I think that kind of begs the question. The part that she thought went against RDA was the LC-PCC PS that said to use English if the term in the language of the context was unknown. There is still no solution in RDA itself for what to do when the title is in Polish or some even more obscure language and the cataloger doesn't know how to say "proportional to" or whatever the symbol might be.
------------------------------------------ John Hostage Authorities and Database Integrity Librarian Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services Langdell Hall 194 Cambridge, MA 02138 [email protected] +(1)(617) 495-3974 (voice) +(1)(617) 496-4409 (fax) > -----Original Message----- > From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kevin M Randall > Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 16:28 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [RDA-L] Description of symbols - in which language? > > Heidrun Wiesenmüller wrote: > > > I find it hard to believe that RDA expects catalogers to be able to > > describe complicated symbols in any number of foreign languages. > > The LC-PCC PS for 1.7.5 has taken care of the problem by stating: > > "Substitute in the language of the context the word, phrase, etc., > > that is the obvious spoken/written equivalent (if unknown in the > > language of the context, use English)". Well, this is certainly a > > sensible way of doing it, but it still seems to go against RDA. > > This seems to be entirely in keeping with the principles of RDA. Bear > in mind that you don't use the language of the *resource* but the > language of the rest of the element being recorded. If it's the TITLE > that has the symbol, and the title is in English, use an English word > or phrase in place of the symbol; if the title is in German, use a > German word or phrase, etc. Regardless of the language of the > resource itself. (For example, the resource could be in German, with > an English title proper.) This is not at all unlike supplying a > variant access point replacing an ampersand with a word. If the title > is in English, you would replace the ampersand with "and"; if the title > is in German, you would replace the ampersand with "und". In any > catalog, it would look kind of funny (to me, at least) to see an access > point such as "Advise und consent", "Advise et consent", "Advise y > consent", etc. instead of "Advise and consent". > > Kevin M. Randall > Principal Serials Cataloger > Northwestern University Library > [email protected] > (847) 491-2939 > > Proudly wearing the sensible shoes since 1978!
