Preface Creating an Annotation was first published in 1979 as a guide for staff members of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), who provide book announcements for the informa­tion of patrons using the service. Its purpose was to give a frame of reference for a consistent approach to annotation goals and content. The document was well received by a wider library community, being utilized by other Library of Congress units and appearing on library school reading lists. Copies have been requested from services throughout the United States and around the world. The need for well-written annotations remains the same today, and much of the material from the first edition is retained in this revision, although the presentation may be somewhat different. In addition, some material needed expansion, and some new areas for discussion have appeared. Much of the material new to this edition concerns specifics on treatments of bibliographic information and formal elements of style, which were mentioned only briefly in the1979 volume so that the content would have more general application. However, such considerations are essential for making this a truly useful manual for NLS staff. NLS treatments may not apply to other groups involved in annotation writing, but every group needs to establish a workable format. To this end, ours may be helpful as an approach. The original manual was conceived and written by Viola (Vicki) Harrington Fitzpatrick, writer-editor in the NLS Publications and Media Section, and has served as the basic annotation reference for NLS writers and editors for nearly a quarter century. She is also responsible for the gradual development over the years of this revised and expanded version. Contents Part One :The Words Why annotations? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Elements of book announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 What an annotation does and doesn’t do . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Considering content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What makes a good annotation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Annotating a variety of books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Time and place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sensitivities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Judgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Taglines—sex, violence, and strong language . . . . . . . 37 Planning an annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Study what the book is about . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Select what to include . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Structure what is to be presented. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Determine an appropriate length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Choose a writing style to fit the book . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Writing—the last step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Get to the point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Choose appropriate language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Vary sentence structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Be specific and concise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Adhere to style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Editing an annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Why edit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Is the annotation stylistically correct? . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Is the annotation grammatical? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Is the annotation interesting?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Is the annotation judgmental?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Does the annotation describe the book? . . . . . . . . . . 121 Are the facts accurate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Part Two :Style and Presentation Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Capitals—initial letters only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Lower case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Punctuation and ampersands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Titles within titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Subtitles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Punctuation between title and subtitle . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Titles within subtitles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Series name as subtitle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Series name as title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Series titles in text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Forms of names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Parts of a name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Coauthors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Multiple authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Editors, selectors, compilers, and the like . . . . . . . . . 146 Text style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Type style—titles in text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Dates and times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Historical and cultural periods and events . . . . . . . . . 152 Genres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Titles and offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Religious terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Additions to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Taglines—descriptive phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 PRINT/BRAILLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Grade levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 For older readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Bestsellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Foreign language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Dates and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Dates at the end of annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Time-sensitive phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Eras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Dates and the database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 One-line annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Grade levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Prequels and sequels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Familiar characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Repetition of annotation text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Catalog subject categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 About NLS catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Subject categories for catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Assigning subject categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Things to consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Dealing with different types of category records . . . . 172 Reviewing catalog categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Catalog subject headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Adult catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Children’s catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Part One: The Words Why annotations? NLS provides informa­tion to readers through book announcements, and annotations are an integral part of these announcements. The purpose of annotations is to help readers select books that they want to read. This aim is consistent with, and part of, the purpose of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)—to make avail­able to blind and physically handicapped readers a library collection and service similar to that available to any reader through the public library system. Individuals who are blind or handicapped have the same need as other library patrons to know about the contents of books before they decide to read them, but special condi­tions prevent them from using print library services for information. They can’t browse until something attracts attention or use card catalogs and other reference material. They can’t hold the book in hand and see the pictures, check the table of contents for material included, or flip pages to sample writing style. NLS works to provide access to book-information services through book announcements to readers, and annotations are an integral part of these announcements. These announcements are used in a variety of ways: on the copy-allotment information used by network libraries to deter­mine the number of copies of a particular book they wish to order for circulation to readers; in the bimonthly maga­zines Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review, which readers use to select recently produced books; in annual and biennial catalogs of books produced during the dates listed; in subject bibliographies and minibibliographies devoted to a specific topic. The annotation is also narrated as part of the introductory information to a recorded book. Elements Most important, the annotation forms part of the database for the NLS International Union Catalog, which contains bibliographic records for braille and audio books available from a variety of sources in the United States and abroad. All records cite the holding agency, an essential feature for access to the material listed. Annotations seem to be everywhere, and they remain with us for a long, long time. Consequently, each one needs careful consideration to begin with. While NLS has not recorded titles on either rigid or flexible discs for more than a decade, books already produced remain a part of the collection. Similarly, production of titles on cassette is being phased out in favor of a digital format, but the exist­ing books will remain available to patrons, probably also for many years to come. Elements of book announcements Basic information about the book appears first. It is gener­ally the same information available to print readers: ¦ title—identifies the book ¦ subtitle (if any)—provides additional information ¦ author (or editor, compiler, translator). Also included is information specifically for our audience: ¦ a book number for ordering, which consists of a two-letter prefix that indicates the medium (RC for recorded cassettes, BR for braille, RD or FD for discs) followed by four or five digits ¦ the name of the reader in case patrons have favorites or prefer male or female voices ¦ the number of discs, cassettes, or braille volumes to indicate the length of the book Additions Annotation replaces browsing ¦ reissue or rerecord (when appropriate) to indicate that the book has been available before; patrons may have read it or wish to read it again. Annotations, brief descriptions of what’s in the book, follow and form the core of book announcements—the part that gives the content and flavor of the work. Other information that readers might find useful is incorporated in the annotation and often comes after the description of the book’s content: ¦ sequel or prequel to …. (early in the annotation or the first item after the description) ¦ part of a series (if not given in a subtitle) ¦ statements about strong language, violence, and descriptions of sex ¦ grade level for juvenile or young adult books ¦ awards to author or book ¦ status as a bestseller. Such information is available, most of it on book jackets, to library patrons who can handle books. Sighted people can often determine the presence of sex, violence, and strong language through jacket summaries or by sampling a few pages. Sampling will also help with decisions about grade level and appropriateness of content. Because our readers cannot sample the books, they need to be provided with the information. What an annotation does and doesn’t do An annotation covers the scope of the book and the author’s approach—either directly through statements or indirectly through tone and style—and gives readers enough information to make their own decisions. It does not say this is a good book; it shows that. Good annotation An annotation should... An annotation is not... writing doesn’t declare itself; it is good because it doesn’t intrude on content, but complements it. An annotation should: reflect content be interesting and readable avoid being judgmental. The announcement as a whole should be bibliographically accurate stylistically correct written for audio as well as visual readability. An annotation is not a review. A review gives general infor­mation about content, considers the author’s intent, and com­ments on success. It expresses a personal point of view and is always signed, either individually or in a list of editors. An annotation is not an abstract. An abstract gives a condensed version of total content. It’s generally used for technical works and shows the problem tackled, method or procedure, and conclusions drawn. Total content is more information than our readers need; too many facts can kill interest rather than arouse it. Considering content The good annotation Eleven models: (1) Before writers can write or editors edit, they must under­stand the goals and recognize the elements that make up a good annotation. They also need to be aware of general approaches, specifics that need attention, and areas that can create problems. What makes a good annotation? Bad annotations will generally declare themselves; the good ones pass by relatively unnoticed. This phenomenon is not unique to annotations or to good writing of any kind. People send letters to newspaper editors about gram­matical mistakes and typographical errors, while accepting as normal and expected all the words that are correctly spelled and properly used. Therefore, let’s take a look at some well-written annota­tions and focus on what makes them work. The concepts covered in the comments will be developed in more detail later, but an overview here helps to establish the goal. Open Season: Sporting Adventures by William Humphrey Annotation: Thirteen urbane articles by an out­door writer. “My Moby Dick” finds Humphrey in the Berkshire Hills resolved to take a thirty-pounder in a sporting manner befitting its own dark nobility. “The Spawning Run,” about salmon fishing, is also an essay on the ancient sport of cuckoldry. A self-revealing story, “Birds of a Feather,” is an ode to a plucky little woodcock. Comment: The introductory sentence provides spe­cific information about the book’s