Any librarians out there? I have a call letter question.

[Rhonda in TX]

I was at the library recently looking for a book by Alexander McCall Smith. I didn't have a lot of time, and when I couldn't find it quickly, I left. I looked for it today in the online catalog, but it didn't have the call letters I expected. It's under "MacC". Now, this throws me for a couple of reasons.

 

The name is not hyphenated, which to me means that "McCall" should be treated as a middle name, and it should be shelved under "Smith" (which is where I was looking for it). Also, it's "McCall", not "MacCall".

 

Can someone explain this to me?

[Lisa at Home]

No explanation, but along the same lines, it would help me understand why childrens books (in my library, anyway) do *NOT* need to be alphabetized AT all. :(

 

~Lisa

[Audrey]

I am a librarian. There is a very simple explanation for this. What you have found is what we call an example of poor cataloguing.

 

You are correct. The author's last name is Smith, and the call numbers should reflect that. Even if his last name was McCall, it should have been applied as McCa.

 

I would suggest pointing this out to your reference librarian. She may become snotty with you, or she may recognize a co-worker's gaff and use the opportunity to taunt said co-worker with their ignorance. I'm being just a little facetious there! ;) Still, I would point it out. It's a pretty obvious error on their part.

[Lady Katherine]

nt

[Rhonda in TX]

I am a librarian. There is a very simple explanation for this. What you have found is what we call an example of poor cataloguing.

 

You are correct. The author's last name is Smith, and the call numbers should reflect that. Even if his last name was McCall, it should have been applied as McCa.

 

I would suggest pointing this out to your reference librarian. She may become snotty with you, or she may recognize a co-worker's gaff and use the opportunity to taunt said co-worker with their ignorance. I'm being just a little facetious there! ;) Still, I would point it out. It's a pretty obvious error on their part.

 

Thank you! I knew I was right. :D

 

The bad thing is, this is the Harris County Public Library System. Every single library in the Houston area has it catalogued wrong. I'll point it out, but I doubt it will be changed.

[readwithem]

Oh my! Where in Harris County are you? We're near Rice University and the local Harris Cty branch is AWFUL. They absolutely hate children in there (I don't have any littlies so I'm not playing Mama Bear). Houston just built a fabulous new branch about a mile from my house. The librarians are wonderful. I walk by the Harris County branch all the time but we just don't like the tone of the librarians - I even get ILL from Harris County to the Houston branch just because they know me in there. I guess I'm fortunate to have two options. :)

[chiguirre]

Well, if it's HCPL, I'll bet the cataloguer was using the Spanish surname rules. They have a lot of Spanish materials and they probably just picked the first surname without thinking that AMS is Scottish. They do catalog Mario Vargas Llosa for example under Vargas, so the call letters are VAR. There's also some obscure rule that I learned in elementary school that all Mcs and Macs are cataloged under Mac. I just checked Geraldine McCaughrean and it is cataloged as MacCau. This might explain the weird cataloging.

 

To be honest, I almost never visit the Kingwood branch's stacks. I order everything online and just pick up my requests. HCPL really does do a great job on requests. My branch also has the snotty attitude toward kids, so I'd guess that's system wide.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Well, if it's HCPL, I'll bet the cataloguer was using the Spanish surname rules. They have a lot of Spanish materials and they probably just picked the first surname without thinking that AMS is Scottish. They do catalog Mario Vargas Llosa for example under Vargas, so the call letters are VAR. There's also some obscure rule that I learned in elementary school that all Mcs and Macs are cataloged under Mac. I just checked Geraldine McCaughrean and it is cataloged as MacCau. This might explain the weird cataloging.

 

My favorite weird cataloging: In our library there are pull out fiction sections for mystery and science fiction/fantasy. They get little stickers and then are shelved together in their own section. I was looking for sci fi for my son on day and found the book Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman in the fantasy section.

 

This book is actually a historical fiction book set in England in the 13th century. I had to bring this to the attention of several librarians over a couple different visits before I could even get one to agree that it was shelved in the wrong place.

 

I just checked my library's catalog and found No 1 Ladies Detective Agency listed under McCall Smith. Checking the Library of Congress also shows the book under McCall Smith. So maybe this is a double last name, even if it isn't hyphenated?

 

Sebastian

Percival Blakeney Academy

[Janet in Toronto]

Random House (his publisher) refers to him as "McCall Smith" on their webpage. I cannot imagine that they would be doing this incorrectly. Also, NYTimes revies, Wikipedia, etc all refer to him as McCall Smith.

[Allen Academy]

I used to be a reference librarian and we cataloged all McAnything names as if they were spelled Mac. I had a problem with this when I started and emailed the Library of Congress to ask where they should be shelved, and according to them, the correct way to do it was as if all Mc names are spelled Mac. However, they also said that many libraries choose not to do it that way because of the confusion it causes. I wish I had saved that email :)

 

And we actually shelved books by McCall Smith under Smith. Not sure why - I never questioned that one :)

[Gwen in TX]

I too am a librarian. One set of cataloging rules specified to treat all Mc and Mac as Mac and interfile them. Most people don't know which is correct for their particular author, and this saved users from thinking their author or title wasn't there.

 

I don't think it makes sense any more since the advent of computers. (Oh I just showed my age -- yes, I was a librarian in the actual "card catalog" days!)

[Rhonda in TX]

Oh my! Where in Harris County are you? We're near Rice University and the local Harris Cty branch is AWFUL. They absolutely hate children in there (I don't have any littlies so I'm not playing Mama Bear). Houston just built a fabulous new branch about a mile from my house. The librarians are wonderful. I walk by the Harris County branch all the time but we just don't like the tone of the librarians - I even get ILL from Harris County to the Houston branch just because they know me in there. I guess I'm fortunate to have two options. :)

 

I'm in NW Houston. I love our branch. They are great. We have a completely separate room for the children's section with their own librarians. They are nice and helpful. DS is constantly asking them for help looking for books and they are very patient. :)

[Rhonda in TX]

Random House (his publisher) refers to him as "McCall Smith" on their webpage. I cannot imagine that they would be doing this incorrectly. Also, NYTimes revies, Wikipedia, etc all refer to him as McCall Smith.

 

Who knows. I think I'll ask about it, though, just because I'm curious. It'll be interesting to see if they know the answer. :D

[Rhonda in TX]

I wondered if this was the case. I'm picky about spelling, so it bugs me, but I understand.