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Cuttering

Contents

 
General Rules
     Transliterated Names
Personal Surname Entries
     Surnames with Prefixes (Articles & Prepositions)
     Personal Names in Direct Order
     Corporate Names
Title Main Entries
     Uniform Titles
Double Cuttering
     Automobiles
     AV Materials
          Ballets
          Musicals, Stage or TV
     Video Games
     Computer Languages
     Fairy Tales
     MAC
     Topical Subjects
Appendix
     Shakespeare
 

 

General Rules

  • The cutter is an alphabetical notation used for arranging fiction and sub-arranging other library materials on shelves.
  • It is, with few exceptions, based on the first three alphabetical letters of the first filing word of the main entry.
  • Word means characters, written together with or without punctuation, followed by a space.
  • Numerals only at the beginning of the field will be translated to their alphabetic equivalent; all other numerals are ignored.
  • Symbols, punctuation marks and other special characters appearing in the first three characters of the main entry are ignored, unless the symbol is acting as a replacement for a letter. In those instances, the replaced letter should be used in cuttering. A numeral as the second or third character means a one or two digit cutter, e.g.

092      |aDVD 782.42166 U
110 2   |aU2 (Musical group)
245 00 |aU2|h[videorecording] :|b360° at the Rose Bowl /|c[director, Tom Krueger].
246 3   |aU2|h[videorecording] :|b360 degrees at the Rose Bowl
246 3   |a360° at the Rose Bowl|h[videorecording]

092      |aDVD 780.2 PIN
245 00 |aP!nk|h[videorecording] :|ba life less ordinary.
246 3   |aPink|h[videorecording[
246 1   |iContainer title:|aPink, alive and kicking|h[videorecording]

099      |aCD POP AHA
110 2   |aA-ha (Musical group)
245 10 |a25|h[sound recording] :|b[the very best of A-ha] /|cA-ha.
246 3   |aTwenty-five|h[sound recording] :|b[the very best of A-ha]                                                                   

OS/2
OS
OE&M
OEM
F2-M
F
 E-@thletes
ETH

 

Transliterated Names

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Personal Surname Entries

  • Cutter for the first word of the surname, e.g.
Smith
SMI
Wilson-Barker
WIL
Ng
NG
W.-Jones, J.
WJO
McCracken
MCC
McDougall
MCD
  • Exceptions: Use 4 letters for names beginning with Mac
MacDougal
MACD
Macak
MACA

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Surnames with Prefixes

  • Use 3 letters for cutter for names beginning with a prefix
De La Roche
DEL
Ó Sé, Diarmuid
OSE
D'Aquino
DAQ
d'Aprix
DAP
St. John          
STJ
De Havilland
DEH
  • For Arabic surnames that include an article:
    • Al or al is the definte article in Arabic
    • Surnames that begin with al- often refer to the place where ancestors were born
    • Reference works often alphabetize names beginning with al- under the word following al-, e.g. al-Hakami would start with H
    • According to the Chicago Manual of Style, Arabic names are indexed by surnames. Names may be alphabetized under Abu (father of), Abd (servant of) and bint/ibn (daughter/son of), while names are not alphabetized under al- and el- and are instead alphabetized under the following element.
    • Francophone countries are more likely to transliterate al- as el- e.g. Tunisia, but it is an individual’s personal preference.
    • Just to be confusing Āl is a designator of a family or tribal name and is always romanized with a capital letter and a macron. 
al-Hakami, Ibrahim ALH Al Majid, Rashed
ALM
Āl Aḥmad, Jalāl
ALA
El-Feki, Shereen
ELF
  • See RDA Toolkit, Appendix F, F.11 Recording Surnames That Include an Article and/or a Preposition, for additional guidelines on surnames with prefixes

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Personal Names Direct Order

  • Cutter for the first word.
La Tamara
LA
Anne Boleyn, Queen
ANN
G. Love, 1972-
G
Sun Ra
SUN
Dr. N.
DR
Mr. T
MR
Mrs. Smith
MRS
Da Silva (Vocalist)
DA
Mr. John
MR
H. D.
[initials with space]
H
Sa-Fire (Musician)
(ignore hyphen)
SAF
TKO (Musician)
[no spaces between letters]
TKO
Viðar Hreinsson
(substitute d for ð) for an Icelandic name
VID
 
 

