Re: [Cohsl-list] Greek script diacritics in OCLC records

Dear Robert, Thank you for taking into consideration the concerns of those who responded to your call for feedback. I think the allowing for the optional input of diacritics is an excellent decision. Re: the rough breathing-this is the first that I have heard of “2009 changes to the Greek transliteration table”! When was this announced? Have other institutions begun dropping the initial “h”, and if so, what kind of changes did they make to the authority file? What about non-filing indicators for initial articles? There has been significant discussion over this issue over the years re: the elimination of the rough breathing and the kind of retrospective changes that will be required to accommodate this change. Both Barbara Tillett and Robert Hiatt have been in touch with me personally, and the CoHSL in the past, and I am truly stunned that we were not informed of this change! The last communication I had with Hiatt was in Dec. 2008, and when he asked my advice for a possible change to the tables. I responded in detail and never heard a reply. Now I understand why. Robert, thank you for calling this to our attention. Rhea From: cohsl-list-bounces(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu [mailto:cohsl-list-bounces@lists.fas.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Rendall Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:11 PM To: cohsl-list(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu Cc: Peter Fletcher; David W Reser; Polyxeni Georgiadi; Irina Kandarasheva; Robert Maxwell Subject: Re: [Cohsl-list] Greek script diacritics in OCLC records Colleagues - Thank you to everyone who responded on- or off-list to my request for comment! It seems clear that while there is no need to codify common practice and forbid the use of Greek diacritics in PCC records, it would also be unreasonable to require that they be added for any category of material. The text that I have drafted for the document my task force is preparing is as follows: It is not required to enter the diacritics normally used with Greek script in PCC records. However, these diacritics may be input using the same MARC-8 combining diacritics that are used with Latin-script records. For text printed in capital letters without diacritics, the appropriate diacritics may be supplied. Catalogers may add diacritics to existing records containing Greek script without diacritics. Once input, diacritics that are correct should not be removed from master records. 245 00 ǂa Οψεις του αρχαιου Ελληνικου κοσμου : ǂb (αν)επικαιρες αρχαιογνωστικες συμβουλες. 245 00 ǂa Opseis tou archaiou Ellēnikou kosmou : ǂb (an)epikaires archaiognōstikes symvoules. or: 245 00 ǂa Όψεις του αρχαίου Ελληνικού κόσμου : ǂb (αν)επίκαιρες αρχαιογνωστικές συμβουλές. 245 00 ǂa Opseis tou archaiou Ellēnikou kosmou : ǂb (an)epikaires archaiognōstikes symvoules. I would welcome any further comment. I hope the import problems experienced with Aleph can be resolved with a change in local settings. Here at Columbia we are considering testing routine entry of diacritics for original cataloging and for copy to which we add Greek script. I also hope I understand correctly that since the 2009 changes to the ALA-LC romanization tables for Greek, it is no longer required to supply the rough breathing when transliterating words printed in monotonic orthography (such as the fourth word in my title). If I have that wrong, I'll correct it! Robert. Robert Rendall wrote: Colleagues - I am serving on the PCC Task Force on Non-Latin Script Cataloging Documentation. This group has been charged with producing "authoritative and comprehensive documentation on providing equivalent fields in non-Latin scripts that provides for consistent application across available scripts." We are aware that in most records with Greek script currently in OCLC, the diacritics that normally appear in Greek text are omitted. We have also been told that is it technically possible to enter Greek script with appropriate diacritics in OCLC by using the same MARC-8 combining diacritics used by catalogers in OCLC for Latin script (see for example the contents notes in OCLC record #428012280 for Progymnasmata quae exstant omnia, with Greek script added by Brigham Young University; this record passes OCLC validation). The two diacritics needed for contemporary, post-1982 modern Greek orthography can be entered reasonably easily in OCLC using the "Enter Diacritics and Special Characters" menu. All the other diacritics needed for pre-1982 and classical Greek can also be entered, but some are not available from this menu in OCLC, and special keystroke combinations need to be set up to produce them. Entering valid combining diacritics in local systems before uploading records to OCLC might present further complications. All of this is quite different from the way Greek is usually entered and encoded in other contexts on the Web, I think, and text with diacritics produced by other methods cannot be copied into OCLC records. The CoHSL list is the only place where I have found any discussion of Greek diacritics in OCLC records (in a few messages from 2007). My group will be recommending standards to be followed by the Library of Congress and other participants in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging. I would welcome any comments on whether we should recommend that entering Greek diacritics should be encouraged or required for items in post- and/or pre-1982 orthography, given that they would have to be input as described above. I would particularly like to hear from any catalogers in other libraries currently entering Greek script in bibliographic records. Please forward this message as appropriate. Thank you, Robert Rendall -- Robert Rendall Principal Serials Cataloger Original and Special Materials Cataloging, Columbia University Libraries 102 Butler Library, 535 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10027 tel.: 212 851 2449 fax: 212 854 5167