contents (thirteen articles) and contrasts the approach (urbane) with the subject (the outdoors). The three articles selected (2) (3) illustrate the writer’s respect for the creatures he pur­sues (sporting manner befitting, dark nobility, plucky) and hint at whimsy and another kind of hunt (the ancient sport of cuckoldry). Note how well the descriptions relate to the title of each article. Welcome the Morning by Bobby Hutchinson Annotation: Charlie Cossini looks like a frail Dresden figurine. But when she bellows orders to her carpenters in that strong, husky voice, it’s easier to believe that she’s the boss of her own, all-female construction crew. Idle rich playboy Ben Gilmour, a Hawaiian real-estate baron, is captivated by Charlie’s incongruities at their first meeting. Explicit descrip­tions of sex. Harlequin Novel. Comment: The description of the heroine, whose name (Charlie) implies a male, is immediately con­trasted with her appearance (frail Dresden figurine) and then the traditional masculine image is restored (bellows orders; strong, husky voice; boss of her own…construction crew), and the image is rein­forced by incongruities in the next sentence. The hero, in contrast, is described only by who and what he is (idle rich playboy, real-estate baron). The only hint as to plot is in the final sentence; he’s captivat­ed by. That’s enough plot; these two people are sure­ly going to get together somehow. It’s more than enough when followed by explicit descriptions of sex and Harlequin Novel. Magic Kingdom for Sale—Sold! by Terry Brooks Annotation: When Ben Holiday arrives in Landover, the magic kingdom he purchased through a mail-order department store, he finds the place in a shambles. The taxes have not been collected, the peasants are without hope, the barons refuse to rec­ (4) (5) ognize him as king, and a dragon is laying waste to the countryside. Bestseller. Comment: What can you expect when you buy a kingdom by mail order? The second sentence builds, with fine parallel construction, from the mundane of uncollected taxes to the exotic of a destructive drag­on. The tone fits the book. An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan Annotation: Held hostage for four and a half years in Beirut, an Irish teacher describes how he dealt with the mental and physical abuse inflicted by his captors. First in solitary confinement and later in the company of other hostages, Keenan was deter­mined to endure the maltreatment by the Shi’ite militiamen. He attributes his survival in part to his ability to explore the condition in which he found himself. Violence. Comment: An appalling subject is given serious and careful treatment. The first sentence defines the evil cradling of the title immediately with held hostage, adds information about the place and dura­tion, identifies the author (an Irish teacher), and concludes with the book’s thesis: how he dealt with twofold abuse, both mental and physical. The second sentence adds details about his confinement and his captors, and reinforces the theme of determination. The final sentence deals with how he believes he set his mind to accomplish his goal. Violence is implicit in the subject, and the one-word descriptive tagline sets that out starkly. Pubis Angelical by Manuel Puig Annotation: Experimental novel interweaves remi­niscences and dreams with an examination of politi­cal and sexual issues. The story—set in central Europe in the 1930s and a Mexico City hospital (6) ward in the 1970s—contains allegorical excursions, possibly fantasized, into a post-atomic age of the far future. Explores the vicissitudes of twentieth-century Argentine history, the travails of the female psyche, and the necessary role of fantasy in human life. Descriptions of sex. Comment: Good defining first sentence: Experimental novel provides an immediate alert to something unusual, followed by the contrast of mys­tical elements (reminiscences and dreams) with more earthy concerns (examination of political and sexual issues). The rest of the annotation provides supportive details about the approach (allegorical excursions, possibly fantasized; post-atomic age of the far future) and the contrast (the entire third sen­tence). The plot is alluded to only in an aside about time and place. This book is not about plot. Malice Domestic by Mollie Hardwick Annotation: The coming of forbidding Leonard Mumbray to the peaceful English village of Abbotsbourne seems to cast an evil spell. Pretty antique-store proprietor Doran Fairweather feels it, as does local vicar Rodney Chelmarsh, a widower with whom she has a budding romance. When Mumbray is found murdered, there is a collective sigh of relief. But Fairweather, a nosy type, is unable to rest until she finds the killer. Comment: Again, a fine first sentence, in this case filled with foreboding. The second sentence intro­duces the main characters, in connection with the attitude already indicated. The third sentence also deals with attitude, this time that of the whole peace­ful English village. The final sentence sets the plot in motion. (7) (8) (9) The Panic of ’89 by Paul Erdman Annotation: It is late 1988, and eminent econo­mist Paul Mayer contemplates a grim future. The second lucky term of Ronald Reagan—blameless and unworried during his last days in office—is about to end, leaving a very troubled world economy in its wake. As the stock market drops out of sight, Mayer must race against time and adversaries to save international banking from total chaos. Strong lan­guage and descriptions of sex. Bestseller. Comment: A suspense novel featuring an unlikely hero, introduced in the first sentence along with the date and a hint at the problem. The rest of the anno­tation continues to set up the situation and the con­flict. The Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel Annotation: A story in rhyme about the many kinds of flowers that grow near the hollyhocks that give shade to the bee that sleeps on the only rose in the garden. For grades K-3. 1984. Comment: The single run-on sentence, which would not be good for most books, echoes the prem­ise of this one: that all these things are together in the garden and doing something for each other. Lightning: An 87th Precinct Novel by Ed McBain Annotation: A series of grotesque crimes confronts the officers of the 87th Precinct. First, two women track stars are found hanging, lynch-mob style, from the lampposts of brilliantly lit city streets; then a rapist stalks an increasing number of victims. Gutsy Eileen Burke, an undercover officer in Special Forces, undertakes a key role in catching the maniac. Some strong language. (10) (11) Comment: Another in a popular series of police procedurals; all many readers will need is the subti­tle identifying the series. The annotation lays out the subject, two types of crimes against women, and the featured detective, also a woman. It catches the fla­vor with adjectives such as grotesque followed by the most visible image of women hanging, lynch-mob style, from the lampposts of brilliantly lit city streets, which is juxtaposed with the dark, stealthy image of a rapist stalking. Maiden Voyage by Graham Masterton Annotation: In 1924 the SS Arcadia, the greatest luxury liner ever built, is on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York. Among her passengers is twenty-one-year-old Catriona, flapper of the seas and heiress to the vessel. Dramatic adventures occur in rapid succession against a backdrop of wild love affairs, financial intrigues, and popping champagne corks. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 1984. Comment: The annotation is almost entirely set­ting. Time: the Roaring Twenties, which is reinforced by labeling the young, rich protagonist a flapper. Place: a luxury liner crossing the Atlantic. Background: wild love affairs, financial intrigues, popping champagne corks. What happens? dramatic adventures and in rapid succession too. The reader doesn’t need to know more. The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher Annotation: Memoirs of the grocer’s daughter who became prime minister of Great Britain. Thatcher recounts her political life, beginning with the day the Conservatives gained a majority in the House of Commons and she, as head of the party, was asked to form a new government. She speaks General approaches • Fiction candidly of the members of her cabinet, her contacts with foreign leaders, her efforts to reform the Tories, her pursuits of national interests, and her last days at Number 10. Bestseller. Comment: The first sentence announces the cate­gory (memoirs) and identifies the author from her origins to high office. The next sentence defines the area covered (her political life) and adds information about her party and the British political process. The final sentence adds still more information about the wide range of subjects, both national and internation­al, and about people involved. All three sentences present her voice behind the book (memoirs, Thatcher recounts, she speaks candidly). Annotating a variety of books Different types of books need different approaches for annotations. Some are harder to annotate than others, and some have particular things to include and particular traps to avoid. Most books will fall into a recognizable category and some general approaches will apply. The basic divisions are fiction and nonfiction, and the annotation should make the distinction clear. The annota­tion should be written from different premises for fiction and nonfiction and should sound different as a result. Fiction Give enough information to show the tone of the book, the general plot elements, and the characters involved. Use the language of the annotation to pique the reader’s imagina­tion. Prefer present tense and active voice. Don’t simply summarize the plot, and never disclose the ending. Escapist fiction: westerns, gothics, romances, family sagas, historical novels, adventure stories, science fic­tion, detective and mystery stories, spy stories, and sus­pense. Probably the largest part of the material in our col­ lection, or any general public library collection, falls into these categories. These books are for fun, relaxation, get­ting away. Many of these books are written according to a formula: ¦ Beautiful heroine and handsome hero meet; some­thing or someone keeps them apart for 200 pages; they finally get together (gothics, romances, some historical novels, some mysteries). ¦ Hero and heroine get together in the first chapter and have trouble with their relationship(s) for 300 or more pages (contemporary novels). Popular genres— ¦ Stern, lonesome male struggles against outside forces vary the formula and his own isolation; he eventually wins out (west­ erns, adventures, some historical novels, some sci­ ence fiction). ¦ Someone is murdered; suspects abound; the detec­tive, or other protagonist, must—and will—discover the murderer (mysteries). ¦ Someone (usually the protagonist or a major world figure) is about to be killed. Alternatively, all of civilization is about to be destroyed. Our hero/hero-ine must locate the source of danger and avoid that fate (suspense novels and some science fiction). Such material is among the easiest to annotate. The basic concern is to show what happens or who is involved in this book that makes it different from other books of the same kind. Because the author had the same problem—making this book different in some way—look for his or her plot or character twist and emphasize it. Some fine books have been developed from such formulas; some authorities argue that there are only five or six basic plots and that all fiction is a variation on one of them. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is plotted around what keeps a beautiful heroine and a handsome hero apart; Shane is a Classics— be careful Don’t assume fame lasts western with the stern, lonesome male as its central charac­ter. Both books are generally considered classics—because of what the authors made of the basic plot elements. Annotations for such books should not be simply sum­maries of plot. Do incorporate plot elements, but stress presentation. Classics. Annotations for familiar books, classics both old and new, must be handled carefully. These books are well known and people can feel strongly about the words used to describe their content. Annotation writers need to deter­mine and express the factors that make these books excep­tional. The Glass Menagerie: A Play by Tennessee Williams Annotation: Portrays the remnants of a southern family with pretensions to gentility. The plot centers on the crippled daughter, who lives in her dream world with a symbolic collection of fragile glass, in vivid contrast to the family’s slum apartment. Comment: The background, characters, setting, theme (fantasy vs. reality), and symbolism are there. There is no attempt to summarize the plot, which is not the important element of this play. Note that a book is not necessarily a classic because it is old. Books generally considered classics will not only have been in print and available to several generations of readers but will also have had an impact on the literature that fol­lowed. Minor works by authors of classics may be of inter­est but are not classics in themselves. Bestsellers. Current bestsellers have been widely reviewed and annotated in other sources. The authors are probably promoting their books on the talk-show circuit and are available in the reader’s living room at a flick of the TV switch. Friends and family members may be discussing • Nonfiction Dealing with reality, or an opinion on reality these books. Because readers can make critical compar­isons between what they already know about the book and what the annotation tells them, the bestseller’s annotation should receive careful consideration and be as full, accu­rate, and interesting as possible. Just as for other books, however, the annotation will outlive the book’s bestseller status, and writers should not assume that patrons will later instantly recognize the contents. Particularly for nonfiction books of timely interest, writers must make sure the subject matter is clearly identified. For example, readers who avidly followed the O.J. Simpson murder trial will probably easily place the lawyers for both sides who have written books on their version of events, but the annotation should spell out what the trial was about and the particular point of view of the author. The material will not be so familiar a decade after the event. Nonfiction The language or the annotation should make clear immedi­ately that the content is either factual or a commentary on