Gloss on Undifferentiated Personal Names
Undifferentiated (also known as non-unique or consolidated) personal names authority records is a device called for by AACR2 22.20.
If at the point of creating a new personal name authority record an existing personal name authority record with the exact same name is found in the authority file against which one is searching, a determination must be made to ascertain if the individuals are the same.
If the names can be ascribed to different individuals then LCRI 22.17-22.20 provides us with a list of additions permitted to be added to the formulation of the person's name in order to avoid a "conflict" or what would appear to be an apparent duplicate of the same NAR.
The LCRI gives the list in priority order staring with:
A. Fuller forms of names for abbreviations and initials [LCRI 22.18 asks us to do this anyway]
B. Dates. [LCRI 22.17 asks us to do this anyway] but in this case we may include the addition of a birth day to differentiate the name in the event that information shows that the persons were born in the same year. BUT a century or flourished date may NOT be added for 20th century persons.
C. A term or address ASSOCIATED with the name (for 20th century persons), and then only if the term associated with the name appeared in a prominent source. (These terms may include Ph.D., Dr., Prof.; BUT NOT: actor, comedian, producer, writer on ...., these descriptive phrases may only be used for pre-20th century persons)
D. Fuller form of name when name does NOT contain an initial or abbreviation.
E. Full forename when nickname is used on t.p. (This must be justified, e.g., Dick Clark cannot become Clark, Dick (Richard) unless one has evidence that in fact that is his full forename). Also be aware that the inverse is not permitted. If the name on the t.p. is Anthony Franco and we have evidence that the person's nickname is "Tony." "Tony" may not be used as an addition to break a conflict.
Finally, if none of these elements can be added to the heading being newly created the LCRI says to apply options A-E to the extant heading and hope that someone has added a 670 with this information to break the clash of headings.
Remember that in adding information to the extant heading if both a full form of name representing an initial and a date (options 1-2) are available add both; otherwise only add one element or another from any of the options 1-5.
Note that the LCRI also tells us that we are not to change the heading in an NAR if "better" information (e.g., a date or fuller form of name) becomes available if options D-E have been used; however, do add that info in a new 670.
The LCRI also tells us that when a fuller form of name (to fill in an abbreviation or initial), a date, or a term of address (options A-C) become available then undo the undifferentiated NAR and establish the name in its own NAR.
Things to remember about creating Undifferentiated NARs (Non-Unique names)
1. Undifferentiated NARs are created ONLY for personal names. (AACR2 22.20)
2. Undifferentiated NARs are created ONLY after exhausting the possibilities listed in LCRI 22.17-22.20 for breaking conflicts.
3. If unable to add some element to heading being established to break conflict, it is necessary to apply possibilities for resolving conflict on extant NAR and if possible make an addition to that heading.
3. Undifferentiated NARs contain 2 sets of 670s for same item/person (the 1st given in brackets identifies the individual with a specific title and contains NO subfield $b; the 2nd as per usual).
4. Fixed field (008/32) "name" is set to "b" to note the fact that the NAR represents more than one author.
5. A NAR for undifferentiated name should include at least one 675 source citation from an appropriate reference source.
dcc@cwu.edu; 10/31/2000