From: John Lancaster [mailto:jlancaster@amherst.edu]

Sent: Thursday, 02 July, 2009 09:29

To: nschneider@humnet.ucla.edu

Cc: Deborah J. Leslie

Subject: Fists (aka Pointing hands, Manicules)

Dear Ms. Schneider:

I realise there's a moratorium on new terms (and I assume on any other changes to the thesauri), but perhaps you're keeping a file for the future.

If so, I'd urge that the term "Fists" be reviewed in light of the chapter on manicules (pointing hands) in William Sherman's book Used Books.  There's a convincing case to be made that "fist" came into use only as a reference to the type-metal versions, so it's inappropriate when used for manuscript versions (as it must be when referring to it as provenance evidence).  Whether Sherman's preferred "manicule" or the more descriptive "pointing hand" is used, is a separate question.

Leading on from this, I wonder if there isn't room in the type evidence section for a few more specific terms, such as "pilcrow" (and maybe even "fist").

Thanks.

DJL's reply, 20090702:

     Actually, Bill Sherman expressed regret that he hadn’t known of the thesaurus term before he wrote his article. The question of “fist” vs. “pointing hand” &c. has come up before. A Yale cataloger in about 1997 did a full research of the options, (this was before Bill’s article), and confirmed that “fists” had the most warrant. I’m not sure she considered the issue of print vs. ms. Fists.

Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted by John Lancaster (jlancaster@amherst.edu) on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 12:17:51

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thesaurus: Provenance Evidence

new term: Expurgated copies

source of term: By analogy to Expurgated editions (Genre Terms); no external source to cite.

scope note: Use for individual copies from which material has been removed or obliterated for political, religious, moral, or other principled reasons.  [This may need some tweaking.]

UF terms: Censored copies

new term comments: A term is needed for individual copies that have been censored or expurgated, whether for political, religious, moral, or other reasons.

This strikes me as an example of a term that doesn't really belong under Provenance, but rather in a less determinate category of post-publication alterations that don't fit either Binding or Provenance.

I realize no new terms are being considered now, but hope this can join the queue for eventual consideration.

submitter date: 2009 July 28

submitter telephone: 413-268-7679

submitter institution: Amherst College (emeritus)

Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted by John Lancaster (jlancaster@amherst.edu) on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 11:16:09

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thesaurus: Binding Terms

new term: Interleaved copies.

source of term: Cf. Carter's ABC: INTERLEAVED When a book is bound with blank leaves alternating with the printed leaves it is said to be interleaved.

scope note: Cf. Carter, above.

submitter date: 8 September 2009

submitter telephone: 413-537-1041

submitter institution: Amherst College (emeritus)