"in RDA there is only a possbility to add punctuation, but not to change it."
It seems to me that since the full-stop is used in ISBD to separate Title proper from Part/section title, it can be considered "punctuation on the source that separates data to be recorded as one element from data to be recorded as a different element" and omitted. Then we can add the comma's, under the rubric "Add punctuation, as necessary, for clarity." So I would imagine most catalogers would transcribe this as: Wollen, wissen, können : Gestaltung attraktiver Arbeitsplätze ... --Ben Benjamin Abrahamse Cataloging Coordinator Acquisitions, Metadata and Enterprise Systems MIT Libraries 617-253-7137 -----Original Message----- From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access [mailto:RDA-L@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca] On Behalf Of Heidrun Wiesenmüller Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 10:42 AM To: RDA-L@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca Subject: [RDA-L] Periods in titles Talking about periods ... A colleague just brought the following example to my attention. The title page shows the following: WOLLEN. WISSEN. KÖNNEN. Gestaltung attraktiver Arbeitsplätze in der Langzeit-, Kurzzeit- und Übergangspflege und Betreuung English translation: TO WANT. TO KNOW. TO BE ABLE TO. Designing attractive places of work in long-term care, short-term care, transitional care and work as a legal guardian If you want to see the t.p. for yourself, the document is online here: http://www.alter.bfh.ch/fileadmin/wgs_upload/institut_alter/publikationen/Themenheft_A4_HR_dt_web.pdf Now, what about the periods in the title proper? According to the German RAK rules, I would have exchanged the first and second one for a comma, and the last one for a colon to introduce the other title information. So, my solution would have been: Wollen, wissen, können : Gestaltung attraktiver Arbeitsplätze in der Langzeit-, Kurzzeit- und Übergangspflege und Betreuung But now, what's the result according to RDA? The last period obviously still has to go, as RDA says in 1.7.3: "Transcribe punctuation as it appears on the source, omitting punctuation on the source that separates data to be recorded as one element from data to be recorded as a different element, or as a second or subsequent instance of an element." But I assume that the first and second periods must be retained, as in RDA there is only a possbility to add punctuation, but not to change it. So, I conclude that the RDA solution is (if we use ISBD punctuation between title proper and other title information): Wollen. Wissen. Können : Gestaltung attraktiver Arbeitsplätze in der Langzeit-, Kurzzeit- und Übergangspflege und Betreuung Would you agree or am I on the wrong track here? Heidrun -- --------------------- Prof. Heidrun Wiesenmueller M.A. Stuttgart Media University Faculty of Information and Communication Wolframstr. 32, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany www.hdm-stuttgart.de/bi