Arabic Script Cataloging
INTRODUCTION (published 11/2010)
An increasing number of MELA member libraries are using Arabic script in bibliographic records, despite the conspicuous absence of cataloging rules that apply specifically to Arabic-script fields.
In order to resolve this issue, most catalogers have tried to mirror the cataloging practices observed in Romanized fields, with slight adaptations. This has proven to be a workable solution, but has also resulted in some real variation of practice, particularly in non-Romanized, cataloger-supplied subfields (such as qualifiers).
The present document aims to regularize Arabic-script cataloging practice by setting down clear principles and by providing specific instructions for catalogers.
It is to be expected that the guidelines given here will eventually be superseded by new standards and methods of authority control, but we hope that in the meantime, the principles and instructions in this draft will be widely adopted and adhered to.
The benefits are obvious: library users searching in Arabic script will gain more reliable, and predictable access points; library professionals will find it easier to exchange bibliographic data.
1. Scope
1.1. The guidelines in this document pertain to the descriptive fields in the bibliographic record which contain (or might contain) Arabic or Persian text in Romanization, as well as their subfields, regardless of language.
1.2. It does not therefore pertain to parts of the record that are peculiar to the catalog as a whole, such as Subject headings, or display constants in title added entries.
2. Mandatory and optional elements
2.1. It is recommended that parallel script fields be provided for the MARC fields listed below, or their equivalents. Note that parallel script fields for notes and MARC 6xx fields are optional.
3. Guidelines
3.1 Overriding Principles for all fields
Create parallel fields in original script using the same elements, in the same order as the Romanized form.
Do not apply this principle if would entail a violation of the grammatical or logical structure of the target language
3.2. Personal Name Headings (MARC 100/600/700)
Unless controlled by reference to an authority file, formulate name headings in original scripts according to the general principles and specific instructions set out below.
3.2.1 General principles:
Create parallel fields using the same elements, in the same order as the authorized form. Follow this principle also for names like “Avicenna” which are established in a commonly-used English form or nonstandard romanization.
Do not mix elements in original script with English ones. Wherever possible, provide equivalents for all non-transliterated elements in the Romanized field.
Refer to the appendices for a standardized listing of these elements (A.1.1-A.1.4 for Arabic, A2.1-A.2.4 for Persian).
If no standardized equivalent is given in the documentation, formulate a script element according to the principles set out herein, and alert the authors of the online cataloging manual.
Use Western Arabic numerals (1234567890 for ١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠)
3.2.2. Exception to general principles:
Do not follow the order of the authorized transliterated heading if its content or structure violates the nature of the name in the original language.
This situation may occur with names which are established from a commonly-used English form. When possible, rearrange the elements of the name. Do not provide additional elements.
For guidelines on formulating the title parts of author/ title entries, refer to 3.5. (‘Controlled Title Entries’) below.
3.2.3. Examples:
Avicenna, $d 1037-930
ابن سينا, $d 980-1037
عبد الناصر, جمال,$d 1918-1970
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Nasser, Gamal Abdel, $d 1918-1970
عمر, علي,$c الدكتور
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ʿUmar, ʿAlī, $c al-Duktūr
سيوفي, ن. $q (نقولا)
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Siouffi, N. $q (Nicolas)
عمر $b الثاني, $c الخليفة, $d ت. 720
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ʿUmar $b II, $c Caliph, $d d. 720
محمد $d الخامس, $c ملك المغرب, $d 1909-1961
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Muḥammad $b V, $c King of Morocco, $d 1909-1961
إبن فضل الله العمري, أحمد بن يحيى, $d 1301-1349
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Ibn Faḍl Allāh al-ʿUmarī, Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá, $d 1301-1349
نيسابوري، أحمد بن إبراهيم,$d القرن العاشر\ الحادش عشر
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Naysābūrī, Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm, $d 10th/11th cent
الحكيم الترمذي, محمد بن علي, $d كان حيا 898
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Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī, Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī, $d fl. 898
رضاى دارستانى, فرزانه, $d 1966 او 7-
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Riz̤āyī Dāristānī, Farzānah, $d 1966 or 7-
أبو الوجاهة المرشدي, عبد الرحمن بن عيسى, $d 1567 أو 8 – 1628 أو 9
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Abū al-Wajāhah al-Murshidī, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʻĪsá, $d 1567 or 8-1628 or 9
3.3. Corporate/ Conference Name Headings (MARC 110/111)
Unless controlled by reference to an authority file, formulate name headings in original scripts according to the general principles and specific instructions set out below.
