RARA-AVIS: Re: Wade Miller in the AACR

From: Jim Stephenson ( jestephenson@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 19 Sep 2001


> : Is the sentence in brackets by you, Bill? Would Robert Wade be called
> : Bob Wade in a scientific book?
>
> That's what they called him. Searching a few web pages on his name seems
> to indicate that's how he's better known, with Robert being more formal.
> How's he listed on books where he didn't use a pseudonym?

This is entering into the arcane world of "name authority." Catalogers have a number of rules to follow when we establish names in the NAF--the Name Authority File. One of the rules we follow is establishing a pseudonym when an author has created a "separate publishing entity." That's why you'll find books by Richard Stark, Chip Harrison, and Ed McBain cataloged under those names--as well as catalog records for books by Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, and Evan Hunter. It's not because we don't know any better.

For the perversely curious, here's the Name Authority record for Bob Wade. Notice that his established form is "Bob"--"Robert" isn't even present as reference. The 500 fields tell me that there are NAF records also for Wade Miller, Whit Masterson, and Dale Wilmer. The heading was established in this fashion not based on usage, but on a reference source. Ohio State was probably cataloging a book written under one of the pseudonyms and had to create this record as part of the name authority procedure.

040 OU $c OU 100 10 Wade, Bob, $d1920- 500 10 $wnnnc $aMiller, Wade 500 10 $wnnnc $aMasterson, Whit 500 10 $wnnnc $aWilmer, Dale 663 For works of this author written together with Bill Miller under joint pseudonyms, search also under $bMiller, Wade, $bMasterson, Whit,
$bWilmer, Dale 670 OCLC database, 8-13-93 $b(hdg.: Wade, Bob, 1920-) (hdg.: Miller, Wade) (hdg.: Masterson, Whit; Masterson, Whit, pseud.) (hdg.: Wilmer, Dale) 670 Burke, W.J. Amer. authors and books, 1962 $b(Miller, Bill, 1920-1961; wrote with Bob Wade under pen names: Wade Miller; Whit Masterson; Dale Wilmer)

OK I'll be quiet now.

---------- Jim Stephenson Rare Books Cataloger Getty Research Institute 1200 Getty Center Drive Suite 1100 Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688 Telephone: (310) 440-7232 mailto: jestephenson@ix.netcom.com

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