[LM_NET] Hit: Spine label designation for author's names containing an apostrophe

[Brenda Hahn <Brenda.Hahn@K12.SD.US>]

Greetings,

Earlier this week, I asked the following question of all of you:

"On our spine labels, we use the Dewey number or "Fic" on the first line, with the 
first three letters of the author's last name on the second line.  What would be 
the correct three-letter designation for an author whose name contains an 
apostrophe...as in L'Engle?"

I had a couple of requests for a hit, and though this week has proved unexpectedly 
hectic, and I am very tardy in providing it, here are the responses that I received:

We always use “LEn”

I don't know that it really matters, as long as you are consistent. If you use the 
apostrophe, how will you shelve the books? Will you treat it as a two-letter 
abbreviation, ignoring the apostrophe, which would put L'Engle (L'E) at the 
beginning of the LE shelf? If you don't use the apostrophe, L'Engle's books might 
be mixed up with someone with a last name that starts with LEN.  If your automation 
system puts in the three letters automatically, check it and see what it does. You 
might also look at the books on your shelves and decide which way will make you 
change the least spine labels. <grin>

Why stop at three letters?  We relabeled all of our books in the last 18 months, 
with the authors full name: i.e. JF, Parks, Barbara.  It makes it really easy for 
our shelvers to put books away, and to spot out of order titles. 

I checked our public library catalog and they use LEn. You might want to go with 
what the public libraries in your area do, just for continuity.

Mine are LEN, all caps.

I use the entire last name- so it would be L'Engle for me.

I would use Len or LEn.  The alphabetizing would be the same. 

I don't know if there is an official "rule" but to my way of thinking, the call 
number is there primarily to shelve the book properly – not identify it. I use FIC 
(in caps) and the author call letters in all caps to simplify. I remove the spaces 
and apostrophes if I am doing the cataloging. So L'En  would be LEN. If the book 
comes from the vendor with L'E or L'En I would probably change it if I had time, 
mainly because I rely on student shelvers, so it's less complicated for them.  I 
think the only time it would make a difference is if you print out a list by call 
number – then it might make a slight difference. 

In the past I've always just put the next letter after the apostrophe.  LEN for 
L'Engle.



Brenda Hahn, Librarian
Grades 5-12 Library
Dell Rapids Public School
Dell Rapids, SD 57022-1036
Brenda.Hahn@k12.sd.us 
"You were born an original.  Don't die a copy."  John Mason
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