Music Cataloging at Yale Call numbers

Class numbers
Cutter numbers:
     Author as main entry (100) || Title (245) as main entry || Cutter by subject
Further elements needed to make the call number unique:
     Additional number added to final cutter number or additional cutter number || Date of publication
Reprints
Translations
Conference reports

• main entry, using the first letter and two to four numbers, when the topic of the book is implied by the class number,
  e.g., ML390 is for collected biography of composers.
  This can be either author as main entry or title as main entry.
  
  or
  
  
• subject, when the topic of the book is indicated by a cutter number added to the class number,
  e.g., ML410 is for biographies of individual composers. The first cutter number should represent the composer who is the topic of the book.
  Depending on the class, the cutter number for the subject of a book can be for
  • person
  • topic, such as a class number subdivided by a cutter for a specific instrument (guitar), a specific type of music (jazz), or other topics (notation, performance practice), etc.
  • place.

  See also Class numbers that are cuttered by person, instrument, place, or topic.

Cutter by main entry

   Author as main entry

If the main entry is the author, use the Cutter-Sanborn Three-Figure Author Table to find the apropriate cutter number, e.g., Adorno = A241

Note: The Yale Music Library does not use decimal points in the cutter number:      A241    not    .A241

When there is a conflict with a cutter number (the cutter is the same as one assigned to another author), check the class number in which the item will go to determine if another cutter for the composer has been established in that class. If there is none, search the person's name in LTYL to see if a specific cutter is being used for that person in other class numbers. If there is none, add an additional number to the cutter. When possible, adjust the number to ensure that the composers' names are in alphabetical order within that class number:

ML410 B118 H67	= Hindermann, Walter F.
ML410 B118 H674	= Hirsch, Arthur

Title as main entry

This section intentionally blank; it is not yet written.

Cutter by subject

   Person as subject:

If the subject is a composer, use the cutter number already for this composer: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | V | W | XYZ | or the Cutter-Sanborn Three-Figure Author Table to find the apropriate cutter number, e.g., Mozart = M939.

Note: The Yale Music Library does not use decimal points in the cutter number:      M939    not    .M939

Note: Local practice is to further divide the class number for individual composer biography and criticism and interpretation with the A___ numbers below. The number is added immediately following the cutter number for the individual, followed by any further cutter numbers needed for author, etc.:

A101	= Writings, collected and selected
A102	= Correspondence
A103	= Autobiography
A104	= Single literary works
A105	= Anniversaries, festivals, congresses, etc.
A106	= Societies
A107	= Memorial volumes
A109	= Documents, interviews, etc.

   Topic as subject:

This section intentionally blank; it is not yet written.

   Place as subject:

Generally, when using a cutter number for place, a second cutter for main entry is added.  This second cutter usually need be only the initial letter with one number:
    class      place cutter
 |______|   |___|
ML275.8  H465 M9 -- Main entry cutter
ML275.8  H465 P5 --- Main entry cutter

    class       place cutter
 |______|   |___|
ML275.8  L531 L2 -- Main entry cutter
ML275.8  L531 P9 -- Main entry cutter

If a cutter number not following these guidelines has already been established, use it.  It is better to have all books about the same city sit together on the shelf.  In the call numbers below, Rome was set up as R76, even though the cutter number is R763 in Cutter-Sanborn Three-Figure Author Table gives R763 as the cutter.  The last entry uses the full cutter number, not following previously established practice:

ML290.8 R76 A1
ML290.8 R76 A16
ML290.8 R76 A6
ML290.8 R76 A8
ML290.8 R76 C3
ML290.8 R76 C91
ML290.8 R76 C91 1711¹
ML290.8 R76 K16
ML290.8 R76 L4
ML290.8 R76 M9
ML290.8 R76 M98
ML290.8 R76 R4
ML290.8 R763 S7
¹For an explanation of the use of the date in this call number, see cuttering by date of publication.

In these examples, place (New York) is further divided by the institution, society, etc. (Philharmonic) that is the subject of the book. A third cutter number, when needed, is added for main entry:

cutter for:
class     place   institution  |______| |____| |__| ML200.8    N532   P5  H8+ ML200.8    N532   P5  H9 ML200.8    N532   P5  K5+ ML200.8    N532   P5  K9	-- Main entry cutter H8 -- Main entry cutter H9 -- Main entry cutter K5+ -- Main entry cutter K9	= Horizons '83 (title main entry) = Huneker = King = Krehbiel

Although it is LC policy to limit a call number to two cutter numbers, it is Yale policy to use a third cutter number when deemed necessary.

