Initialisms, acronyms, and abbreviations

Updated 08/2018

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Personal names
Corporate names
Conferences

Personal names

Only use abbreviations in the authorized heading if the agent uses the abbreviation in the source. Create a variant name with the full form (RDA B.2)

Example:
100 0# $a Anne of St. Bartholomew, ǂc Mother, ǂd 1550-1626
400 0# $a Anne of Saint Bartholomew, ǂc Mother, ǂd 1550-1626

For names consisting of initials, separate letters, or numerals (RDA 9.2.2.21):

Prefered name should consist of initials in direct order.
Create a reference for the initials in indirect order by rotating the final initial to the front and treating it as a surname.
Separate individual letters with a space (RDA 8.5.6.1)

Examples:
100 0# $a A. L. O. E., $d 1881-1893
400 1# $a E., A. L. O., $d 1881-1893

100 0# $a G. T. L. ǂq (Gardner T. Lyon)
400 1# $a L., G. T. ǂq (Gardner T. Lyon)

Titles and terms of address should be recorded in the language and form in which they are found (full or abbreviated). Do not extrapolate fuller forms from the abbreviation. If both versions are found, prefer the full form over the abbreviation.

Examples:

100 1# $a Davis, Maxwell, $c Mrs. (not Mistress)

100 1# $a Young, Thomas, $c Rev. (not Reverend)

100 1# $a Seuss, $c Dr. (not Doctor)

Corporate bodies

Do not separate letters in an initialism or acronym with a space (RDA 8.5.6.2). Use full stops if it appears that way in the source material.

Examples:

110 2# $a W.W. Norton & Company (not W. W. Norton & Company)

110 2# $a CPO Nacional (Brazil) (not C P O Nacional)

Capitalize the letters according to the predominant usage of the body

Example:

110 2# $a Unesco (not UNESCO)

Initialisms and acronyms used as variant names should be qualified by the authorized heading.

Examples:
110 2# $a Central Land Association
410 2# $a CLA (Central Land Association)

110 2# $a United Estates of Wythenshawe (Organisation)
410 2# $a UEW (United Estates of Wythenshawe (Organisation))

Conferences

If the name of a conference consists of an acronym or an initialism, qualify it with (Conference)

Examples:

111 2#a $a AAATE (Conference) ǂn (10th : ǂd 2009 : ǂc Florence, Italy)

111 2# $a LRCW (Conference) ǂn (4th : ǂd 2011 : ǂc Thessalonikē, Greece)