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Corporate Names

  • Cutter for the first word of the corporate name.
  • Ignore punctuation unless accompanied by a space.
Canada. Dept.
CAN
United States. Dept.
UNI
De Havilland Aircraft
DE
ASS Goddard Memorial
ASS
De La Soul (Musical group)
DE
IFLA Office
IFL
R.O.A.R. (Musical group)
ROA
I Level (Musical group)
I
I-Threes (Musical group)
ITH
In Parallel
IN
T. Rex (Musical group)
T
St. Petersburger Kammerchor
ST
AC/DC (Musical group)
ACD
A-ha (Musical group)
AHA

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Corporate Names with Numerics/Symbols in the First Word

  • Do not include numerics in cutter. When a numeric is the first character of a word, cutter for the numeric as spoken in the language of the title.
  • When numeric occurs within the first word use letter(s) given before the numerics.
U2 (Musical group)
U
UB40 (Musical group)
UB
20 Feet (Musical group)
TWE
2nd chapter of Acts (Musical group)
SEC
3 Paraguayos (Musical group)
TRE
XIIth House (Musical group)
TWE
Hi-Five (Musical group)
HIF
 
 
  • Note: Use 3 letters for corporate names beginning with MAC.

MacGill and Co.

MAC

Machine Head (Musical group)

MAC

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Title Main Entries

  • The symbol "#" at the beginning of a title will be cuttered as the word "number"; the abbreviation “No” will be cuttered as NO, e.g.

245 |a #1 hits 1965-1969, cutter: NUM
245 |a No. 1 70’s rock album, cutter: NO.

  • Cutter for the first filing word only.
  • Numerics or dates in titles are cuttered for the numeric or date as spoken in the language or usage of the title.
  • If the first filing word is a combination of letters followed by numbers, cutter for the letters only.
ABC of science
ABC
A B C of science
A
e.encyclopedia
EEN
20th century art
TWE
1 2 3 game
ONE
4 maisons [i.e. quatre maisons]
QUA
1984 [as a date]
NIN
BMX Motorcycles
BMX
1984 days [as a number]
ONE
D.W.  rides again
DW
Da Vinci code
DA
ES&T presents VCR…
EST
St. Elmo’s fire
ST
It's magic
ITS
MS-DOS
MSD
SM5000
SM
OS/2
OS
 1080 Degree snowboarding
TEN
M:I:III (Mission Impossible 3)
MI
D.Gray-man
DGR
  • Note: Use 3 letters for titles (main entries) beginning with MAC.
Machinery
MAC
MacDonald and I
MAC

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Uniform Titles

  • When cuttering for uniform title, that is videorecordings, cutter with the established form of uniform title - not with the English form of name.

240 |a Fille du regiment.
(Cutter FIL not DAU for Daugher of the Regiment).

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Double Cuttering

  • Double cuttering is used so that items about specific persons, or on certain specific subjects, sit together on the shelves.

E.g. A book about Raspberry Pi (computer) is classified as 005.265 RAS ABC

  • Double cuttering may be used in all classes in Dewey, for all items which are classified by the Dewey Decimal classification (e.g. print materials, videorecordings, talking books) but it is especially important in biography, 920-928 and literature, 800.
  • In literature (800’s) double cutter only for criticism, not for a subject dealt with in the literary text, e.g. book of poems about Bob Dylan is cuttered only for the author of the poems.

E.g. A book about the English painter Stanley Spencer by G. Behrend is classified 759.2 SPE BEH.

E.g. A book about Spencer with the title main entry Stanley Spencer would be classified 759.2 SPE STA.

E.g. If the title main entry were Spencer, also double cutter 759.2 SPE SPE; however, for a book by Spencer on his own work, do not double cutter, i.e., 759.2 SPE.

  • If the main theme of the material is about the subject heading (600/610/611/630), then double cutter.
  • Only double cutter for 650 when required by Dewey or specified in the Manual.
610 |a Titanic (Steamship)
910.91631 TIT BAL
611 |a Mount Everest Expedition (1996)
796.522 MOU COB
630 |a Microsoft Excel 2003 (Computer file)
005.54 MIC FRY
  • If the material has more than two themes, then the cutter would be for the main entry only.
  • Do not double cutter if the Dewey number represents the subject and double cuttering would be redundant.
for a work on Freud
150.1952
for a book about the YMCA
267.3
  • An autobiography needs only to be cuttered for the author; however a biography written by someone with the same surname would be double cuttered as would a title main entry beginning with the subject's name.
  • If a book is about two people, cutter for the one named first on the title page, or the one given prominence in the text.
  • A book with the title main entry Shakespeare's influence on Keats would be classified 821.7 KEA SHA
  • Note: The second cutter is always for the main entry. If a book is about three or more people do not double cutter; instead cutter for the main entry.
  • Autobiographies may not sit together because of their cutters; this will be an infrequent occurrence if an author uses a different name from time to time, i.e. Roseanne, Roseanne Arnold, Roseanne Barr.

