Cutter numbers : when to end in 1 or 13


There has been some confusion of late on when it is appropriate to end a book number with the appropriate Cutter extension from the translation tables in our Shelflisting manual. Page 14 of that manual has stated for some time the policy of LC on using "13" (14, 15, etc.) for translations. Note that this rule applies only in cases of personal or title main entry and not to uniform titles under corporate or conference ME. There is a caveat that in cases where the uniform title has been deleted locally due to our policies on technical materials, you may use the translation extension. I have edited this page with an added parenthetical example to make it clear that this means there must be a translation note giving the original title to justify the cutter extension. Thus, if it only says "Translated from Greek." or "translated by Karl Marx", no "13" should be added.

Please note that an extension of "13", "14", etc. to the book cutter does not necessarily mean that the book is a translation. Other libraries may legitimately be using these numbers as a means of fitting the title into their own shelflist. If they are unneccessary in order to fit the book into MUN's shelflist, these may be changed to a number above "2". However, even here there are occasions when we may have to use one of these numbers for a work other than a translation.

Page 7 of the Shelflisting manual has also been reprinted to name the two exceptions to the rule of "never" ending a cutter number with a "0" or "1". These are when the Cutter-Sanborn tables have been used to place literary authors into the shelflist, or when the offending end number is needed to fit a cutter into the shelflist.


First released: 21 April 1995.
Last updated: 19 May 1996.
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