In some class numbers, it makes sense to add a fuller author cutter number.  In areas in which a high number of books are expected, such as ML410 for Bach, Beethoven, etc., assigning a fuller author cutter number might avoid future conflicts.

The example below illustrates this point.   The first book to be received was by Goertzen, and was assigned an author cutter number with only one number.   The full cutter number for Goertzen would be G597, but because there were no other books on Brahms with an author cutter number beginning with G5, the final two digits were omitted.  An additional number was needed in the author cutter number for the second book.  The two books on Brahms will not sit alphabetically on the shelf.

Call number -------------------	Author ---------------------------------------
ML410 B813 G5	Goertzen, Valerie Woodring, 1954-
ML410 B813 G52	Giribaldi, Emilia, 1970-

Date of publication

The date of publication is added to these call numbers because they are different editions issued by the same publisher:
Adorno, Theodor W., 1903-1969.
   Dissonanzen; Musik in der verwalteten Welt. -- 2., erweiterte Ausgabe. -- Gottingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, [1958].
ML197 A241 D6 1958

Adorno, Theodor W., 1903-1969.
   Dissonanzen. Musik in d. verwalteten Welt.-- 5. Aufl. -- Gottingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1972.
ML197 A241 D6 1972

³ In this case, there are several books about Bach by Terry.  The cutter number for title in each call number begins with "T3":

ML410 B118 T3	Bach; a biography	If we had added an additional number to the final cutter number, the translation would not have sat next to the original version. To avoid this, an additional cutter number, for title, was added to the translation: ML410 B118 T3 B1
ML410 B118 T32	Bach's chorals
ML410 B118 T325	Bach : the historical approach
ML410 B118 T327	Bach, the Mass in B minor
ML410 B118 T329	Bach's orchestra
ML410 B118 T3291	The music of Bach : an introduction

The item in the original language:	The translation:
Rameau, Jean Philippe, 1683-1764. Demonstration du principe de l'harmonie, servant de base a tout l'art musical theorique & pratique. ML3805 R171 D38	Rameau, Jean Philippe, 1683-1764.    [Demonstration du principe de l'harmonie. English] Rameau's Demonstration du principe de l'harmonie ML3805 R171 D381
In this example, we have the 1850 edition of the original and a translation of the 1851 edition. In addition to the number "1" to indicate translation into English, the date is also added to the second call number:
The item in the original language:	The translation:
Weber, Gottfried, 1779-1839. Versuch einer geordneten Theorie der Tonsetzkunst MT40 W374 V56 1830	Weber, Gottfried, 1779-1839.    [Versuch einer geordneten Theorie der Tonsetzkunst.  English] The theory of musical composition MT40 W374 V561 1851

Generally add an additional number for translation to the title cutter number even when we do not own the original.  When we receive it, it will be assigned the same title cutter number minus the final letter indicating translation.

In the example below, the number 1 is added for the translation from German into English, even though we don't own the original German version.  This anticipates a possible conflict should we get the German edition.

Bree, Malwine, b. 1861.
   [Grundlage der Methode Leschetizky. English]
The groundwork of the Leschetizky method
MT222 B832 G81

When the translation is from any language, including English, into language other than English, assign an additional number other than 1:

The original English version:	The translation into Italian:
Heller, Karl, Dr. phil.    Antonio Vivaldi ML410 V855 A65	Heller, Karl, Dr. phil.    [Antonio Vivaldi. Italian] Vivaldi ML410 V855 A652

This is an example in the incorrect way to indicate translation in the call number:

The original language:	The translation:
Hindemith, Paul, 1895-1963. Unterweisung im Tonsatz. MT40 H662 U6	Hindemith, Paul, 1895-1963.    [Unterweisung im tonsatz. English] The craft of musical composition MT40 H662 C8

The original was cuttered by U6 for Unterweisung. The translation was cuttered by C8 for Craft. It should have been cuttered by U6, not only because it is a translation, but also because there is a uniform title. When both a 240 and a 245 exist, the title cutter number should be based on the uniform title (240).

Call number	111/711 field
ML3805 F418 1967	Festival international du son haute fidélité stéréophonie n (9th : d 1967 : c Paris, France)
ML3805 F418 1969	Festival international du son haute fidélité stéréophonie n (11th : d 1969 : c Paris, France)
ML3805 F418 1970	Festival international du son haute fidélité stéréophonie n (12th : d 1970 : c Paris, France)
ML3805 F418 1975	Festival international du son haute fidélité stéréophonie n (17th : d 1975 : c Paris, France)

Comments to Mickey Koth Yale University Music Library
Last revised July 8, 2010.