Prussian instructions

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The Prussian Instructions (PI) are library rules that were previously used in academic libraries for cataloging . From the 1980s onwards, the Prussian Instructions were replaced by other sets of rules such as the Rules for Alphabetical Cataloging (RAK), which in turn have been replaced by the Resource Description and Access (RDA) rules since 2015 .

history

As early as 1886, Karl Dziatzko had presented a set of rules with the "Breslauer Instructions". Here the order of the titles was regulated , not the admission . In 1890 the Royal Library in Berlin created “instructions” that were used to regulate admission and not order. In 1899 a compromise arose from these two "instructions", the first uniform set of rules, the "Prussian Instructions (PI)". They were first published on May 10, 1899 under the title Instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Prussian libraries and for the Prussian general catalog . Fritz Milkau , who later worked for Friedrich Althoff , played a key role in the creation of the PI. The second edition appeared in 1908. The PI were the basis for the Prussian General Catalog (later: German General Catalog).

In its time, the PI were a great step forward in the German library landscape, some of which were also used outside of Prussia in exemplary fashion . Despite the role model effect, it was often not possible to enforce uniform and consistent application of guidelines in the cataloging of important old libraries in Bavaria, Hesse, Saxony and at other traditional library locations in Germany before the introduction of EDP. The special rules, which were based largely on the structure of the German language and are difficult to transfer to other languages, have now been replaced by other sets of rules in the international network of libraries.

One of the peculiarities of the PI is that multiple author writings (from 4 authors) and factual title fonts were sorted according to the principle of grammatical order in the catalog. This means that the first independent noun is usually decisive for the classification in the (slip) catalog . Articles and prepositions are ignored. In addition, there are no entries under corporations at the PI . With regard to the classification in the catalog, no difference is made between the letters I and J, German umlauts are sorted like their basic form. The writings of an author are divided into groups: First, editions of works are listed, then partial collections, fragments and excerpts from works, only then individual writings.

The application of the rules is comparatively complex and unsuitable for online catalogs , so that they are only used very rarely today. In the case of subject catalogs according to keywords or correspondingly structured directories, however, knowledge of this is still helpful.

Web links

literature

  • Helmut Allischewski: Retrieval according to Prussian instructions. Representation of the research problems in "Prussian" catalogs based on a system of font classes. Reichert, Wiesbaden 1982, ISBN 3-88226-143-9 .
  • Hermann Fuchs: Commentary on the instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Prussian libraries. 5th, unchanged edition, Wiesbaden 1973, ISBN 3-447-002743 .
  • Engelbert Plassmann : One hundred years of “Prussian Instructions”. Public lecture at the Humboldt University in Berlin as part of the Berlin Library Science Colloquium on May 11, 1999. Logos, Berlin 2000 (= Berlin works on library science. Volume 1), ISBN 3-89722-335-X .
  • Hans Popst, Charles R. Croissant: The Development of Descriptive Cataloging in Germany. In: Cataloging & Classification Quarterly. Volume 35, No. 1–2, 2002, pp. 155–172, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/J104v35n01_10 .
  • Dale Sass: Explanations of the instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Prussian libraries. Harrassowitz, Leipzig 1927.
  • Instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Pruszian libraries of May 10, 1899. 2nd edition, in the version of August 10, 1908. Behrend, Berlin 1909.
  • Instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Prussian libraries of May 10, 1899: explanations, additions, example additions. Hopfer, Burg b. M. 1905.
  • Instructions for the alphabetical catalogs of the Prussian libraries and for the Prussian general catalog: from May 10, 1899. Asher, Berlin 1899.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ (Demolished after) Hans Pobst: Development of the RAK - rules for the alphabetical catalog. In: biblio.at | Website of the Austrian Library Service. Retrieved March 3, 2020 .
  2. ^ Karl Dziatzko: Instruction for the order of the titles in the alphabetical card catalog of the Royal and University Library in Wroclaw. Asher, Berlin 1886.
  3. ^ Special features of the Prussian Instructions (PI) in the ZKBW. In: Central Catalog Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved March 3, 2020 .
  4. ^ Ludwig Sickmann: Les Problèmes du catalog alphabétique d'auteurs et de titres en Allemagne. Situation present . In: Bulletin des bibliothèques de France (BBF) . No. 9-10 , 1961, ISSN  1292-8399 , pp. 423-429 (French, enssib.fr ).