AB - Bibliographies and Catalogs

1997

AB -- Bibliographies and Catalogs

Historische Kataloge der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München: Münchner Hofbibliothek und andere Provenienzen [Historical Catalogs of the Bavarian State Library: Munich Court Library and Other Provenances]. Stephan Kellner and Annemarie Spethmann. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1996. xxxi, 609 p. 26 cm. (Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Monacensis, 11) ISBN 3-447-03444-0: DM 134.00

This latest in a series of catalogs of manuscript holdings of the Bavarian State Library (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, or BSB) represents not only the fruition of a century-old BSB project, but also a significant research tool for bibliography and the history of libraries and education. It lists and describes an 1800-volume collection of catalogs encompassing the various courtly, monastic, and personal libraries that have been absorbed by the library since the 16th century. In comparison to those of similar libraries, this collection is remarkable for its variety and completeness, thanks largely to the foresight of the 19th-century philologist and librarian Andreas Schmeller, who brought the collection together and organized it. The compilers of this work provide a wealth of historical and descriptive information about the collections represented, and in general set a lofty standard for providing access to historic book catalogs. [mf/gw]

97-3/4-256

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Monografie [Italian National Bibliography. Monographs]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 27 cm. ISSN 0006-1077

Vol. 39 (1996), 12 vols. + suppl. Lit. 210,000 (subscription 1996), Lit. 260,000 (abroad), Lit. 230,000 (printed ed.), Lit. 280,000 (printed ed. + diskette)

Volume 1 of the Italian national bibliography, Bibliografia nazionale italiana (BNI), was published in 1958. It has been reviewed previously in IFB and RREO--see also RREA 1:15. The BNI is compiled by the BNCF (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze) and consists of several sub-series. The one under discussion here lists recently published monographs. It is the publication's policy to list monographs published during the current year as well as those published during the previous one. The lag time between a monograph's publication and its listing in the BNI leaves much to be desired. The monthly issue chosen as an example, volume 39 (1996), no. 6, listed 118 titles published in 1996, 777 from 1995, and 7 from 1994. Titles even older than these, and not previously listed, are compiled in a supplemental volume. From an acquisitions standpoint, lack of currency is the major problem with the BNI. This is due in part to the reluctance of publishers to deposit a copy of each publication with the BNCF and to the backlog of work at the BNCF. A new law is under consideration which would require publishers to deposit one copy of each new publication at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale. It remains to be seen whether this law, should it be passed, would improve the currency of the BNI. [sh/ba]

97-3/4-257

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Annunci di pubblicazioni di prossima edizione [Italian National Bibliography. Pre-publication Announcements]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 27 cm. Suppl. to Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Monografie. ISSN 1125-2499

1995, December -

This supplement to the monthly issues of the BNI, begun in December 1995, compiles new entries added to the electronic version (ALICE) of the Catalogo dei libri italiani in commercio (Italian Books in Print). Unfortunately, it does not list CIP entries, a means by which other national libraries disseminate information about new publications in a more timely manner. Although intended as an awareness tool for forthcoming books, this supplement fails to serve as such, as the titles listed in it have already been published. This supplement should be of minimal interest to academic librarians, since most of the titles listed in it are not relevant to academic collection building. [sh/ba]

97-3/4-258

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Periodici [Italian National Bibliography. Periodicals]. Pubished for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 27 cm. ISSN 0006-1077

Vol. 38 (1995). Lit. 40,000 (2 issues per year), Lit. 50,000 (with diskette), Lit. 60,000 (abroad; printed ed. only), 70,000 (abroad; with diskette)

This semi-annual sub-series of the BNI lists new periodicals, newspapers, and yearbooks, including older publications which changed titles. Although new periodicals were listed previously in the main part of the BNI, this new sub- series appears to be much more complete. Listings follow the same guidelines as those used in the main part of the BNI. Names of persons, such as editors, are for the most part omitted. Addresses are often missing, and it is not always clear whether the given address is that of the publisher or of the corporate author. The publication has subject, corporate author, and keyword indexes. It does not include a publisher index. [sh/ba]

97-3/4-259

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Libri per ragazzi [Italian National Bibliography. Children's Books]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 27 cm. ISSN 0006-1077