actual events. Avoid using the story of, which suggests fic­tion even though colloquially that phrase is also used to describe nonfiction. Magnetic North: A Trek across Canada by David Halsey Sentence: Tells the story of a twenty-year-old inexperienced camper who set out from Vancouver in 1977 to traverse the wilderness to the other coast. Rewritten: Recounts the adventures of… Note that the simple change not only indicates that the events described are real but uses, appropriately, much more active words. Biographies and memoirs. Such books are primarily non­fiction, but occasionally a novel can be a thinly disguised memoir, and fictionalized biographies are quite common. If the bibliographic information is not sufficiently clear, make Life of... or memorable events sure that the annotation explains that the work is a fiction­alized biography of… or is based on personal experience. For biographies, give the authority of the author when it is relevant. For memoirs, the author’s name can be sufficient authority, but an identifying word or phrase is helpful (actress, salesman, evangelist). Avoid inserting superla­tives; if the person is indeed one of the world’s most famous, he or she doesn’t need such a wordy label. More information is needed for memoirs that are related to a personal experience of an unfamiliar individual. Keep the annotation balanced by summarizing the total approach and scope. Don’t use all the space for back­ground and early years, even though those may be the least familiar areas of the subject’s life, unless that is the empha­sis of the book. Emerson: The Mind on Fire by Robert D. Richardson Annotation: Traces the life and intellectual odyssey of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the nineteenth-century writer, poet, and essayist. Discusses Emerson’s development of the principles of individu­alism, self-reliance, and transcendentalism that have influenced American letters and thought. Richardson chronicles Emerson’s life as student, minister, travel­er, speaker, social activist, good friend, and loyal family man. Comment: The introductory sentence identifies the person of the title and indicates the dual thrust of the book—the course of a man’s life and the exten­sive reach of his mind. The next two sentences expand the first, covering first his thoughts and then his actions. Mental health: professional approaches and popular gurus The Village by Alice Taylor Annotation: Warm remembrances of daily life in the Irish author’s adopted County Cork village. In this sequel to Quench the Lamp (RC 33774), she relates with humor and a bit of wistfulness the changes that married life brought to her and that modern times brought to the village. Comment: The first sentence, which briefly out­lines the author’s background, shows immediately that the events covered are intimate rather than news­worthy. The approach is summed up in warm and with humor and a bit of wistfulness. Psychology and self-help. These books generally cover a particular aspect of mental function and health or present a method for achieving desired attitudes and behavior. Such information forms the body of the annotation. Some back­ground or authority of the author is essential for readers to understand and give weight to the usefulness of the approach for their needs and interests. Often in such works, the author uses familiar words in a specific context or coins phrases to apply to this particular method or conclusion. Such phrases are fundamental to the book and often receive fairly lengthy treatment. In the annotation, they need brief definition, at least parentheti­cally, to define the special meaning. Alternatively, they should be put in quotes to indicate that there is something particular in the way the words are used. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Annotation: The New York Times science writer argues that emotional intelligence is as much a factor of success as is the intelligence quotient. And because self-awareness and control of toxic emotions can, he says, be taught, he calls for education to Instructions on doing practical things guide children’s emotional development. He also dis­ cusses ways adults can continue to grow emotionally. Comment: The author’s authority and thesis are laid out in the first sentence. Proposals for action follow. How Good People Make Tough Choices by Rushworth M. Kidder Annotation: The founder of the Institute for Global Ethics and former columnist for the Christian Science Monitor offers guidelines for dealing with ethical dilemmas. Using anecdotes to illustrate con­flicts between truth and loyalty, individual and com­munity, short-term and long-term goals, and justice and mercy, Kidder shows how decisions are made using ends-based, rule-based, or care-based princi­ples. Comment: The first sentence introduces the author and the subject. The next lays out the type of choices dealt with and the author’s method of catego­rizing them. How-to’s and practical guides. The annotation should give an overview of the book’s content and note any back­ground of the author that has a bearing on his expertise. It can be short if the title and subtitle are close to a full expla­nation, but it cannot be omitted because an entry without an annotation appears to be an error. If the book has special sections, indexes, or summaries, the annotation should explain that these are included. Use contains or includes for publications that have separate sections on particular subjects. For content description, it is better to use covers, describes, explains, explores, or an appropriate synonym. • Collections Poetry The Able Gardener: Overcoming Barriers of Age and Physical Limitations by Kathleen Yeomans Annotation: Nurse and gardener Yeomans covers general aspects of gardening while emphasizing adaptive techniques such as using raised beds, back-saving tools, and easy-care plants. For visually impaired gardeners, she suggests designing with plants that are fragrant, textured, edible, or even audible. Contains exercises for gardeners and mail-order sources for plants, seeds, and supplies (includ­ing adaptive tools). Comment: It’s all there: author’s background, gen­eral approach and specifics for the topic, followed by supplementary information. Collections Collections are popular with many readers; they like mate­rial broken into segments that can be read at one sitting. But such fragmentation of material makes it difficult to give an overall picture of the book. There is no space for annotating individual stories, essays, or poems; therefore, the whole collection must be described in general terms, augmented with specifics that can capture interest. Poetry. Books of poetry are probably the most extreme example of fragmented material. They often cover long periods of time in the poet’s thinking and development, many different thoughts with various treatments, and some images and ideas concisely expressed. The nature of the material makes for slow reading, and the concepts are extremely hard to express in a brief annotation. Don’t fall back on vague phrases about love and life that could mean anything and could apply to almost any poetry collection. Be specific. Look for a unifying theme, or sum­marize two or three representative subjects and approaches. Short stories Mention titles that may be familiar or interesting, but offer more than a list. My Alexandria: Poems by Mark Doty Annotation: Doty uses the ancient city as a metaphor for his search for an ideal place of beauty and light. Although he sees demolished buildings, panhandlers, dementia, and mortality, he finds the substance of poetry in a flower garden, in stories in a book, in innocent children, and in the power of hope as in an unopened Advent calendar. Collected Poems 1919–1976 by Allen Tate Annotation: Roughly chronological arrangement of poems written over almost six decades by the classicist and critic. Subjects range through the emo­tion of “Death of Little Boys,” memories of southern boyhood in “The Swimmers,” and reflections on the futility of war in “Ode to the Confederate Dead.” Short stories and essays. These collections have the same problem of fragmentation—too many subjects—although not to the same degree as poetry. In most cases the same solutions and techniques apply: find a unifying theme or list two or three representative ones. Frequently the collec­tion will be built around a theme covered in the title or sub­title, and all that is needed is some explanation or enlarge­ment. Usually, tell how many stories, essays, or articles are included; the number will give the reader some idea of the length of each. When one piece is familiar, be sure to list it. If short stories are interrelated, say so. When different authors are represented, select a few of the most popular for mention. Key West Tales by John Hersey Annotation: Set in Key West, Florida, these fif­teen short stories form a coda to a life of writing that began in World War II. “God’s Hint” is a brief tale about a preacher who spots an offshore wreck in the midst of his Sunday sermon and positions himself to capture the prize. Seven more historical anecdotes follow, alternating with longer contemporary stories. The Mysterious West edited by Tony Hillerman Annotation: One character in this anthology observes that where people live has an influence on how they live and “who and how they choose to kill.” These twenty suspenseful short stories are set in the American West. Authors best known for west­erns are mixed with those known for mysteries, including Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Bill Crider, and Stuart Kaminsky. Some strong language and some violence. The Complete Essays of Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne Annotation: English translations of the sixteenth-century French philosopher’s “essays,” a literary form Montaigne invented to convey his ideas and opinions. His diverse subjects include feelings, the education of children, the custom of wearing clothes, the disadvantage of greatness, evil employed as a means to a good end, the power of the imagination, a lack in administrations, and not communicating one’s glory. Humor. Books intended to evoke a laugh, or at least a smile or two, can be in either the fiction or nonfiction cate­gory. Nonfiction books are most often collections of essays and are subject to the same problems as other collections. Funny stuff— fiction and not Fiction books usually involve odd characters in improbable situations. In either case, the situation should be described, not simply pronounced as funny. There are many types of humor that can be indicated: parody, satire, slapstick, dark. Give examples that evoke the flavor of the book, and use language to intensify the image. Descriptive adjectives are acceptable; judgmental ones are not. A descriptive adjective applies to the author’s intent or approach to the subject; a judgmental adjective tells what the writer thinks about it. The author can intend to be humorous and that term used to describe the approach; how well he or she succeeds in provoking mirth is up to the reader to determine. A Farce to Be Reckoned With by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley Annotation: This comic fantasy features the fox-faced demon Assie Elbub, who hits on the idea of bringing humanity to Evil by staging an immorality play with all of Renaissance Europe as the backdrop. But the meddlesome Archangel Michael, that insuf­ferable agent for Good, arrives on the scene and threatens to close down the play before it ever opens. Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys: A Fairly Short Book by Dave Barry Annotation: According to Barry, this is a book about guys—not a book about men; books about men are too serious. Barry begins with a test to determine the reader’s “guyness” and then gives a brief account of the role of guys in history, their bio­logical nature, their social development, and their special guy problems. For women, there is a chapter on dealing with guys. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. Take special care with warnings • Juvenilia Sex, violence, and strong language. Statements about strong language, violence, and explicit descriptions of sex are hard to apply to collections; they may be needed for only one story or a particular section of the material. Readers who are concerned with avoiding these aspects might be deprived of much they would enjoy if the whole book were given a warning label. In these cases, the infor­mation is better incorporated into the annotation. Sometimes both notations may be needed, with the infor­mation within the description indicating where this material is found. Amen by Yehuda Amichai Annotation: Israeli poet mingles simplicity with directness in poems on the Jewish experience of alienation and the constant threat of war. Collection also contains intense and erotic love poems. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Children’s books Basically, language and construction are the same as for adult books, but vocabulary is simpler. Character names should be used, since they are usually chosen by the author to be appealing. Content should relate to the child’s experi­ence and engage the imagination. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Annotation: Peter Hatch resigns himself to losing the battle for attention with his two-year-old brother. Little Fudge ruins Peter’s special poster, gets lost at the movies, and eats Peter’s pet turtle. For grades 3-5. Comment: Including some of Fudge’s antics lets a child know exactly what Peter must contend with and hints at humor. A child might be motivated to read the book because he identifies with Peter or because she wants to find out how Peter handles the problem. Hot as an Ice Cube by Philip Balestrino Annotation: Clear text and simple experiments present basic information about heat, which exists in everything—even in ice cubes. For grades K-3. Comment: Strictly speaking, the mention of ice cubes is not essential. The rest of the annotation is pretty dry, however, and the ice cubes add the ironic punch inherent in the title. The Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Folktale by Alvin Tresselt Annotation: On the coldest day of winter, a little boy’s lost mitten becomes the shelter for a mouse, a frog, an owl, a rabbit, a fox, a wolf, a boar, and a bear! For preschool-grade 2. Comment: Naming the animals is a direct appeal to children, most of whom like stories about animals, and it creates wonder about how all the animals crowd into one mitten. Young children like the cumulative effect of long lists of things. Curious George Flies a Kite by Margaret E. Rey Annotation: Curious George tries to fly a big kite one windy day, but the kite pulls the mischievous little monkey way up in the sky! Comment: Children thrill to the switch here—the kite flying the monkey instead of the monkey flying the kite. The idea is both titillating and scary. And of course, they want to know how George gets down. Annotations for older children have the same characteris­tics, but there can be more detail and more information about real people, especially those whose names do not have instant recognition. How I Broke Up with Ernie by R.L. Stine Annotation: Amy has grown tired of her relation­ship with Ernie and just wants out! No one seems to understand why she wants to break up with Ernie, and, worse still, no one seems to accept it. Ernie keeps coming around; her parents welcome his pres­ence; and he even tags along when Amy goes out with Colin, the new guy in her life. For grades 6-9 and older readers. Comment: This situation is familiar to most young people just moving into pairing off, and there doesn’t have to be a reason for it. One person is ready to move on, and the other isn’t. The repetition of Ernie’s name would be too much in most annotations but not in this one; Ernie is always there. Isaac Newton by Douglas McTavish Annotation: Explains how Isaac Newton, best known for his discovery of the laws of movement and gravitation, effectively invented modern science by using methods to test and cross-check scientific theories. The author traces Newton’s life from his birth in England in 1642 through his long years of scientific discoveries that include the laws of light and refraction, the invention of the reflecting tele­scope, and calculus. For grades 4-7 and older read­ers. Comment: Because Newton’s name may not be instantly familiar, the first sentence repeats it and goes on to tie him to his field—science—and explain his preeminence. The remainder of the anno­tation is more specific about what the book covers, including time and place. 24 When and where make a big difference • Nonfiction The title may tell Or the annotation must Time and Place Most annotations need to be anchored in a place and a time frame. Without some allusion to place, the text can be mis­leading; mysteries set in a large American city and in a small English village are likely to have fundamental differ­ences in approach and atmosphere. Indicating that a book is a historical novel cries out for some reference to the time of the action. Nonfiction works, of course, are usually very specific. Nonfiction For some books, the title and subtitle will include this information, and it should not be repeated in the text. Stolen Continents: The Americas through Indian Eyes since 1492 Rising in the West: The True Story of an Okie Family from the Great Depression through the Reagan Years Europe in Our Time: A History, 1945–1992 Moving the Mountain: The Women’s Movement in America since 1960 Some figures or events will be familiar enough to suggest an era without adding a date. Most American readers will instantly place George Washington with the American Revolution, Abraham Lincoln with the Civil War, and Dwight D. Eisenhower with World War II—and thereby identify at least the appropriate century. Napoleon has also lent his name to an era. However, some well-known figures of the distant past probably need dating; not all readers could immediately place the Chinese philosopher Confucius in, or even near, the fifth century B.C. Some more recent figures would benefit from dates, a time span, and even a place. Showa: The Age of Hirohito by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler Annotation: Covers Hirohito’s years as emperor of Japan from 1926, when he was hailed as a god-king, to his death some seventy years later, when he had become a constitutional monarch—a symbol of state as well as a symbol of the profound changes that had taken place during his reign. During this period Japan experienced tremendous industrial-military expansion, World War II, and unparalleled postwar growth. For junior and senior high readers. Comment: This book is intended for young adults. Given what studies keep finding about general knowledge of history and geography in this age group, it is doubtless useful to be specific about the country and the dates as well as who this person was and events in his life. Older people won’t be hurt by a reminder. Queen Victoria: A Portrait by Giles St. Aubyn Annotation: The author of several books on Britain’s royal family, including Edward VII: Prince and King (RC 15046), provides a portrait of the woman who came to the throne in 1837 as an unknown girl and who was, when she died in 1901, mourned by the whole world. St. Aubyn represents Victoria’s development in six distinct stages: princess, young queen, bride, wife, widow, and ruler of a vast empire. Comment: The person portrayed will suggest the last half of the nineteenth century, which is close enough for most references. For a full, lengthy biog­raphy (this book takes six cassettes), more precision is needed. 26 Other nonfiction works can be handled very briefly in the text with phrases denoting the decade or century, refer­ences to well-known historical figures or events, or even specific dates. ¦ life of the late-nineteenth-century novelist ¦ during World War II ¦ with Robert E. Lee at Appomattox ¦ after the Norman invasion of England in 1066 Phrases that work ¦ the British explorer (1630–1675) ¦ political and economic decisions of the 1920s that led to the Great Depression ¦ Jack Benny’s popular radio show of the 30s and 40s moved to television in the 50s. Contemporary works, especially memoirs, usually declare themselves as such by the content but may need a reference to the current decade to retain clarity in the future. For all books, but particularly for nonfiction, phrases that indicate currentness of a book should be avoided. Use specific dates or decades, or tie the annotation to events with a familiar time frame. Avoid such phrases as: ¦ from … to the present ¦ using recently discovered material ¦ new research shows Words to avoid ¦ newly released papers ¦ today’s ¦ in this decade • Fiction About the past Fiction Historical. Historical fiction is the fiction genre that most obviously needs to be firmly rooted in a time and place. It matters in giving substance to the plot elements that the setting is real and tied to a particular location and situation; that the time is in the far past or relatively recent. Some Australian fiction sounds remarkably like an American western if not identified, for the good reason that both are dealing with similar frontier societies. And setting—time and place—can be almost the only thing that differentiates one historical romance from another. The Sheriff of Nottingham by Richard Kluger Annotation: In 1208, English churches are closed because of a clash between King John and Pope Innocent III. Hoping to quell the rebellious clergy, the king sends sheriffs into each shire. Philip Mark goes to Nottingham. A kind-hearted man, Philip is sorely tested when ordered to hang a group of Welsh boys held as hostages. He is also among the justice-seeking men who draw up the Magna Carta. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. Comment: The time, country, and situation are specific, as they need to be to lead up to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Because placing this particular sheriff in Nottingham evokes the familiar Robin Hood legends, the annotation has to point out the somewhat later time frame and the considerable difference in this man’s character from Robin Hood’s adversary. Audrey by Mary Johnston Annotation: In early eighteenth-century Virginia, young Haward takes an orphaned girl, Audrey, as his ward but places her care in someone else’s hands. When he next sees Audrey, he is amazed by her Or from the past Old and historical beauty, but unfortunate circumstances turn her against him. Comment: The setting differentiates this book from others of its kind. Change the locale and the names and you have another formula romance. Historical vs. old. Note that there are some traps in deal­ing with what at first glance appears to be historic in nature. The Grapes of Wrath now appears to be set in the past, but John Steinbeck was writing in the 1930s about a situation that was all too real at that time and presenting characters who could have lived his tale. Thomas Hardy used the English countryside and the attitudes of its people as basic elements of his novels, and the novels belong to that time. The annotation should make clear that the book’s subject was contemporary for its author. This can be done through the date at the end, if the writing was long enough ago for the date to attract attention. Generally, it is better to include some time reference in the body of the annotation: Nineteenth-century novel explores First published in 1819 Eighteenth-century comedy of manners Dates, which generally are not included in the examples in this manual, are the last element in NLS annotations and serve to give information about the time the book was writ­ten. (See Dates and time, p. 150.) Historical fiction is not a new form, so annotation writers will also have to deal with some older books, including clas­sics, that are about times that were long past when the book was written. Sir Walter Scott may have invented the form in the nineteenth century; certainly he was an early and prolif­ic practitioner with such classics as Ivanhoe and a host of others. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia happened two gener­ations before Tolstoy’s massive and evocative War and Peace. The American Civil War was only a memory, New but sounding old The time is now, and the place matters Be clear about places although a persistent one, when Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind. Both time frames may not need to be spelled out, depending as usual on the content, but make sure the annotation does not cause confusion. An additional difficulty comes in differentiating contempo­rary works set in a previous era and written at least some­what in the style of the era. Regency romances have become a genre in themselves in the past few decades and will probably not be confused with works from that time, even with dust-jacket claims about the author being a suc­cessor to Jane Austen. But novels labeled as Victorian should be by authors of that period; contemporary works with a Victorian setting need to be identified as such. (See Eras, p. 162.) Contemporary settings. As mentioned earlier, the setting adds to the atmosphere of the book and needs to be indicat­ed, at least briefly if incidental and more specifically if it is essential to the tone and situation. A small, sleepy southern town will present a picture quite different from in lower Manhattan or at a Malibu beach. A city name is usually enough, but towns often need states or countries, especially when the place is obscure or has the same name as several other towns. And New York as a name is rarely sufficient by itself; the city and upstate areas are distinctly different. Sometimes adjectives describing a character will also indi­cate the setting. Scotland Yard detective places the setting in England, most probably London. Hollywood starlet cov­ers both a profession and a location. Using the book’s language. Within the book, the setting is doubtless clear and references to places will—and should—be those used in that region. Using the same terms in the annotation will not work unless the setting and the attitude have already been indicated. A reference to the Cape obviously means Cape Cod when the characters are known to be somewhere in Massachusetts, but not other­ Sensitivities— Watch your words carefully • Disabilities People with handicaps are people wise; there are many capes in this country and around the world. Annotation: Tomboy Jessie Warfield and her friend James Wyndham often compete in horse races in 1820s Baltimore, Maryland. James speaks of his English cousins, Marcus and Duchess Wyndham, so when Jessie must flee the colonies, she turns to them for help. Comment: The book does use the term colonies, probably because the English cousins still thought and spoke of the United States that way. But without that context established, writers have to treat Maryland and other parts of the United States, which had achieved independence almost forty years earli­er, in more usual terms. Jessie was fleeing the country. Sensitivities Word choices can say much about attitudes, and annota­tions should be free of the annotation writer’s attitudes. The author’s attitudes are another matter; points of view should be both noted and attributed. The following situations can present problems. Disabilities Because the audience for NLS annotations is, by definition and statute, made up of people who have a visual or physi­cal disability, the book collection offers many titles on or about disabilities. Annotation writers must take great care not to stereotype or depict people with disabilities nega­tively or as objects of pity. So should all writers, but we in particular want to set a standard of writing without even a hint of condescension. Several organizations working in the field of disabilities produce material about acceptable terminology. Particular phrases change over time, and people concerned with dis­ • Ethnic and race abilities should refer to current lists for information, particu­larly as to approach and attitude. Such suggestions are not necessarily definitive, however; some attempts to be politi­cally correct have been so arcane as to be devoid of mean­ing. Judgment is needed. In general, NLS writers always try to think in terms of peo­ple rather than conditions. Thus, we use phrases such as people with cerebral palsy rather than the cerebral palsied, and blind individuals rather than the blind. Never use words or phrases like afflicted with (which evokes pity), or the victim of (which indicates some kind of intention). And wheelchair users are not confined by their method of locomotion but rather given the ability to move. Be specific whenever possible (the person has a particular condition), and avoid characterizations and implied judg­ments. Crippled implies complete dysfunction and has no place in an annotation for nonfiction titles; it might some­times be appropriate for a fiction work where the physical condition is symbolic of an emotional state or an attitude. Ethnic and racial designations We try, as much as possible, to use terms that reflect the preferences of the group involved. These terms also tend to change