3.3.1. General principles:
Do not mix elements in original script with English ones. Wherever possible, provide equivalents for all non-transliterated elements in the Romanized field.
Refer to the appendices for a standardized listing of these elements (A.1.1 through 4 for Arabic, A2.1. through 4 for Persian).
If no standardized equivalent is given in the documentation, formulate a script element according to the principles set out herein, and alert the authors of the online cataloguing manual.
Use Western Arabic numerals (1234567890 for ١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠)
3.3.2. Exception to general principles:
Do not follow the order of the authorized transliterated heading if its content or structure violates the nature of the name in the original language.
This situation may occur with corporate names which are established from a commonly-used English form. Whenever possible, restitute the original elements of the name. Do not provide additional elements.
3.3.3. Examples:
b$ جامعة القاهرة مركز البحوث الأفريقية
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Jāmiʻat al-Qāhirah. $b Markaz al-Buḥūth al-Afrīqīyah
مركز أبحاث مكافحة الجريمة (المملكة العربية السعودية)
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Markaz Abḥāth Mukāfaḥat al-Jarīmah (Saudi Arabia)
جهاد دانشگاهى (سازمان: دانشگاه علامه طباطبائى)
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Jihād-i Dānishgāhī (Organization : Dānishgāh-i ʻAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʼī)
همايش سراسرى مددكاران اجتماعى ايران $n (شانزدهم $d 2002 $c تهران, ايران)
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Hamāyish-i Sarāsarī-i Madadkārān-i Ijtimāʿī-i Īrān $n (16th : $d 2002 : $c Tehran, Iran)
مركز كربلاء للبحوث والدراسات (لندن, إنجلترا)
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Markaz Karbalāʾ lil-Buḥūth wa-al-Dirāsāt (London, England)
مؤتمر الآثار والتراث الحضاري العربي $n (الرابع عشر : $d 1998 : $c الشارقة, الإمارات العربية المتحدة)
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Muʼtamar al-Āthār wa-al-Turāth al-Ḥaḍārī al-ʻArabī $n (14th : $d 1998 : $c Shāriqah, United Arab Emirates)
3.4. Uncontrolled Title Entries (MARC 245/ 246/ 247/ 740)
3.4.1. General principles:
Do not provide equivalents for display constants such as medium descriptors (MARC 245 $h) and display text (MARC 246 $i).
Enumeration and dates appearing in any of the subfields should be given in the form which appears on the source.
3.4.2. Examples:
از صبا تا نيما : $b تاريخ 150 سال ادب فارسى / $c تأليف يحيى آرينپور
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Az Ṣabā tā Nīmā : $b tārīkh-i 150 sāl-i adab-i Fārsī / $c taʼlīf-i Yahyá Āryan′pūr.
أيام السادات $c [videorecording] /$h[إنتاج] أفلام أحمد زكي بالمشاركة مع إتحاد الإذاعة والتلفيزيون
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Ayyām al-Sādāt $h [videorecording] / $c [intāj] Aflām Aḥmad Zakī bi-al-mushārakah maʻa Ittiḥād al-Idhāʻah wa-al-Tilīfizyūn
$a Title on v. 3: $i از نيما تا روزگار ما
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$i Title on v. 3: $a Az Nīmā tā rūzgār-i mā
3.5. Controlled Title Entries (MARC 130/ 240/ 600 $t/ 700 $t/ 730 )
3.5.1. General principles:
Provide equivalents for English-language qualifiers (e.g. in language and form subfields) in the language of the item. Refer to the appendices for a standardized listing of these elements (A.1.5-A.1.6 for Arabic, A.2.5-A.2.6 for Persian).
