MARC 100 Heading Personal Name

MARC field 100 in the authority and bibliographic formats contains information on formulating a personal name used as a main entry in a bibliographic record. Since the same instructions apply to formulating the "name" portion of added entries for persons, not just main entry, this article also covers the name portion of MARC fields 600, 700, and 800.

Commonly-used tags

First Indicator - Type of personal name entry element 

0 - Forename
1 - Surname
3 - Family name

Second indicator 

Undefined

Subfields 

ǂa - Personal name (NR)
ǂb - Numeration (NR)
ǂc - Titles and words associated with a name (R)
ǂd - Dates associated with a name (NR)
ǂe - Relator term (R)
ǂf - Date of a work (NR)

Policy and formulation

Basic formulation of personal names

  • In general, avoid creating unqualified personal name access points, even in the absence of a conflict. Use judgment, however, as some names may be unusual enough in themselves, so that the addition of active dates or a title or another designation would be superfluous.
    • Example: Edward J. Geisweidt was established without any additional qualifications: he is the only Geisweidt in the name authority file, and with a middle initial, a conflict or ambiguity in identifying this person is highly unlikely.
  • Leave spaces in between initials in personal names (for example: Urwin, G. G. ǂq (George Glencairn))
    • Folger practice: generally do not include fuller form of name in a subfield ‡q. Prefer adding this information in a 378 field only.
  • Add birth and/or death dates to the authorized access point whenever available. In the absence of a conflict, do not change an existing authority record solely to add dates. (However, closing out an open birth date is acceptable.)
  • Make the following additions to the preferred name if applicable:
    • title of royalty (see 9.19.1.2.1)
    • title of nobility (see 9.19.1.2.2)
    • title of religious rank (see 9.19.1.2.3)
    • the term Saint (see 9.19.1.2.4)
    • the term Spirit (see 9.19.1.2.5)
    • an other designation associated with the person (see 9.19.1.2.6)
  • Make the following additions to the preferred name in this order of preference, in case of conflict (RDA 9.19.1.3-7)
    • Fuller form of name (RDA 9.19.1.4)
    • Period of activity of the person and/or profession or occupation (RDA 9.19.1.5). Folger practice: in general, prefer century dates over specific years of activity, and over profession or occupation
    • Other term of rank, honour, or office (RDA 9.19.1.6)
      • New authority records: Folger practice: include 'Sir', etc., if the person used the title.
      • Existing authority records: LC practice/PCC practice. Unless otherwise changing an existing authorized access point (e.g., conflict), do not change an existing AACR2 or RDA heading merely to add or remove an Other designation associated with a person.
    • Other designation (RDA 9.19.1.7)
  • Existing authority records
    • Folger practice: do not change an existing access point merely to upgrade to our current practice as long as it is technically RDA-correct

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