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Double Cuttering for Automobiles

  • Double cutter for the first of 1 or 2 specific makes as listed in the 650’s.
  • Do not double cutter if there are 3 specific makes; cutter only for main entry.
  • For more than 3 specific makes: if possible, choose a broader subject heading which would then allow double cuttering.
650 |a Ford trucks
FOR
650 |a Chevrolet trucks
CHE
650 |a Harley-Davidson motorcycle
HAR
  • In general, the first cutter in such cases is for the make of automobile, not for its manufacturer.

A title on how to repair your Ford Pinto by Chalmers-Hunt
092 |a 629.28722 PIN CHA
100 |a Chalmers-Hunt, B. L. (Brian Leonard)
245 |a Ford Pinto owners workshop manual ...
650 |a Pinto automobile

A title main entry Pinto tune-up & repair
092 |a 629.28722 PIN PIN
245 |a Pinto tune-up & repair.
650 |a Pinto automobile

  • Note: In practice, EPL has been making exceptions to this "make" vs. "manufacturer" distinction (chiefly to satisfy customer demands). Books on car or truck make designated only by letter and number or by manufacturer and number are being cuttered for manufacturer, not for make.
Audi 4000
AUD
Mazda RX7
MAZ

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Double Cuttering for Audio-Visual Materials

  • Generally do NOT double cutter for those items which are not classified by the Dewey Decimal system (this affects most sound recordings), e.g.

245   Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre
099   DVD J SHE
     NOT
099   DVD J FAE SHE
245    Walt Disney's 101 dalmatians

099    DVD J ONE WAL
     NOT
099    DVD J WAL

(there is a general exception for titles prefaced by "(Walt) Disney's")
 

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Double Cuttering for Ballets

  • Double cuttering, when classified using Dewey, is mandated to "arrange alphabetically by title."
  • Double cutter based on the 730 uniform title for choreographic work if the 245 is title main entry and if its |a is not the same as the 730.

E.g. 1. Alexander Ekman's A Swan Lake

092 DVD 792.842 SWA ALE
245 Alexander Ekman's a swan lake|h[videorecording]...
730 Swan lake (Choreographic work)

E.g. 2. Ondine   

092 DVD 792.842 OND
245 Ondine|h[videorecording] /|c[film director, Ross MacGibbon].
700 Henze, Hans Werner,|d1926-2012.|tUndine.    
730 Ondine (Choreographic work)

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Double Cuttering for Musicals, Stage or TV Presentations

  • The instruction in Dewey to “Arrange alphabetically by name of program” does not require double cuttering unless the main entry is not the same as the title of the program, e.g.

092 |a DVD 791.4572 RED
245 |a The Red Green show.|n1999 season|h[videorecording]

  • Double cutter only if the title of the musical, stage presentation or TV presentation and the 245 |a are not the same, e.g.

092 |a DVD 792.642 MUS MER
245 |a Meredith Wilson's the music man

  • Double cutter if the videorecording is about the musical, stage presentation or TV presentation, e.g.

092 |a DVD 792.642 ON ON
245 |a On your toes [about the producing of a musical; record contains a subject heading]
600 |a Rodgers, Richard, |d 1902-1979. |t On your toes.

092 |a DVD 792.92 IMA PLA
245 |a The players [about the production of a play; record contains a subject heading]
600 |a Moliere, |d 1622-1673. |t Imaginary invalid.

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Double Cuttering for Video Games

  • Cutter first for the game's title, then for the creator's name as it appears in the 245 $a, e.g.

092 |a Video game 794.8 RAI TOM
245 |a Tom Clancy's Rainbow six.|pExtraction|h[game]

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Double Cuttering for Computer Languages

  • Cutter first for program language, then for main entry. Form cutters for program languages from the first three letters of the first word.
BASIC
BAS
COBOL
COB
SNOBOL
SNO
FORTRAN
FOR
RPG
RPG
dBASE
DBA

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Double Cuttering for Fairy Tales classed 398.2

  • Double cutter adaptations of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, Grimm Brothers, Charles Perrault and Aesop, if the work openly states that it is a version of the original story by one of these authors.