Vol. 38 (1995). Lit. 40,000 (10 issues per year), Lit. 50,000 (with diskette), Lit. 60,000 (abroad; print ed. only), Lit. 70,000 (abroad; with diskette)

This new sub-series (10 issues per year) lists recently published Italian children's books. It does not include periodicals for children and young adults; these are covered in the BNI: Periodici (see 97-3/4-258, above). It includes author and title, keyword, genre/age group, and publisher indexes. [sh/ba]

97-3/4-260

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Tesi di dottorato [Italian National Bibliography. Theses and Dissertations]. Published for the the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 27 cm. ISSN 0006-1077

Vol. 38 (1995). Lit. 40,000 (2 issues per year), Lit. 50,000 (with diskette), Lit. 60,000 (abroad), 70,000 (with diskette)

97-3/4-261

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Tesi di dottorato [Italian National Bibliography. Theses and Dissertations, cumulative volume]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. 31 cm. (Editrice Bibliografica, Viale Vittorio Veneto 24, I-20124 Milano)

1987-93 (1996). 909 p. ISBN 88-7107-067-4: Lit. 150,000

Since 1987, a copy of every Italian doctoral thesis, whether published or not, has had to be deposited at the National Library. A special series of the Italian national bibliography covers those completed since 1994, while a cumulative edition was published in 1996 for the period from 1987 to 1993. The skimpiness of this latter edition's user guide can hardly be surpassed, but the guide in the first issue of the new series is somewhat more informative: Classification numbers follow Italian cataloging rules. Arrangement is alphabetical by author, with cross-references to other participants, such as advisers, and to the degree-granting university. The cumulative volume lacks a subject index, as did the first volume of the ongoing series, which detracts considerably from their usefulness. Improvements introduced with the 1996 series volume, however, include arrangement by Dewey Decimal Classification, and a subject index based on subject headings listed in the Official Gazette. The arrangement by DDC makes evident that about 75% of Italian theses are in the areas of pure and applied natural sciences. [sh/nb]

97-3/4-262

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Musica a stampa [Italian National Bibliography. Music in Print]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. 31 cm. (Editrice Bibliografica, Viale Vittorio Veneto 24, I-20124 Milano)

Recupero pre 1995 [Pre-1995 Retrospective]. 1997. 234, 17 p. ISBN 88-7107-075-5: Lit. 50,000

Although printed musical scores must be deposited in the National Library, they have never been included in the main series of the National Bibliography. This "close the gap" cumulative publication includes scores mainly from the 1980s through 1994. Cataloging, using the Dewey Decimal Classification, is sometimes inconsistent, and the user is left to guess at the meaning of abbreviations. Arrangement is alphabetical by author and uniform title, with numerous cross-references; titles in series are listed only alphabetically (either by author or uniform title) and not by number. The single index is to DDC numbers, but it does allow access by performance medium, something indispensable for scores. The perfunctory foreword does not note how the BNI plans to deal with scores in the future. [sh/nb]

97-3/4-263

Bibliografia nazionale italiana. Catalogo alfabetico annuale [Italian National Bibliography. Annual Alphabetical Catalog]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica. 30 cm.

Vol. 38. 1995 (1996). vii, 1797 p. ISBN 88-7107-066-6: Lit. 240,000

The annual alphabetical catalog of the BNI has separate sections for monographs, journals, doctoral dissertations, and children's and young adult books. Main entries and cross-references are listed alphabetically for these categories. Subject indexes (with short titles) and DDC indexes are provided for everything but the dissertations. Not included are pamphlets, government publications, or maps. For selection and acquisition purposes, it may suffice for most research libraries to subscribe to the annual cumulation and the series for periodicals (BNI Periodici). Libraries that collect heavily in the sciences may wish also to utilize the BNI Tesi di dottorato, although it is unclear how many of the dissertations listed there are actually available for purchase. [sh/nb]

97-3/4-264

Bibliografia nazionale italiana [Italian National Bibliography]. Published for the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale; Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico delle Biblioteche Italiane e per le Informazioni Bibliografiche. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica; Informazioni Editoriali

1958-97, March (1997, June). 1 CD-ROM + manual. Lit. 2,500,000 (4 issues per year)