If no standardized equivalent is given in the documentation, formulate a script element according to the principles set out herein, and alert the authors of the online cataloguing manual.
Enumeration and dates should be given in the form which appears on the source.
3.5.2. Exceptions to the general rule:
Do not replicate form headings or other free-floating subdivisions.
3.5.3 Examples
قرآن. $p سورة الفاتحة.
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Koran. $p Sūrat al-Fātiḥah $vCommentaries
3.6. Edition Statement (MARC 250)
3.6.1. General principles
Do not spell out ordinal numbers
Use Western Arabic numerals
الطبعة 1., مزيدة ومنقحة
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al-Ṭabʿah 1., mazīdah wa-munaqqaḥah
3.7. Publication information (MARC 260)
3.7.1. General principles:
General Rule: enter all publication information, including inferred data, in non-Roman script. Provide equivalents in the language of the record, wherever it is appropriate.
Provide equivalents for s.l. and s.n. in the language of the item. Use د.م. and د. ن. for Arabic, and { } and { } for Persian.
When the publisher’s name is that of a person (usually a person named in the 245 field), the entire name should be represented in direct order, i.e. without additions, subtractions, or abbreviations, both in Romanization and in non-Roman script.
3.7.2. Exceptions to the general rule:
If publication data is given in Romanized form (standard or non-standard) on the item being described, represent the information in that form in the parallel script field.
3.7.3. Examples:
تهران : $b نشر مركز, $c 2004
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Tihrān:$b Nashr-i Markaz, $c 2004
بيروت, لبنان:$b دار الجديد,$c 2000
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Bayrūt, Lubnān :$b Dār al-Jadīd, $c 2000
Beirut :$b رياض الريس للكتب والنشر ,$c 2000
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Beirut : $b Riyāḍ al-Rayyis lil-Kutub wa-al-Nashr, $c 2000
[بيروت؟] :$b الدار الجامعية, $c [1992؟]
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[Beirut?] : $b al-Dār al-Jāmʻīyah, $c [1992?]
جبيل [لبنان] : $b دار ومكتبة بيبليون، $c 2008
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Jubayl [Lebanon] : $b Dār wa-Maktabat Bībilyūn, $c 2008
[الرياض] :$b علي بن عبد الرحمن الطيار, $c 1419 [1998 أو 1999]
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[Riyadh] : $b ʿAlī ibn ʻAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṭayyār, $c 1419 [1998 or 1999]
[د.م. :$ b د.ن.] , $c 2000
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[S.l. :$b s.n.], $c2000
3.8. Series statements (MARC 490, 800, 810, 811, 830)
3.8.1. General principles:
Wherever possible, provide equivalents for all non-transliterated elements in the Romanized field, in the language of the bibliographic record.
3.8.2. Specific instructions
Follow the name guidelines (3.2. and 3.3. above) for the personal or corporate name portion of 800, 810 and 811 fields.
Follow the language-specific guidelines in the appendices to provide equivalents for subdivisions in the language of the item.
Enumeration and dates should be given in the form which appears on the source.
Subfield v, when included, should use original script designators and Western-style numerals
3.8.3. Examples:
سلسلة المعاجم الموحدة ؛$v رقم 4
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Silsilat al-maʻājim al-muwaḥḥadah ;$v raqm 4
A.1. Specific Instructions for Arabic language records:
A.1.1. Enumeration: Spell out ordinals, thus:
A.1.2. Titles: Use Arabic qualifiers. Follow usage when available, if supplied by the cataloger, qualifiers should be grammatically definite.
A.1.3. Dates: If present, mirror the use of dates in the Romanized field: Use Common Era dates in Western Arabic numerals (or, where present, Hijri dates in Western Arabic numerals). Use Arabic qualifiers, and expand alternative dates, thus:
A.1.4. Relator terms: Use Arabic relator terms, thus:
A.1.5. Form subheadings:
A.1.6. Arabic qualifiers for language subheadings:
A.2. Specific Instructions for Persian language records:
[to be provided]