092 |a J 398.245 AND ISA
100 |a Isadora, Rachel
245 |a The ugly duckling / |c written by Hans Christian Andersen ; retold and illustrated by Rachel Isadora.
700 |a Andersen, H. C. |q (Hans Christian), |d 1805-1875

  • Double cutter adaptations of anonymous fairy tales for uniform title of the tale, if not redundant.

092 |a J 398.22 ALA DAN
100 |a Daniels, Patricia
245 |a Aladdin and the magic lamp / |c retold by Patricia Daniels.

092 |a DVD J 398.22 ALA
245 |a Aladdin |h [videorecording].

  • Double cutter for legendary characters.

092 | a J 398.22 BUN KEL
100 |a Kellogg, Steven
245 |a Paul Bunyan ...
650 |a Bunyan, Paul (Legendary character)

  • Double cuttering for Mother Goose in 398.8
  • Where the main entry cutter is not MOT, double cutter collections of original Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

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MAC Double Cutters

  • When cuttering for subjects cutter 4 letters for 6XX.
600 |a MacDonald, J. A.
MACD
630 |a Maclean's
MACL
650 |a Macintosh computer
MACI
 
 

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Double Cuttering for Topical Subjects

  • Double cutter for topical subjects where Dewey instructs you to sub-arrange by subject of work.

005.133 (computer program languages)
629.2222 (passenger automobiles)
629.287… (maintenance and repair)
791.4372 (film titles)

  • In such cases, use LC subject headings as a guide in forming the first cutter.
  • Exceptions:
  • Double cutter for:

650 |a Dionne quintuplets.
650 |a Joan (Legendary Pope)

  • Do not double cutter for biographies of animals, e.g.

Seabiscuit (Race horse)

  • Double cutter for other types of vehicles in:

629.223 [Light trucks]
629.224 [Trucks]
629.2275 [Motorcycles]

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Appendix

 

Shakespeare

  • For added editions of works by Shakespeare, do not add date of publication to call no.
  • Special Author Table for William Shakespeare 822.33
  • A1 Complete works of Shakespeare
  • B1 Selected works of Shakespeare
  • C Single plays: C plus number for play from below e.g. 822.33 C17
C1
All's well that ends well
C18
The merchant of Venice
C2
Antony and Cleopatra
C19
The merry wives of Windsor
C3
As you like it
C20
A midsummer night's dream
C4
The comedy of errors
C21
Much ado about nothing
C5
Coriolanus
C22
Othello
C6
Cymbeline
C23
Pericles
C7
Hamlet
C24
Richard II
C8
Henry IV*
C25
Richard III
C9
Henry V*
C26
Romeo and Juliet
C10
Henry VI*
C27
The taming of the shrew
C11
Henry VIII
C28
The tempest
C12
Julius Caesar
C29
Timon of Athens
C13
King John
C30
Titus Andronicus
C14
King Lear
C31
Troilus and Cressida
C15
Love's labour's lost
C32
Twelfth night
C16
Macbeth
C33
The two gentlemen of Verona
C17
Measure for measure
C34
The winter's tale

* Do not add part no. to call no.

Criticism of single plays

  • C plus play number, plus cutter, e.g. 822.33 C17MAN
  • For criticism, write play number and cutter for the main entry on the same line.
  • D2 Poems
  • D2 Criticism of poems (plus cutter for main entry)
  • D3 Sonnets
  • D3 Criticism of sonnets (plus cutter for main entry)
  • E2 Authorship (plus cutter for main entry)
  • F2 Bibliography (plus cutter for main entry)
  • G2 Biographies (plus cutter for main entry)
  • H2 General criticism (plus cutter for main entry)
  • I2 Concordances (plus cutter for main entry)
  • J2 Dictionaries (plus cutter for main entry)
  • K2 Quotations (use for compilations only; do not add cutter for Shakespeare main entry. For criticism, use H2)
  • L2 Textual criticism (plus cutter for main entry)
  • M2 Stage presentations (plus cutter for main entry)
  • N2 Adaptations (plus cutter for main entry)
  • O2 Miscellany (plus cutter for main entry)
  • Note: There is no space between the cutters, e.g. H2ABC

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Rev.: Mar. 9, 2022