> get lamp

100 _1 Hooks, Bell.
245 10 We real cool : ǂb Black men and masculinity / ǂc Bell Hooks.

I find it interesting and somewhat irritating that cataloging practice apparently denies bell hooks her preferred capitalization of her name. I can understand why perhaps the authority file, which controls the form of the name found in the 100 field, needs to be standardized on the "usual" capitalization for data-entry-conformity reasons (as indeed the Wikipedia article I linked to capitalizes "Bell" in the URL). But the statement of responsibility (the part after "/ ǂc" in the 245 field) is supposed to be as on the item, with the exception of dropping titles (only names as such are used). It's lowercased in the LC Cataloging-in-Publication block on the back of the title page, which is where the data for these fields usually gets initially slurped from, which probably means someone in the train DLC ǂb eng ǂc DLC ǂd UKM ǂd BAKER ǂd BTCTA ǂd YDXCP ǂd OCLCQ ǂd DEBBG ǂd OCL ǂd OCLCQ ǂd RV8 changed it at some point.* Pfeh.

I wonder if the upcoming switch from AACR2 to RDA**, which is really big on "transcribe what you see" to the point that people transcribe TITLE PAGE STUFF IN ALL CAPS JUST THAT WAY MAKING IT RATHER HARD TO READ, will allow "bell hooks" in this instance.

I think I may change it in our local copy of the record anyway. If it was good enough for LC when providing the CIP block, it's good enough for me.

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* Except for "eng", which is a language code, these are called "OCLC symbols" and identify various cataloging institutions.

** Sets of cataloging rules. Don't worry about it.

Does anyone know if the title of La Plata Cantata should be read as (La Plata) Cantata, as in a place name like La Plata, Argentina or La Plata, Maryland, or is it La (Plata Cantata), "the silver cantata"? As in, know what the author had in mind or if it is clear from context if you read the poems?

(It makes a difference on whether the La should be skipped as non-filing. "Los Angeles" files under L, not A, because the definite article is an integral part of a name; similar principle here.)

Geez, does Alfred A. Knopf publish anything that isn't "A Borzoi book"? I swear it's on everything I catalog. (NB: may not be literally true, it just sure feels like everything from Knopf that crosses my desk bears this imprint) At that point, why specify? It's not like you're differentiating from other non-Borzoi you publish. Wha?

lol. I love the slightly surreal things that come up on my work-related mailing lists sometimes:

> > Collective wisdom, please help with this one!
> >
> > Book in hand:
> > An Angel Among Us
> > We called Him Michael Jackson...a spiritual
> > journey
> >
> > Quote from page 1, "Michael Joseph Jackson was
> > a divine gift from God. He was an angel.......
> > more specifically the Archangel Micheal or
> > ChristMichael." The author goes on to give
> > evidence supporting this idea.
>
> > My question is whether to keep "Him" capitalized
> > in the 245, as a word characterizing the subject
> > person (as perceived by the author). Rule
> > A.2B1. AACR2 appendix A
>
> A.2 instructions deal with name headings rather
> than those names that appear in such places as
> titles. I'd take a peak at A.19, especially A.19A2.

I think that it is a real stretch to apply A.19A2 to the work in hand, since Michael Jackson is not (generally) regarded as a deity. The work is suggesting that he was a angel, which is not the same thing as a deity. Additionally, there is no ambiguity in the title: the him is no one other than Michael Jackson.

"Not generally regarded as a deity". Lol. And of course, this said with a straight and detached face; why, it's merely the example in hand. No significance.

Interesting subject heading here:

650 0Islam ǂx Essence, genius, nature.

I suppose that this is "genius" in the sense of "individual divine nature; indwelling spirit" which is kind of an interesting concept as regards a religion as a whole. The "oversoul" or "egregore" of Islam, if you will? (I assume other religions have parallel subject headings, but this just happens to be the one from a book I'm cataloging at the moment.)

Sometimes LCSH* are a little weird and you wonder if someone out there has a wry sense of humour, witness 650 0Clothes closets ǂv Drama. which is sometimes on Narnia items or 650 0Meat grinders ǂz England ǂz London ǂv Drama. which is on Sweeney Todd**. Other times, they're intriguing to think about.

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* Library of Congress Subject Headings.

** The title was slipping my mind for a moment when I tried to search and copy the subject heading, and my brain kept supplying Tom Sawyer***. NOT THE SAME THING OKAY.

*** The Demon Whitewasher of St Petersburg?