ascribe the authorship of the, at one time, celebrated “red
pamphlets” on the _Mutiny of the Bengal Army_ to a Major Bunbury, whereas
the author is now known to have been the late Colonel G. B. Malleson.
In the event of the search after the author’s name proving futile, the
rule is that the principal entry be given under the first word of the
title _not an article_, in the same way as the entries follow in the
work of Halkett and Laing. Should the library be a small one of a general
character it would be somewhat pedantic to adhere rigidly to this rule,
more especially if the subject of the book is clearly stated upon its
title-page. For example, books like, _A short history of Poland_, and
_The rambler’s guide to Harrogate_, would be amply and satisfactorily
dealt with if entries were alone given under “Poland” and “Harrogate”
respectively, instead of under “Short” and “Rambler’s,” as required by
the rule.
=39.=--When books are said to be “by the author of --” and it cannot
be ascertained who the author is, then they are treated as altogether
anonymous and dealt with accordingly, as
N. or M., by the author of “Honor bright.”
No entry would be made under “Honor bright” except, of course, for that
book itself if it happened to be in the library.