over time, often by design of the group members themselves, to emphasize a particular aspect of their back­ground or an attitude toward it. Thus, African American is the current term for Americans of African descent, but some annotations for books in the collection reflect the time when they were written by their use of Afro-American, black, Negro, and even colored. These terms should be updated to current usage when such titles are reissued or when older material is listed in subject bibliographies. Note that black is still acceptable and useful, especially when referring to communities or neighborhoods; the other terms listed above are not, except on rare occasions when needed for historical context. Don’t create anachronisms Don’t hyphenate people In general, we use Native American to refer to the indige­nous people of the whole Western Hemisphere, and more particularly those of Canada and the United States. That does not mean, however, that the word Indian has vanished from our vocabulary or theirs. Those peoples in Mexico and further south are often still referred to as Indians in their own countries and therefore often in material about those countries. Also, references to specific groups some­times need the word Indian, as in Delaware Indians, where changing the term to Native Americans would be both his­torically inaccurate and linguistically forced. For groups where the designation is appropriate, the term nation is desirable: the Sioux Nation, for example. This term does not, however, apply to subgroups within a nation or smaller groups that were never affiliated with others; these can always be identified by name. Indian should usually be preferred to Native American in annotations for classics; James Fenimore Cooper was not writing about the French and Native American Wars, and his attitude and approach are distorted by applying modern terms to a historical context. NLS follows Chicago (The Chicago Manual of Style, Fourteenth Edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), which calls for leaving ethnic designations followed by American open (no hyphens), both as adjectives and nouns: African American, Italian American, Japanese American. It is not always necessary to use the full term, however, if the context makes it clear that a community in this country and not overseas is being discussed. If the annotation places the setting in a section of Boston largely occupied by people of Irish extraction, the reader is not going to be misled into thinking that Irish means people in Ireland. Jewish is generally used as a religious designation and not followed by American, even though the term also has eth­nic connotations. • Gender Watch word choices Hispanic can be used for all groups from a Spanish-speak-ing background, although some groups immigrating to the United States or with ancestors from western hemisphere countries are endorsing Latino as the preferred term, since the connection with Spain is several centuries old and by conquest to boot. Needless to say, terms considered derogatory have no place in an annotation. If a biased attitude is a major aspect of the book, readers can be informed of the content without the use of inflammatory language. Gender Avoid using gender-specific words to encompass both sexes. Human can usually be used in some form for words like mankind or man’s, and both sexes are people. The con­text will suggest other possibilities. Most gender-specific words for occupations are rapidly dis­appearing from the language, partly in response to civil-rights protests and partly to reflect reality, as women con­tinue to enter many occupations that were once dominated by men. Often the word has simply been truncated to remove a male suffix or changed to reflect the activity; thus, policemen become police, workmen become workers, mailmen become letter carriers. In many cases, one desig­nation encompasses both sexes, and most of the “ess” suf­fixes to indicate a female practitioner of a craft have for practical purposes ceased to exist. Poetess, always slightly archaic in sound, is never seen, and even actress is used primarily where a distinction needs to be made, as for awards and the like; collectively, people whose profession is acting call themselves actors. Pronouns can lead to considerable difficulty. Don’t use he or his for both sexes; if a singular is called for, use he or she or his or her. Sometimes indefinite pronouns such as anyone or everybody can be used, but these can lead to a reappearance of the problem in a later clause that refers Watch your attitude • Lifestyle Don’t be evasive back to the singular subject and leaves the writer again reaching for a way around he or his. Using the plural form after this construction is not acceptable to NLS, even though it is often done elsewhere. The easiest solution, when possible, is to use the nonspecific they (or a plural noun) to begin with, followed by the plural form of a verb and plural references thereafter. All of these guidelines concern language and usage, but some more subtle practices can also relegate women to a secondary position. Books by or about a man and a woman should indicate an occupation or characteristic for both, not just for the man. The phrase wife of, by itself, is insuffi­cient and demeaning, especially when applied to coauthors or subjects of a dual biography; both people must be credit­ed for their activities and achievements. Likewise, referring to male characters by their last names and female charac­ters by their first names indicates that the women are some­how less important or less worthy of respect. The type of book will determine whether first or last names are used, but the sexes should be treated evenhandedly. Even the choice of descriptive adjectives can contain not-so-subtle put-downs: all denoting vigorous and powerful for the men and vapid and voluptuous for the women. Lifestyle More and more books are featuring characters with nontra­ditional family arrangements and lifestyles, not surprising­ly, as these situations become more common and more openly discussed in our society. Descriptions of this materi­al should let the reader know what to expect, just as in descriptions of any other kind of book. If the annotation depicts a tender love story, the reader will assume two sweet young people of different sexes unless told other­wise, either directly (homosexual, lesbian) or by sentences that feature men or women together. This practice does not mean that the sexual orientation of all characters has to be listed any more than does other descriptive information, but Judgments— best left to the reader features bearing on motivation or the direction of the plot should be clear. Judgments One of the fundamentals of annotation writing is to avoid judgments. This concept can be difficult for people who are accustomed to reading book reviews. Reviews are supposed to give opinions; that is their function. Reviews in publica­tions like Library Journal not only give opinions but rec­ommend books for general collections or for specific types of libraries and clientele; these reviews help librarians in buying books for their collections. Selection in these cases means choosing where to expend funds, and advice can be useful. The purpose of an annotation is different. The book has already been selected—and deemed worthy of inclusion in the collection—according to a carefully written policy designed to provide many books of interest to the majority of readers and something in all fields for readers with par­ticular interests. In that sense, it has already been judged to be good. The annotation is there to help an individual read­er decide if this particular book is one he or she would want to read. The decision is up to the reader; the annota­tion gives information for making that choice. There are two strong reasons for avoiding judgments. One is credibility. It is not unusual for people reading a book because of a recommendation to find that they disagree, sometimes strongly. People react to books in different ways, and a reader may react to the same book differently at various times. After a few experiences with following someone else’s opinion and being disappointed, the reader can easily mistrust information that is supposed to be helpful. A second reason for avoiding judgments is that they often appear as condescending. (See Sensitivities, p. 31.) Most blind people have experienced the degrading attitude that Taglines are content information their blindness makes them inferior and renders them somehow incapable of making their own judgments and decisions. They surely do not want that kind of negative thinking reflected in information they receive about books produced specifically for them by a service that should be well aware of this issue. Taglines—sex, violence, and strong language Information on the existence of strong language, violence, and sex is available to library patrons who can handle print books, either through summaries on book jackets or by skimming through the pages. These elements are frequently more vivid in spoken than in written form and can disturb some readers. Because our readers cannot sample the con­tent before ordering the book, they need to be made aware of the presence of these elements. These phrases are not considered judgmental; they simply contain information for readers similar to information con­veyed in the other parts of the annotation. It is up to the reader to determine whether he or she wishes to read the book, or if such content has any bearing on that decision. Neither are these taglines a form of censorship, as has sometimes been suggested. The books are available for any reader who wishes to order them. It would be censorship to delete the passages or to decide not to produce the books in recorded or braille formats because they contain offensive elements, rather than to follow general selection guidelines for the approximately two thousand titles that can be pro­duced each year from the more than sixty thousand titles listed in Books in Print. (For specific use of taglines, see p. 155.) Planning an annotation Study—planning begins with learning • Sources include... Writers can’t just plunge in and write something; they have to know where they are going and why. Creating a good annotation takes thinking and planning. There are five steps, which will take varying amounts of time depending on the content of each book. Study what the book is about. Select information to include. Structure the order of presentation. Determine an appropriate length. Choose a writing style to fit the book. Note: the actual writing will come last! Study what the book is about Sources A multitude of sources exist for information that could be used in an annotation. These include prepublication announcements; reviews in newspapers, magazines, and professional journals; listings in book digests and similar reference material; the book jacket, table of contents, and index; and the text of the book itself. These materials have varying degrees of usefulness, depending on the nature, importance, and publication date of the book. Don’t plan or write anything until all sources have been consulted! Reviews—but watch out Announcements and reviews. Some of the information in prepublication announcements can be useful. The primary sources for such reviews are Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Review, trade magazines that describe books soon to be published and give information about promotional cam­paigns that could influence demand. These reviews are intended for the professional who selects books for a collection. They are not designed to be totally objective about the worth of a book, but instead to alert librarians, booksellers, and other people involved in book selection as to what may be in demand. They contain basic information about the book’s content, opinions as to its value, estimates of its potential sales, and suitability for general or specialized collections. For example: ¦ This book is not up to the author’s previous stan­dards but might sell on the strength of the last hit. ¦ potential hit ¦ among the most specious of the proliferating publi­cations supposed to offer advice to casualties of the sexual revolution Specific information cited in a prepublication review can differ from details in the published version. Publishers sometimes change the name of a character, add or remove a subtitle, and even change the title between sending out advance copies for review and going to press. Critical reviews become available upon or soon after publi­cation; Library Journal, Book List, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post Book World, and the New York Times Book Review are usual references. Reviews from these sources are for the most part signed articles that indicate the background of the reviewer and the basis for his or her opinions. Library Journal reviewers for nonfiction tend to be college faculty or specialists working in the subject area of the book; for fiction they are usually librarians. Book List primarily uses its own editorial staff for reviews. The Digests— for retrospective selections Book jackets— meant to entice New York Times often uses reviewers who have written books on similar subjects, or big-name personalities. Critical reviews are a valuable source of information, but using them requires careful selection of material to trans­mit to the reader. Information gleaned from reviews must be facts and content, not opinion. Reviews are expected to contain judgments; annotations are not. Book digests. Reference material of this kind is not sufficiently timely to cover current books, but for older selections such digests can be most helpful. Particularly valuable is Book Review Digest, which gives a brief description of the book and lists several excerpts from critical reviews. The Wilson catalogs also use this format. Digests do sometimes contain errors; be sure they are describing the correct book. Special-interest sources, including both current magazines and cumulative digests, are utilized for some kinds of material, such as books on religion, detective stories, sci­ence fiction, literature, and the like. Book jackets. These summaries are part of the promotion of the book. People browsing through bookstores read them and are tempted into buying (or so the publishers hope). The jackets sometimes contain the best summation of con­tent available anywhere. On the other hand, they sometimes misrepresent content—even characters’ names or spellings—or stress sensational elements. Annotation writ­ers should investigate the content of the book before using any