The CD-ROM edition of the BNI has been published quarterly since September 1994. The March 1997 edition contains over 450,000 titles, beginning with reporting year 1958, although it includes as well some stragglers from earlier years. It covers periodicals, but not dissertations or children's and young adult books. The CD-ROM uses CD Answer software from Dataware and is available in both DOS and Windows versions (the latter was used for this review). The interface languages offered by the CD-ROM are Italian, German, English, and French, although the printed user's guide is available only in Italian. Results can be sorted by publisher, place or year of publication, DDC, or subject, as well as by author or title. Printing and saving in various formats are straightforward. Files can be exported as formatted text to WordPerfect, ASCII, or UNIMARC. Some minor problems aside (e.g. titles within multi-volume sets do not always receive consistent cataloging treatment), the BNI CD-ROM is a welcome tool for retrospective searching, due to its large database and long period of coverage. Data included in the BNI can also be obtained via the OPAC of the National Central Library of Florence. For information on access options and logging in, visit the website of the BNCF or that of the National Library Service. [sh/nb]

97-3/4-265

Italian Best-Sellers: Fiction and Non-Fiction. Fiesole: Casalini Libri. 21 cm. (Recent Publications, . . .) (Casalini Libri, Via Benedetto da Maiano 3, I-50014 Fiesole)

4^th ed. (1997). 34 p. (Recent Publications, 25) ISBN 8- 88297-32-3 [ISBN has only 9 digits]

97-3/4-266

Classici italiani: dalle origini al 1900. Fiesole: Casalini Libri, 1996. 137 p. 21 cm. (Bibliografie Casalini Libri, 1). English ed. titled: Italian Literary Classics. ISBN 88-85297-11-0: Lit. 12,000. (Casalini Libri, Via Benedetto da Maiano 3, I-50014 Fiesole)

97-3/4-267

Narratori italiani del '900. Fiesole: Casalini Libri, 1997. 133 p. 21 cm. (Bibliografie Casalini Libri, 3). Title of English ed.: Italian Novelists of the Twentieth Century. ISBN 88-85297-26-9: Lit. 15,000. (Casalini Libri, Via Benedetto da Maiano 3, I-50014 Fiesole)

97-3/4-268

Poeti italiani del '900. Fiesole: Casalini Libri, 1997. 112 p. 21 cm. (Bibliografie Casalini Libri, 4). Title of English ed.: Italian Poets of the Twentieth Century. ISBN 88-85297-29-3: Lit. 15.000. (Casalini Libri, Via Benedetto da Maiano 3, I-50014 Fiesole)

Italy's major bibliographic exporter Casalini Libri has been issuing its bimonthly volumes of new Italian publications since 1994 under the title I Libri (RREA 1:19). The volumes of the Recent Publications series are small, thematic compilations of new Italian publications from the current year, and are produced from the same database that provides the current publications lists as notification slips and in diskette format at no cost to Casalini's customers. Some volumes contain concise annotations regarding subject content in addition to Casalini's order numbers.

Casalini's newest series, issued under the title Bibliografie, is directed at the international market and is therefore published in a parallel English-language edition. The two editions are basically identical, with only slight differences in pagination. The three volumes mentioned above are dedicated entirely to Italian literature. Volume 1, for example, lists 807 editions of 161 Italian authors from the beginnings of Italian literature through 1900, by author's year of birth. The entries contain full bibliographic details and will be augmented in the future by an author index organized by century, and further by year of birth. Publications of every genre and quality are considered.

In future editions it would be helpful to list titles by series, both numbered and unnumbered, as well as to publish a volume in which all available "edizioni nazionali" are brought together. [sh/rm]

97-3/4-269

Catalogo delle acquisizioni di editoria pugliese [Catalog of Acquisitions from the Publishers of Apulia]. Biblioteca Nazionale, Bari, Sezione A.R.L. Bari: Biblioteca Nazionale. 35 cm. (Biblioteca Nazionale "Sagarriga Visconti Volpi," Piazza Umberto, Palazzo Ateneo, I-70122 Bari)

1990-91 (1993). 106 p. (free of charge)

In addition to the centrally produced Bibliografia nazionale italiana (BNI, see above), many of Italy's autonomous regions produce their own bibliographies, resulting in a double listing for many titles. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon, among them the strong sense of cultural autonomy in the regions, the tradition of regional book fairs and their catalogs, and the initiatives of the regional publishers' and booksellers' organizations.

