Colleagues, Joan asked me to forward the following to Heb-Naco
This document is intended for people creating new romanization tables or making changes (probably only really sweeping changes, too) to existing romanization tables. It's not intended to describe any existing romanization tables (certainly not the Hebrew or Yiddish ones!). Joseph (Yossi) Galron-Goldschlaeger Head, Hebraica & Jewish Studies Library 355A Thompson Memorial Library The Ohio State University Libraries 1858 Neil Ave. Mall Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA E-Mail: galro...@osu.edu or jgal...@gmail.com Tel.: (614) 292-3362, Fax: (614)292-1918 URL: http://library.osu.edu/about/departments/jewish-studies/ Lexicon of Modern Hebrew Literature: http://hebrewlit.notlong.com On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 1:15 AM, Yossi Galron <galro...@osu.edu> wrote: > From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:pccl...@listserv.loc.gov] > On Behalf Of Policy and Standards Division > Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:39 AM > To: <mailto:pccl...@listserv.loc.gov>pccl...@listserv.loc.gov > Subject: Romanization guidelines > > > > The Library of Congress, Policy and Standards Division has > developed Procedural Guidelines for Proposed New or Revised Romanization > Tables. The division is distributing the draft guidelines for comment by the > library community. We welcome comments sent to > <mailto:pol...@loc.gov>policy<mailto:pol...@loc.gov>@loc.gov by July 19, > 2010. > > > > PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSED NEW OR REVISED ROMANIZATION TABLES > > > > These guidelines apply to the creation of new tables and the > revision of existing tables. > > > > Principle/Goals: > > > > · The ALA/LC Romanization Tables should be transliteration schemes > rather than replicating pronunciation. Pronunciation is variable around the > world. Another goal of this principle is to enable machine-transliteration > whenever possible and preferably reversible transliteration. > > · The ALA/LC Romanization Tables should be in line with > internationally accepted standards and/or standards officially sanctioned by > the home country when possible. > > > > Guidelines: > > > * Examine any existing national and international standards before > beginning the process of creating a new or revising an existing romanization > table. > * Mapping characters to the Latin script > > a. Take the equivalent characters used from the MARC Basic Latin script > repertoire as much as possible. > > b. Choose a Latin script equivalent for a non-Latin letter, not > necessarily based on pronunciation of the letter, but so as to maximize > clarity and minimize confusion with the transliteration of other letters. > The resulting Latin script equivalents should allow for the reversal of > romanization as systematically as possible, without the application of > special algorithms or contextual tests. > > c. Avoid special Latin script alphabetic characters as they are not always > widely supported in display and printing. > > 3. Modifiers > > a. Prefer single letter equivalents (e.g., š) to blends (e.g., sh), that > is, multiple letter equivalents, unless there is no ambiguity in the use of > the blend. > > b. Use modifier characters (diacritical marks) in conjunction with the > basic Latin script characters, but take care to avoid modifier characters > that are not widely supported (e.g., ligature marks), or whose positioning > over or under a Latin script base letter may interfere with the printing > and/or display of that letter. > > c. Above. It is recommended that the acute (´), grave (`) and > dieresis (¨) be preferred to other modifying characters over base letters. > Use the tilde (˜), macron (¯), circumflex (ˆ), and dot above ( ) characters > if needed. > > d. Below. Avoid modifiers below characters, since they often interfere > with portions of Latin letters that descend and when underlining is present. > If a modifier below is desired, prefer the dot below (.) or the cedilla (¸). > * Marks used as guides to pronunciation should not be rendered as Latin > alphabet characters, but rather as diacritics or punctuation marks to > facilitate reversibility. > * Non-alphabetic languages > > a. In dealing with non-alphabetic scripts, e.g., syllabic scripts, the > above guidelines should be applied to the extent that they can. > > b. Any provisions for aggregation should be based on such factors as > international agreement, convenience of use, promotion of consistent > application, and ease of computer access. > * Other factors. The impact of file maintenance on legacy records should > be considered in revising tables in relation to the ease or difficulty of > accomplishing it, the benefits provided by the revisions, and the > obligations of and impact on various organizations and institutions. > > > > Process: > * Forwarding proposed new or revised Romanization tables. Submit all > draft tables (new and revised) to the Policy and Standards Division, Library > of Congress, preferably as an attachment to an electronic mail message sent > to <mailto:pol...@loc.gov>pol...@loc.gov Submit all draft proposals as > complete tables in an electronic format, e.g., Microsoft Word, so that the > resultant file may be updated during the review process. Submit revisions > to existing tables as part of a complete table for the language. If only a > part is being revised, clearly note the proposed revisions either 1) within > the table itself or 2) as a separate document indicating what the proposed > revisions are and the justification for them. Provide pertinent > justification, e.g., experts consulted, sources consulted, for any proposed > new or revised table. > * Library of Congress review. The Policy and Standards Division and other > Library staff with knowledge of the language or script will review draft > tables (both new and revised). > * Other review. After reaching consensus within the Library of Congress, > the Library will seek comments from the community at large, including the > appropriate committee within the American Library Association. This is done > in several ways: > * the draft will be posted on the Cataloging and Acquisitions Web site > (<http://www.loc.gov/aba/>http://www.loc.gov/aba/) with a request for > comments usually within 90 days of the posting; > * the draft table will be published in Cataloging Service Bulletin > with a request for comments within 90 days; > * the draft will be sent to identified stakeholders with the same 90 > days request for comments; and > * the availability of the draft will be noted in a posting to various > electronic lists according to the language. See list below. > * Receipt of comments. The requests for comments specify that such > comments are to be sent to <mailto:pol...@loc.gov>pol...@loc.gov by a > specified date. The Policy and Standards Division and other Library of > Congress staff will evaluate the comments as they are received. Once the > Library reaches consensus, the division will revise the draft table as > appropriate. The Policy and Standards Division will acknowledge the receipt > of comments. > * Approval process. The Library of Congress will forward draft tables > that have been completed to the chair of the appropriate committee within > the American Library Association. Draft tables for languages of Africa and > Asia go to the chair of the Committee on Cataloging: African and Asian > Materials (CC:AAM). Drafts for languages in other parts of the world go to > the chair of the Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access (CC:DA). If > the appropriate ALA committee has disagreements with the submitted draft > table, it may be necessary to return to one of the steps above. > * The Library of Congress will issue status reports to the stakeholders > and electronic lists noted above. > * Approved tables. Once the appropriate committee has approved the draft > table, the Policy and Standards Division will make any changes to the table > as the result of this process, post the approved table to the Cataloging and > Acquisitions/ALA-LC Romanization Tables Web page > (<http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/roman.html>http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/roman.html), > and publish the approved table in Cataloging Service Bulletin. > > > > Electronic mail discussion lists > > > > Autocat > (<mailto:auto...@listserv.syr.edu>auto...@listserv.syr.edu) > > American Jewish Libraries (AJL) > (<mailto:hasaf...@lists.acs.ohio-state-edu>hasaf...@lists.acs.ohio-state-edu) > Committee on East Asia Libraries > (<mailto:east...@listserv.unc.edu>east...@listserv.unc.edu) > > Committee on Research Materials on Southeast Asia (CORMOSEA) > (<mailto:cormo...@listserv.ohio.edu>cormo...@listserv.ohio.edu) > > Africana Librarians Council > (<mailto:alcasal...@lists.stanford.edu>alcasal...@lists.stanford.edu) > > Middle East Librarians' Association (MELA) > (<mailto:melane...@googlegroups.com>melane...@googlegroups.com) > > Committee on South Asian Libraries and Documentation (CONSALD) > (address to be added later) > > >
