National Council on Archives
RULES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERSONAL, PLACE AND CORPORATE NAMES
1997
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Rules for the Construction of Personal Names
- Chapter 3: Rules for the Construction of Place Names
- Chapter 4: Rules for the Construction of Corporate Names
Preface
The
work which has led to this publication has now occupied several years.
This is perhaps an inevitable consequence of a project of synthesis and
consensus. Highly experienced cataloguers from a wide range of
institutions have gathered to pool their knowledge, discuss problems
and to reach a common solution. When the draft of these Rules was
circulated for comment, there was a very encouraging response. Over
forty individual archivists and institutions found the time to read and
consider it in great detail. The editorial working party is grateful
for their efforts which have helped to improve the final version
immeasurably.
The
years in preparation have not been wasted. Parallel labours of the
International Council on Archives Ad Hoc Commission on Descriptive
Standards, which have resulted in the General International Standard
Archival Description (ISAD(G)), (1994), and the International Standard
Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families
(ISAAR(CPF)), (1996), provide a more analytical context in which these
Rules have their part to play. We are grateful for the support which
has been forthcoming from Chris Kitching, Chair of the Ad Hoc
Commission.
Over
the same period, the provision of new funding in the higher education
sector, in particular the creation of the Joint Information Systems
Committee (JISC), has accelerated the development of common standards
for data exchange within the archival profession. A coherent and
valuable series of seminars and workshops, organised for the most part
by Patricia Methven and Angela Raspin of JISC and Michael Moss and
Lesley Richmond of the Scottish University Special Collections and
Archives Group, has invariably found room for contributions from
members of our editorial working party. We have been encouraged by a
general recognition of the central role for future national name
authority files which these Rules underpin.
The
National Council on Archives has given its name, prestige and financial
backing to this work. Despite the pressure of other business, time has
been found in a busy agenda for regular reports from its IT Committee.
These have been well received and we are particularly grateful for the
support of Alice Prochaska, Vic Gray, Nick Kingsley and Penny Brook.
The
remit of the NCA extends to the whole of the United Kingdom. This has
been invaluable in the formulation of the Rules where personal, place
and corporate names each must address problems posed by separate Welsh,
Scottish and Irish usage. Special acknowledgement must be made to the
contributions of Gwyn Jenkins, John Watts-Williams and Dafydd Ifans of
the National Library of Wales, of Patrick Cadell, Ishbel Barnes and Ian
Hill of the Scottish Record Office, Ian Cunningham of the National
Library of Scotland and Anthony Malcolmson and Gerry Slater of the
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
The
Rules are designed for the consistent construction of proper names in
the description, cataloguing and indexing of British archives. Central
to this work is the belief that they should apply to all archives,
those of Government as well as private accumulations. With the firm
support of Sarah Tyacke, several members of staff at the Public Record
Office have assisted with the work. Geraldine Beech has prepared at
short notice the section on foreign place names. Trevor Chalmers,
Nicholas Cox, David Crook and Meg Sweet have given freely of their time
and expertise.
The
project has for the most part been co-ordinated and hosted by the
Historical Manuscripts Commission. With the constant encouragement of
the Secretary and the Commissioners, several past and present members
of staff have made a valuable input. They include Jim Parker, Kevin
Morgan, Mary Ellis and Una O’Sullivan.
Mention
should also be made of the support from the professional bodies
represented on the NCA. We are particularly grateful for the help
provided by Elizabeth Shepherd of the Society of Archivists and by Adam
Green and Margaret O’Sullivan of the Association of County Archivists.
Inevitably
in a project of this kind, the main burden of work has fallen on a few
individuals. It has been a considerable labour to arrange and
co-ordinate the working parties, to draft and redraft reports and the
Rules themselves, to word process and edit this final version. Without
the hard work, intellectual rigour and commitment of the editorial
working party, this publication would not have been completed. All are
busy professionals involved with important automation projects in their
own institutions, yet they have devoted vast amounts of their own time
to this work. If, as we hope, these Rules will perform a central role
in the future standardisation of archival descriptive practices and the
harmonisation of automated finding aids, the credit must go to my
colleagues, Louise Craven, Sue Donnelly, Susan Healy and Rachel
Stockdale.
Dick Sargent
Chair, National Council on Archives IT Committee
Back to NCA rules contents page
On to NCA rules chapter 1: Introduction