[LM_NET] HIT: "Correct" spine labels for authors with spaces or apostrophes?

[Kris Detmer <Kdetmer@COLUMBIA.K12.MO.US>]

Alas, if there is an official right and proper way to create spine labels for 
authors such as Madeline L'Engle and Ursula Le Guin, nobody in this group has 
informed me.  The best suggestion I go was to pick a system that makes sense to me 
and make it universal in my library.  Thus, I will be using the first three letters 
and including spaces or apostrophes but not counting them in the "three letter 
count".  So in our library books by Ursula Le Guin will be labeled:

FIC 
LE G

And Madeline L'Engle's will be:

FIC
L'EN

But if you were looking for a definitive answer, I don't have one!  Thanks for all 
the responses anyhow.

Here was the original post:
On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 2:27 PM, Kris Detmer <Kdetmer@columbia.k12.mo.us> wrote:

Dear Wise Ones:

I am currently trying to standardize the spine labels in our library (each of my 
predecessors appears to have had her own method!), so that each one contains the 
first three letters of the author's last name. For example, a fiction book might be 
labeled:

FIC
ABB

and a nonfiction book might appear thus:

808.11
BOL

My question has to do with authors whose first names contain spaces of apostrophes. 
Is there a rule regarding what to do for books by Ursula Le Guin, for example? 
Should I treat the space as a character and stop at three, thus using just "LE"? Or 
should it be "LEG"? or even "LE G"? How about Madeline L'Engle? ("L'E"? "L'EN"?)

I'm not so much interested in "here's what we do and it works for us" sorts of 
answers, because although I appreciate the helpful intentions I can figure out what 
works for me on my own. Mostly I want to know, as I said if there is any sort of 
official rule or guideline for spine labels using the first three letters of the 
author's surname that pertains to such cases!

Many thanks!

***

Kris

Kristina Detmer
Library Media Specialist
Jefferson Jr. High School
Columbia, Missouri, USA
kdetmer@columbia.k12.mo.us

When I get a little money, I buy books; and, if any is left, I buy food and 
clothes." 
~attributed to Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus 

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, you send a message to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET
2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL
4) SET LM_NET DIGEST

 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/join.html
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/category/links/el-announce/

--------------------------------------------------------------------