This example, the catalog from the Apulia region, produced in Bari, lists 865 titles for 1990 and 778 for 1991 (a total of 1,643), classified according to DDC. The two indexes, one listing authors and sponsoring bodies and the other listing publisher, cover both years. No further lists have been published since 1993, though a cumulative CD-ROM may be in the works, covering the years 1986 to 1996. [sh/hh]

97-3/4-270

Catalogo degli editori in Romagna: Romagna editrice & Co. [Catalog of Publishers from Romagna]. Mostra Convegno sull'Editoria Romagnola (2d), 14, 15, 16, 17 settembre, Cervia, Magazzini del Sale, 1995. Catalog ed. Servizio Biblioteche della Provincia di Ravenna. Ravenna, 1995. viii, 323 p. 24 cm. (Amministrazione Provinciale di Ravenna, Servizio Biblioteche, Palazzo Corradini, Via Mariani 5, I-48100 Ravenna)

This fairly substantial catalog was published on the occasion of the second book fair and publishers' convention in Romagna, the eastern part of the present region of Emilia-Romagna. Its purpose is reflected in its structure: an alphabetical list of publishers with address information, a short description of the company, founding year, number of total publications and of new titles in 1995, followed by the list of available titles. These titles, provided by the publishers themselves, are by no means complete bibliographic citations or cataloging records; this and the complete lack of indexes mean that the publication is of limited use as a bibliography or as a selection tool for libraries. [sh/hh]

97-3/4-271

Pubblicazioni dell'editoria trentina: catalogo delle edizioni in commercio o disponibili; novità [Publications of Trentino Publishers: Catalog of Books in Print; New Titles]. Ed. Biblioteca Comunale di Trento. Trento: Associazione Editori Trentini. 24 cm. 1. 1991/92 (1991). (Associazione Editori Trentini, Via Solteri 78, I-38100 Trento)

5^th ed. 1995 (1996). viii, 167 p.

Another Italian regional bibliography which grew out of a book fair catalog, this one is by far the most professional of its kind. With this issue, the 5^th (covering 1995), it has detached itself completely from the annual Salone dell'Editoria Trentina, the publishers fair of the Trentino. Though still published officially by the publishers' association, it is edited at the Biblioteca Comunale (city library) of Trent, with the stated purpose of ensuring bibliographical control of the publications of the Trentino region. In its five years, the publication has developed from a catalog of books in print to a bibliography of new titles of the year. As a result, titles are listed only once. The 1995 volume under review here listed 694 titles, fully cataloged and classified according to DDC. There are four indexes: (1) personal and corporate names, (2) titles, (3) keywords, (4) publishers and other publishing bodies. The latter category deserves special mention, as it is one of the greatest services of this bibliography that it lists the publications of 43 regional bodies, 40 cultural institutions, and 122 societies and various other corporate bodies in addition to the 30 commercial publishing houses. Since it can be assumed that most of these publications would not be listed in the Bibliografia nazionale italiana, this regional bibliography could be of great value to a library collecting in this area. [sh/hh]

97-3/4-272

Bibliografia ticinese dell'Ottocento: libri, opuscoli, periodici [Ticino Bibliography of the 19th Century: Books, Pamphlets, Periodicals]. Callisto Caldelari with Beatrice Lampietti. Bellinzona: Casagrande. 29 cm. (Strumenti storico-bibliografici, 2) ISBN 88-7713-074-1: SFr. 150.00

Vol.1. A-L. 1995. 430 p.: ill.

Vol. 2. M-Z. 1995. p. 450-877: ill.

This retrospective regional bibliography seeks to list all publications of any sort and of any size produced in the Swiss canton of Ticino between 1800 and 1899. It also includes books printed elsewhere for one of the Ticino publishing houses. Volume 1 of the series Strumenti storico-bibliografici is still in preparation and will cover the 18th century, and volume 6 will cover pamphlets of less than nine pages. The meticulous cataloging was done with the book in hand wherever possible. The 5,717 numbered titles are listed alphabetically by author or title main entry. In addition to the comprehensive subject index, there are appendices of annuals and newspapers (listed in order of longevity) and of numbered series (with individual titles), which also act as indexes, as well as a listing of the represented publishers and printers. Perhaps the only thing one could still wish for would be an index to translations and foreign-language titles published in Ticino. [sh/hh]

Next Section
Previous Section
Table of Contents