Fuller Form of Personal Name

In authority work for Slavic languages, differentiation between similar or identical names can be quite challenging. Because of the many common surnames and forenames, especially in Russian and Bulgarian, a conflict with another name or names may already exist, or very likely will exist in the near future. Often, preferred names contain only initials for the forenames.

Given all this, Slavic catalogers are encouraged to take full advantage of LC-PCC PS 9.19.1.4 as presented in detail below.

When creating an authorized access point representing a person, RDA 9.19.1.4 instructs the cataloger to add a fuller form of the person’s name “if needed to distinguish one access point from another”--that is, to resolve an existing conflict. RDA 9.19.1.4 also offers the option of adding the fuller form even if there is no conflict.

The LC-PCC Policy Statement for the option allows for some cataloger’s judgment. The guideline instructs catalogers “to provide a fuller form of name if a part of the forename or surname used in the preferred name is represented by an initial or an abbreviation, if the cataloger considers it important for identification.” The Slavic cataloging community believes that the fuller form of name is always important for identification for the reasons given above. Catalogers are strongly encouraged to add the fuller form of name to AAPs for preferred names using initials. For Slavic names this will most often be a given name or given name and patronymic.

Note: LC-PCC PS 9.19.1.4 allows this practice when creating new authority records. Do not change authorized access points in existing records just to add a fuller form of name to the heading.

Note: Even if a fuller form of name is not used in the AAP, always add it in the 670 and/or 378 fields so that in the event of a conflict, the information may be used.

Examples (in MARC format):

The preferred name from the resource is A.S. Bykov, and even though there are no conflicts (yet) with other A.S. Bykovs, the recommended RDA AAP would be:

100 1 Bykov, A. S. ǂq (Aleksandr Sergeevich) [no conflict, but spelled out form of name added]

378 ǂq Aleksandr Sergeevich

400 1 Bykov, Aleksandr Sergeevich

670 Tekhnologii︠a︡ proizvodstva i primenenie steklokremnezita v stroitel’stve, 1984: ǂb title page (A.S. Bykov) colophon (Aleksandr Sergeevich)

Never add unused forenames or patronymics to the AAP unless they are needed to distinguish one access point from another. (Here, “unused” means names not used in the preferred name, even in initial or abbreviated form.) In the example below, “Andreĭ“ is enough to break the conflict, and “V.” is not used in the preferred name. Therefore “Vasil’evich” is not added to the AAP, though that name is available in the 378 and 670 fields if needed in the future.

100 1 Grekul, A. ǂq (Andreĭ) [not ǂq (Andreĭ Vasilʹevich) ; no conflict]

378 ǂq Andreĭ Vasilʹevich

400 1 Grekul, Andreĭ Vasilʹevich

670 Rast︠s︡vet moldavskoĭ sot︠s︡ialisticheskoĭ nat︠s︡ii, 1974: ǂb title page (A. Grekul) colophon (Grekul Andreĭ Vasilʹevich)

Of course, if there is an existing conflict, you may use a fuller form that includes an unused name.

100 1 Sokolov, Alekseĭ ǂq (Alekseĭ Aleksandrovich) [there is a conflict]

378 ǂq Alekseĭ Aleksandrovich

400 1 Sokolov, A. A. ǂq (Alekseĭ Aleksandrovich)

670 Logika zhizni, 2008: ǂb title page (Alekseĭ Sokolov) title page verso (Sokolov, A.A.) colophon (Alekseĭ Aleksandrovich Sokolov)