book-jacket information. This information should not be ignored, merely approached warily. Book-jacket information should never be copied for anno­tations, both because it can be suspect and because the information source will be readily apparent to the reader of the book. For recorded books, after the basic opening announcements (title, author, date, length, reader), the first Paperback blurbs— meant to entice quickly The book, the ultimate source—evaluate by skimming • Commondenominators— what the sources indicate thing narrated is the Library of Congress annotation, immediately followed by “from the book jacket.” Oops! Cribbing from the book jacket makes nonsense of calling this a Library of Congress annotation. Paperbacks. Information on the backs of paperbacks is even more suspect than book-jacket information. These books are sold everywhere—newsstands, drugstores, super-markets—and the publishers want pictures, colors, and words that will catch the attention of a potential buyer who came in to do the weekly shopping or wanted to grab something to read on the bus. The teasers on the backs of paperbacks often have only a remote kinship with the book’s contents; they are generally useless for writing annotations. If the content summary is the only information available, tread warily in using the same words or exact phrases. Generally, the thrust of the book can be indicated without specific plot details. And that content summary will proba­bly be treated on the recording as information from the book jacket and read in its entirety. The book. It would not be cost-effective or practical to read every word of every book before writing an annota­tion. But books do have to be skimmed for content and tone of writing. For nonfiction, the table of contents, intro­ductions, and postscripts are good guides. All books have to be checked carefully for sex, strong language, and violence. Finding common denominators Information from all these sources should indicate common elements. If two reviews and the book jacket say that the book is a futuristic science fiction novel, then the book is most likely to be a futuristic science fiction novel. Such fundamental information should set the tone for the annota­tion. Select • Determine basiccontent Isolated points of interest or background facts that one reviewer picks out—but go unmentioned anywhere else— are unlikely to be the main emphasis of the book; these should probably be discounted for use in the annotation. When all this information is considered together, the main idea of the book should be clear. Details on subject, author, theme, plot, setting, and characters can then be selected to flesh out the annotation. Using well-written phrases from any of these sources is tempting; it’s a shame to let good words go to waste. But this procedure is reasonable only if these phrases truly describe the book, deserve emphasis, and fit together. A cut-and-paste job of words lifted out of context can be mis-leading—or convey no meaning at all. Select what to include Content is fundamental A properly written annotation should quickly clue readers to the type of book and its general purpose or approach, leading them to read further if they are interested in this type of material. A misleading annotation may cause a reader to ignore a book that he or she would enjoy—a loss to the reader. Or a misleading annotation may lead to selec­tion of a book that disappoints, making the reader wary about future selections. Either way, the annotation fails in its purpose. First consider the type of book: light reading for pleasure practical or how-to guide overview of or introduction to a particular subject in-depth study fiction with a serious theme. • List (facts) Your notes, unadorned Six questions These five categories encompass most of the books for which annotations have to be written. Some types of mate­rial are not listed, and some books escape categorization. Annotation writers have to be flexible. Annotations for books in the first three categories are gen­erally easier to write: their purpose is simple, their con­struction is rarely complex, and their message is straight­forward. Plan to spend more thought—and more time—on the last two categories. Jot down notes about the book Don’t arrange them, just make a list. Use the book to verify that names, dates, and places are accurate and correctly spelled. Don’t adorn the information; language comes later. Notes should cover what is necessary or important about the particular book. They will vary, depending on the type of book. What should be included in the annotation will vary, depending on the category. Notes should cover answers to these questions: Who is essential to this book? What is it about? When does it take place? Where is it set? How is the subject developed? Why was it written or is it useful? These are the six questions drummed into reporters, with a slight revision of emphasis because of the difference in purpose. How does not always need to be answered for a news article; but for books, and therefore annotations, how the author develops his or her idea is what makes one book different from another. • Structure notes Rank order • Determine length These questions contain the raw material from which anno­tations are made, even if they do not all have to be answered for every book. Every one should be considered for notes, and some should be selected for the annotation. Structure what is to be presented Structured notes will help the writer build the annotation properly, usually from the general to the specific. They should identify what must be included and ensure that equal concepts are given equal weight. Structuring will pre­vent omitting the point of the book, distorting the empha­sis, or developing one aspect to the exclusion or subordina­tion of others that are equally important. The annotation should explain or indicate the book’s major emphasis include essential but secondary information provide supportive detail for interest. Number notes (1), (2), or (3) according to whether facts are major, secondary, or supportive. Many items are sup­portive details and can be numbered (3); some are essen­tial but secondary and can be numbered (2); only one is a major emphasis, although there can be two items under this heading if there is a premise and a conclusion. These three categories are enough. Too many groupings and subgroupings are time consuming and will result in an overly complex annotation. Determine an appropriate length NLS uses a computer system to track titles through the production cycle from selection through shipment of the braille or recorded versions to network libraries for circula­tion to readers. The screens for this system were planned to limit the length of each entry to what would fit on the copy-allotment cards for network libraries and bookcards Long titles then in use, automatically adjusting the space for the anno­tation to accommodate a long title or a subtitle, which could also be long. Therefore, the average annotation was limited to about fifty words. Because long titles or subtitles usually contain information that would otherwise be included in the annotation, a shorter annotation for those books should not be a loss to the reader. The Innocents Abroad; or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress; Being Some Account of the Steamship Quaker City’s Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land, with Description of Countries, Nations, Incidents, and Adventures, as They Appeared to the Author by Mark Twain Annotation: A satiric account of a voyage through the Mediterranean and travel in the bordering coun­tries, and a classic study of the differences between Americans and Europeans. 1869. Comment: nonfiction classic, and Twain had fun with the title Journal of the Gun Years: Being Choice Selections from the Authentic, Never-Before-Printed Diary of the Famous Gunfighter-Lawman Clay Halser! Whose Deeds of Daring Made His Name a Byword of Terror in the Southwest between the Years of 1866 and 1876! by Richard Matheson Annotation: Multicareered Clay Halser’s talent with a gun was the stuff of legends. After Halser dies, his journal is discovered. It describes the mortal behind the myth. Violence and some descriptions of sex. Comment: A western written in 1991. The title is a take-off on the long journal titles popular in the mid-1800s. The author had fun with the exclamation points, too. When a few words are enough In many cases, a brief annotation is all that is needed, and there is no need to fill the space just because it is there. Some books can be described with great accuracy in one short, direct statement. In particular, children’s books, familiar references, and how-to books often need only a few carefully chosen words. Galloway by Louis L’Amour Annotation: Flagan Sackett finds himself a fugi­tive in the mountains with only his wits as defense against the Apache warriors and the hungry wolves stalking him. Comment: The protagonist, the setting, and the conflict are laid out in one sentence. This informa­tion is surely enough to entice readers of westerns, if the author’s name has not done that already. Yes, the plot could probably be explained more fully, but to what purpose? The Scott, Foresman Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised by Henry R. Robert Annotation: First published in 1876, this manual of parliamentary procedure serves as the country’s rec­ognized guide to running and taking effective part in meetings. Revised and modernized. Comment: Classic reference work, as the title and the annotation state. That’s enough. Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen Annotation: Makes the case that the perpetrators of the Jewish genocide were ordinary Germans driv­en by anti-Semitism and not just military officers and Nazi Party members. Bestseller. Choose appropriate writing style Comment: One sentence lays out the author’s the­sis succinctly. For elaboration of how he reached that controversial conclusion, read the book. Note that a few of the examples provided in this manual exceed the fifty-word precept. In general, these annotations were included in the 1979 edition, before the advent of the current computer system and the explosion in printing costs. These annotations have been retained because the points they illustrate are still valid, even though current writers would aim for something shorter. As shown in the previous examples, much shorter is sometimes quite enough. Say what’s needed and then stop, rather than strive to fill whatever space is provided. Choose a writing style to fit the book Consider and convey the author’s intent and the mood of the book. A serious study should not sound like a light novel; a light novel should not sound like a philosophical treatise. The tone should enhance the description. The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western by Richard Brautigan Annotation: Romp through a surrealistic world. A young Indian girl wanders into the wrong brothel looking for the right man to kill the monster that lives in the ice caves under the basement of an old house. Comment: The annotation is almost as surrealistic as the world of the novel. All those phrases would be too much for most books; they are right for this one. The Human Pedigree by Anthony Smith Annotation: A British science reporter confronts the complex medical, legal, and political problems of genetic engineering. He considers such moral ques­tions as whether people with defective genes should marry and whether seriously defective infants should live. Comment: Straightforward treatment of a difficult subject with many ramifications. The author’s back­ground is given immediately, and confronts is an excellent choice for the main verb. Writing—the last step Now write Get to the point Finally, it’s time to turn all that preparation into an annota­tion. Using the preliminary notes— get to the point choose appropriate language vary sentence structure be specific and concise watch grammar and punctuation adhere to style While the planning steps are basically consecutive, the elements that make up writing are incorporated largely simultaneously. As soon as you begin writing, language, sentence structure, grammar, and style come into play. That does not mean every sentence or every word will be exactly what is needed on the first draft. The general approach needs to be achieved first and then more attention paid to specific details. But choice of language and how to use it are there from the beginning. The elements are separated here to focus on some fundamentals and considerations. Get to the point A strong first sentence sums up or indicates the main emphasis of the book. Supportive details follow. Edward VIII by Frances Donaldson Annotation: Lady Donaldson suggests that Edward VIII’s abdication to marry Mrs. Simpson was a willful abandonment of the throne rather than a noble sacrifice. The eldest son of King George V is • The first sentence sets the tone portrayed as a tragic personality, the victim of his own flawed character and judgment. Comment: The opening sentence presents the author’s thesis. The second develops it. While active voice is generally preferable, the second sentence works in passive voice with some supporting infor­mation on either side of the verb. Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany Annotation: As the sun grows deadly, the world goes mad. Society perishes, savagery rules, and all that was known is over. In these dying days of Earth, a young drifter enters the city. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and violence. Comment: The opening sentence presents the situa­tion and sets the mood. The second adds details, opposing the concepts of society and savagery. The concluding sentence inserts a person into the setting, implying that something is about to happen and enticing the reader to find out what that is. The warning tags indicate that the action may not be to everyone’s taste. That vital first sentence The opening sentence lets the reader know immediately what this book is about. For nonfiction, the information could include the author’s premise or approach, the time period covered, a succinct introduction to the subject matter, a brief statement of the author’s credentials, or whatever else is essential to the particular book. Note that the statement must indicate something about the book, not just about the person or situation covered in the book. For fiction, the first sentence should capture the mood, and could introduce the major character(s), set the plot in motion, or anchor the book in place and time, along with • Good Get to the point leading the reader into the next sentence for more informa­tion. Sometimes it needs to state the nature of the book, usually for genres that are hard to depict through plot and mood. Not all these elements should be included in every first sentence; the writer must select what is essential to this book. Remember that some information has already appeared in the title. Good starts Obviously there can be as many good beginnings as there are books being annotated. Fragments of the Ark by Lousie Meriwether First sentence: Peter Mango has been a slave all his life. Comment: Identifies the protagonist and his situa­tion, and at the same time implies that something is about to happen to change things. Next Time, She’ll Be Dead: Battering and How to Stop It by Ann Jones First sentence: A study of the institutions and atti­tudes that foster the problem of domestic violence in America. Comment: Straightforward exposition about what the book contains. There are five useful nouns (study, institutions, attitudes, problem, violence) and a well-chosen verb that has the sense of giving aid to a situation that should be halted, not encouraged. The Last Integrationist by Jake Lamar First sentence: A political tale set in a racially divided America. Comment: Both the genre and the subject are hint­ed at in the title. The explanatory opening sentence clarifies the direction of the novel, leading to plot elements to follow. Always try to get directly to the author’s approach for nonfiction books. Some possibilities include: ¦ A behind-the-scenes look ¦ Reminiscences about ¦ A personal and political discussion ¦ Interviews with [whomever] demonstrate ¦ An investigative reporter examines ¦ A discursive, detailed biography ¦ Techno-thriller author Tom Clancy provides an in-depth look ¦ A multifaceted reflection on ¦ Williams ponders ¦ Explanation of ¦ The authors’ architectural engineering backgrounds and personal experience inform their descriptions of earthquakes and volcanos. ¦ The authors define ¦ The authors discuss ¦ The author highlights ¦ The authors assert ¦ The author focuses ¦ The author tells how ¦ The author describes ¦ Richards outlines the life of ¦ Traces ¦ More than two hundred [people] contributed their recollections to ¦ A broad survey ¦ According to two proponents of Darwinian medi­cine, the body is a bundle of compromises ¦ Literary biography of ¦ Literary notable remembers ¦ A musicologist’s documented account ¦ Sociology professor criticizes ¦ Myers states he does not possess final answers to the mysteries of well-being ¦ A reporter’s account of ¦ Presents frank views ¦ Critical biography of ¦ Opposed to manipulating people by interfering with their decision-making processes, … 54 • Trouble Watch out for these approaches Don’t ignore the book. Annotations are about books, not about the people profiled or the conflict covered. The first sentence for a nonfiction book should always indicate what the book is about (life of, discusses, covers), not what the subject did, why he or she did it, or how the author became interested. This problem is particularly prevalent with biographies. What’s in the book? More pitfalls The author’s motivation is secondary, or even unnecessary Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull Annotation: African American Wilma Rudolph weighed only four pounds when she was born in 1940, and she had nineteen older brothers and sis­ters. Childhood polio left her leg paralyzed, but Wilma exercised until she not only walked but became an Olympic gold medal runner. For grades 2-4. Problem: Needs an introductory sentence stating that the book tells how the person profiled sur­mounted many difficulties to become an Olympic gold medal winner. The details listed should intrigue children, but they are supportive information rather than the starting point. Little Girl Fly Away by Gene Stone Annotation: For four years Ruth Finley said she was stalked by a man who, on different occasions, kidnapped her, stabbed her, harassed her by phone, and wrote her evil poetry. The Poet eluded Wichita police until the chief, who had not met Ruth, read the voluminous file and solved the case by surveil­lance: Ruth was stalking herself. After five years of psychoanalytic therapy, Ruth was able to understand why. Strong language and some violence. Problem: We have a lengthy annotation about the case, its solution, and even the outcome for the per­petrator. There’s nothing anywhere about the book, which can only be presumed to present this informa­tion somehow. Don’t concentrate just on background. This problem is another common aspect of ignoring the book. An annota­tion should cover the approach of the book, not explain how the author happened to write it. These facts can be included as supportive details if pertinent, but the first sentence should always indicate that there is a book. Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap by Peggy Orenstein Annotation: When journalist Orenstein read the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) 1990 study that told of widespread low self-esteem in young girls, she wanted to learn about the people and the stories behind the statistics. With the support of AAUW, she spent a year observing this trait in eighth-grade girls from two California schools, chosen to reflect the system-wide division by race and economic class. Problem: It’s all background. Not only is there no book, there’s no substance about any findings from the study. Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez First sentence: In 1949, the author was instructed by his newspaper editor to go to the old convent of Santa Clara on the Caribbean coast and see if he could come up with a story about the emptying of their burial crypts prior to building a hotel. Problem: More than half of the allotted fifty words have been used, and we have no information about what is in the book. The opening sentence or two should be devoted to setting, characters, and story line of a fiction book. If there is space, background information could be added briefly: This novel was inspired by a 1949 visit… Readers might be intrigued to learn that a 1995 bestseller was based on an experience almost half a century earlier—but only if they first had some reason to become interested in the book. 57 The title says it Don’t repeat title information. Use the annotation to give new information; limited space shouldn’t be used to repeat what can be learned from the title and subtitle. Repetition is dull in print, wasteful in braille, and deadly when recorded. Rebecca West: A Celebration by Rebecca West First sentence: Selections from the works of Dame Rebecca West. Comment: The author’s name already appears twice in the bibliographic material; a third appear­ance in the annotation is both unnecessary and bor­ing. The Misbegotten Son: A Serial Killer and His Victims; the True Story of Arthur J. Shawcross by Jack Olsen First sentence: Reconstruction of crimes commit­ted by Arthur John Shawcross. Comment: All that is in the lengthy subtitle. The first sentence should be used to tell how many mur­ders, over what period of time, how grizzly or inex­plicable, how long it took for him to be discovered— anything that is more than what is already stated. Is there something in his family background to explain the title? Many works of nonfiction are quite specific in the title and subtitle about the subject covered and the time. Obviously, then, these facts do not need to be included in the annota­tion. Instead, the first sentence should focus on other ele­ments, possibly a fuller explanation of who the subject is, what he or she accomplished or is known for, the approach or credentials of the author, or how this book differs from others on the subject. Repetition is rarely a problem with fiction titles. Don’t creep up on the real words Avoid Avoid wordy opening phrases. It’s superfluous to start with a book about; the reader knows that it is a book about something. Moreover, such an opening phrase almost insists that the writer add descriptive adjectives about the book, and these can too easily become judgmental. Instead, go directly to the content: someone doing something. Wordy: Warm, sympathetic story of the seven rest­less and ambitious children of a pre-depression Jewish immigrant family as they pursue power and wealth. Direct: Seven restless and ambitious children of a pre-depression Jewish family pursue power and wealth. Beware of such phrases as: ¦ The story of ¦ Here is a story of ¦ This is a horror story about ¦ This novel chronicles ¦ This little book is made up of ¦ Here in his own words is a story of ¦ Author’s account of ¦ This novel concerns ¦ An intriguing novel in which (also a value judgment) ¦ A touching, funny novel (two value judgments) ¦ Gothic/historical/science fiction/western/contempo-rary/mystery/suspense novel that The annotation usually should start with the information that comes after such phrases. Spell out the genre only if it isn’t obvious. The annotation’s tone and content are the best means for conveying the type of book. The reader can tell that it’s a historical novel if the time period and setting are given; that it’s a gothic novel if the heroine is being pur­sued around a spooky mansion on the edge of a cliff over­looking the moors. Cases where the genre can be in doubt often involve some form of humor where the action depicted is intended to illustrate a point, as in a satire. Here it is preferable to begin with a statement about what is being satirized and use the plot elements for supportive details—which is what they are: the author’s means of making the point. Biting the Wall by J.M. Johnson First sentence: In this satire on academic life, Llew McQuilla is summarily removed from his job as head of computer services at Wilbur Moody College, and his loyal colleagues are determined to learn the reason behind this sudden demotion. Comment: Without the opening phrase, the plot information could be read straight, possibly as the introduction to a serious conspiracy. I Killed Hemingway by William McCranor Henderson First sentence: Satirical thriller about former Hemingway scholar Elliot McGuire, who is asked to ghostwrite the biography of elder Eric “Pappy” Markham. Comment: The opening phrase tells the reader to expect a suspense novel with comic twists. The Ditches of Edison County by Ronald Richard Roberts First sentence: This parody of the bestselling Bridges of Madison County (RC 35861) also features a brief affair between a traveling photographer, 60 There’s a point here somewhere No padding Ronald Concave, and a farmer’s lonely wife, Pancetta Jackson. Comment: The title, with its echoes of the original runaway bestseller and film, announces a takeoff. Identifying the book as a parody reinforces this fact, as does the plot information. The connections may not be so obvious as Bridges fades from memory. Avoid overcrowding. An overcrowded first sentence cannot focus attention on any one point, and readers may get totally confused or lose interest. Overcrowding is bad practice anywhere, but it can be a disaster in the opening sentence. The Terrible Teague Bunch by Gary Jennings Annotation: (1) Comic western (2) set in Texas, (3) at the turn of the century in which (4) four well-intentioned badmen (5) encounter (6) rough obsta­cles and (7) rough luck (8) en route (9) to robbing a train (10) carrying money (11) to a new bank (12) at Teague. Comment: Twelve separate thoughts are stuffed into one sentence. Most of the information is useful and fairly well expressed, but there is too much in one place. Run-on thoughts are a challenge even to the inveterate reader of westerns. Never use throwaways. These are sentences that lead into the information that should be conveyed, but contain no information of their own about the book. They create the impression that the writer didn’t quite know how to get to the point, or was trying to stretch the material and fill up the space. Second sentence builds The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies: Thousands of Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Everyday Health Problems by Deborah Tkac First sentence: Have you ever wondered what a doctor does when he gets a cold, is plagued with arthritis, snores, or has a stomachache? Comment: The sentence is wasted—words thrown away that could have been used for imparting infor­mation. Readers should not be addressed as you, and what they may have wondered is immaterial. The book does not need a long annotation; the title is quite explicit. Add supportive details The second sentence (and others as necessary) should clarify the introductory sentence if needed, add specifics, identify the conflict, or move the plot along. The type of book and its approach will determine what is needed. Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon by M.F.K. Fisher Annotation: An account of the years between 1929 and 1931, when the author is introduced to life in France. For her it is a time when practically every­thing is new—marriage, the French language, and culinary interests. Most exciting of all are the people in the cafes, movies, shops, and kitchens and in the pensions she and her husband share with other for­eigners and graduate students in the provincial city of Dijon. Comment: The first sentence is short and straight­forward, showing that the book contains memoirs (an account), clarifying the years encompassed by the long ago of the title, and indicating new experi­ences with introduced to. The details that follow reflect the emerging concerns of the well-known food writer and add color. • Know how to stop Know how to stop The Dutchman by Maan Meyers Annotation: (1) New Amsterdam, 1664. (2) This city of Dutch settlers, Indians, and Jewish merchants is about to be attacked by the British. (3) But Schout (sheriff) Pieter Tonneman has other problems to worry about first. (4) A close friend has apparently killed himself, a Jewish family’s house has been burned, a corpse disappears and reappears, and a lovely Jewish widow has a special interest in him. Strong language and some violence. Comment: (1) A dateline with place and time is a good way to identify a historical work; it saves space and words along with reducing the dependence on prepositional phrases. Like all devices, however, it should not be overused. (2) The first full sentence enlarges on the background and setting and also introduces one plot element. (3) The hero appears in the next sentence, along with indications of more plot complications. (4) Finally, there is an over­whelming series of personal concerns and criminal activities designed to keep a conscientious lawman occupied for quite some time. Note how well the details build. Know how to stop A good paragraph, or a good annotation, should have a beginning, a middle, and an end—but not necessarily in three sentences and not usually revealing the outcome of the book. When there is enough information to lay out the author’s thesis or pique the reader’s interest, there is no need to add more. Particularly with annotations for escapist fiction titles, it is enough to get the protagonists into a situ­ation or dilemma and stir concern about how they will deal with it. The annotation should not, of course, disclose the ending. It also does not need to summarize all the action leading to the conclusion. Don’t tell all Don’t flounder Don’t disclose too much plot. Once the situation has been laid out, trying to encapsulate all of the action can lead to complex, convoluted sentences that confuse rather than enlighten. And too much information can weaken the thrust, leaving the annotation to trail off, rather than end on an interesting note. Seasons of the Heart RC 24280 by Cynthia Freeman Annotation: Ann Coulter’s dreams of a happy, prosperous future with her husband, Phillip, a dash­ing, aristocratic lawyer she met at her best friend’s wedding, are shattered by World War II. His intern­ment throughout the war in a Japanese prison camp saps his strength of character. Ann’s determination to improve the family finances by working as a realtor turns her into a millionaire, but the marriage fails. Comment: The first sentence is long and filled with details that seem to lead into a light romance. Since that is not to be the case, the allusion to her best friend’s wedding should be eliminated to con­nect dreams and shattered more directly. The middle section covers a fairly long period of time, with both people facing realities—his very grim and hers of ambition and achievement. Then the whole thing ends abruptly and with finality, leaving very little reason for reading the book. Avoid weak generalizations. The concluding sentence should arouse interest in some way, not trail off into a vague nothingness. This situation can be caused by too much attention to how the author sets up the plot, leaving little space to focus on how it develops. Sound the Trumpet: The Liberty Bell, Book 1 by Gilbert Morris Annotation: When British Daniel and Lyna Bradford lose their mother, going to a workhouse is Don’t question the obvious their only option. Fortunately, they are hired by Lord Rochester to work as indentured servants for five years, and life is good. Then young Leo Rochester makes passes at Lyna, and Daniel fights with him and must leave. Both Daniel and Lyna will endure many hardships before they are reunited in America. Some violence. Problem: Most of the book is encompassed in the vague endure many hardships of the last sentence, which surely is not going to inspire much interest, especially since the tagline indicates violence. This problem occurs mainly because too much attention has been given to details of the opening situation, many of them unnecessary. Going to a workhouse is obviously not their only option, since they didn’t. This annotation could easily begin with a sentence such as “Orphaned siblings Daniel and Lyna are sep­arated after being indentured to Lord Rochester,” leaving more space to lay out something about the action. Don’t pose useless questions. The annotation should not dissolve into meaningless speculation about whether the characters will achieve their purpose. Questions to which the answer is obvious add no information. ¦ Will she make the right choice? Of course she will. It’s a romance novel. ¦ Can they keep the world from going up in flames? You bet. There will be heroics first, however. Will the twins find their mother in all that jungle? Without doubt. Generally, the writer should stop with the sentence that pre­cedes these questions. If the problem has not been set out, as it probably should have been, the situation is much better handled with a statement: Now select words • Verbs for action ¦ She has to determine the right choice for her. ¦ If they fail, the world will go up in flames. ¦ A dense jungle lies between the lost twins and their mother. Questions can be used to good effect, but they should be used sparingly and should not express the obvious. (See Writing—the last step, p. 84.) Choose appropriate language Language is chosen before it is written, even though the two acts may seem to be simultaneous; writers decide what word to use before they write it down. Language for anno­tations should be interesting, appropriate, and nonjudgmen­tal. Words chosen should fulfill two related objectives. They should ¦ transmit specific content ¦ capture the flavor of the book. Every word in an annotation should be valuable. Readers don’t have infinite time or patience to wait for the point to be made; length is a consideration for selection cards and bookcards; space for printing, brailling, and recording annotations is limited. Before selecting words, consider some aspects of language. Verbs Verbs are action words; they describe what happens. Annotations that relate something happening are much more interesting than those that generalize about back­ground or contents. Use active voice for vigor, boldness, and brevity. Choose one tense, preferably present. Alive Dead • Nouns for identity Life after Life by Raymond A. Moody Jr. Annotation: A philosopher-doctor (1) synthesizes the experiences of more than fifty people who (2) have been declared clinically dead and then (2) resuscitated. Their similar accounts (3) suggest to the author existence after death. Comment: (1) Main verb of the sentence—active voice and present tense. The word is well chosen for the act of putting many things together. (2) Verbs for the dependent clause show action before that of the main verb. Words have the precise meaning intended. (3) Main verb of sentence—active voice and present tense. Gives immediacy to the theme of the book, even though the author considered and chose his topic before he began writing. The Romance of Atlantis by Taylor Caldwell Annotation: According to the author, this novel (1) was written when she was twelve and (1) based (2) on her former life in Atlantis. Comment: (1) Compound verb; passive voice, past tense. Creates little interest. (2) Nothing happens in this annotation, although the last phrase and the title hint that something happened in the author’s life or imagination that may be reflected in the book. These two annotations are on similar subjects. The first one creates interest and the other kills it. The difference lies with the care taken in selection of facts and use of verbs to describe them. Nouns Nouns identify who and what. Choose nouns to incorporate as much information as possible, since brevity is a necessity and precision aids interest. Bachelor is better than unmarried man. Nouns that incorporate a description convey vitality Use care with through succinctness; they also leave space for adjectives that add more force or new information. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost by Erle Stanley Gardner Annotation: (1) Amnesia, (1) blackmail, and (1) jewel-smuggling provide the (2) background for a (2) murder in which (3) Perry Mason, for once, knows less than the (3) prosecutor. Comment: (1) The sentence has a triple subject; the three nouns sum up the elements of the plot. (2) These two nouns continue to set the scene. (3) These two nouns identify the conflict: the pro­tagonist by well-known name and the antagonist by function. This short annotation uses seven nouns; most of the remaining words provide connections. What more is needed for a Perry Mason mystery? Names. Using proper nouns, names of people and places, requires careful consideration. The foremost concern is accuracy; places and characters should be identified cor­rectly and spellings checked. Obviously, people featured in nonfiction works need to be identified by name and often also by title or function, place, and date. Places are usually essential. Run, River, Run: A Naturalist’s Journey down One of the Great Rivers of the West by Ann Zwinger Annotation: Detailed descriptions of the (4) sights, (4) smells, and (4) sensations of the magnificent (1) Green River from its (2) source in Wyoming to its (2) confluence with the Colorado in Utah. (3) Zwinger covered all (2) 730 miles of the river on (5) foot and by (5) canoe, (5) raft, and (5) plane. Comment: (1) With that title and subtitle, the river has to be named. (2) Further definition is needed— where and how long? (3) The author must be identi­fied as the naturalist of the title; she could have been writing about someone else. (4) Alliterative summa­ tion of sensory phenomena and immediate mood of the book. Note that the descriptive words on content come before the identification of the place—despite the questions raised in the title: What river? Where? (5) Supportive detail completes the picture. Good use of simple nouns throughout. Character names should not be used if they are common; readers don’t gain much information from John and Mary. A descriptive phrase would have the advantage of telling something about the person that relates to development of the plot (New York detective, gun-shy cowboy, heiress to coal-baron’s fortune). On the other hand, familiar charac­ters should always be identified if their names aren’t included in the title information; readers may need to see that this book features Sherlock Holmes or a member of Louis L’Amour’s Sackett family. The Secret Box by Gayle Pearson Annotation: Five interconnected stories about Taylor Finch and her sixteen-year-old brother, Toby, and Lindsay, thirteen, and her brother, Eric, who is also sixteen. In the title story, Taylor receives a secret box for her twelfth birthday, but thinks the thirty-four steps to open it are too much trouble—until she realizes she has some secrets she wants to hide. For grades 4-7. Comment: There is no reason to identify these characters by name. Only one is referred to later in the annotation, and sorting them all out, including ages, produces an awkward sentence without much interest. Rewritten: Five interconnected stories about two girls and their sixteen-year-old brothers. 69 Remember sound Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie Annotation: In this, her last case, Miss Marple warns a charming young couple… Comment: The name is important; mystery fans will want to know which of Agatha Christie’s famous sleuths is featured. Sometimes place or character names add interest: if they suggest a nationality or an ethnic group that is being por­trayed, if they are somehow related to the title, or if they simply sound as if they belong to this character or this book. The Lion’s Paw by D.R. Sherman Annotation: A young bushman in the Kalahari Desert befriends a trapped lion and is caught in a deadly conflict with nature and an obsessed white safari hunter. Comment: The exact place is not absolutely neces­sary; Africa is clearly suggested by the rest of the content. But the unusual nature of the setting and the sound of the word Kalahari add mystery and interest. Don’t forget sound. Note that neither the bushman nor the hunter is named; the description is enough. Chancy by Louis L’Amour Annotation: Young (3) drifter (1) Otis Chancy takes his (2) chances against (3) crooked sheriffs, (3) deadly gunmen, and (3) renegade Indians. Comment: (1) Shows that the title is the name of the hero. (2) A small play on words that should not be overdone. (3) Note the fine parallel use of descriptive adjectives. Names are unnecessary except for the title character. Watch antecedents Exile of the Stars by Andre Norton Annotation: (1) Krip Vorland and (1) Maelen of the free trader ship (1) Lydis are forced to land with a priceless treasure on the (2) supposedly uninhabit­ed planet of (1) Sekhmet. Comment: (1) The unusual names enhance the exotic nature of the subject. (2) Note the hint of things to come in supposedly uninhabited. Sometimes character names are a necessity. If the annota­tion would otherwise dissolve into mysterious pronouns and obscure references, use names—interesting or not— for comprehension. Leave a Message for Willie: A Sharon McCone Mystery By Marcia Muller Annotation: Willie Whelan is a vendor at the Saltflats Flea Market near Brisbane. He also works as a fence—and someone thinks he knows something about some missing Torahs. A man wearing a yar­mulke has been hanging around his stall for about three weeks, and he has asked Sharon McCone to investigate. But Sharon has hardly gotten her investi­gation under way when the man, Jerry Levin, is mur­dered. Comment: Willie’s name is necessary, both to identify the title character and because at least one other man appears in the annotation. All the mascu­line pronouns are meant to refer to Willie, but gram­matically some of them don’t; the antecedent is in one case someone and in another the man wearing the yarmulke, who may or may not be the someone. Willie’s name will have to be used in place of the pronouns or the sentences rewritten. The man’s iden­tity wasn’t known earlier and could be omitted. However, the ethnic name ties him in with the yar­mulke and the missing Torahs, and so adds interest. • Adjectives for dimension To set the tone Be careful to use names consistently within an annotation. Assuming the full name has been given at first reference, generally last names are preferable for the next mention. This practice will not work, however, when the characters are related and two or more have the same last name. And sometimes the first names are the ones that set the tone or provide interest. In any case, don’t use first names for some characters and last names for others. In particular, don’t use strong-sounding surnames for men and frivolous or uninteresting ones for women, even if the book does. (See Sensitivities, p. 34). Adjectives Adjectives describe nouns and are next in importance to nouns and verbs. Their purpose is to refine definition, infuse color, and add dimension to a noun. Some nouns with carefully selected adjectives can almost tell the story: lonely, mute boy + homeless, intelligent mongrel seasoned detective + strange rituals + sinister cult Adjectives set or sum up the tone: ¦ Annotation: Begins with an aged and weary King Arthur (Opening phrase about The Book of Merlyn, by T.H. White, a sequel to The Once and Future King) ¦ Comment: Aged and weary presents a vivid picture; for those familiar with the youthful apprehensions that opened the earlier book, they provide a striking comparison. ¦ Annotation: …flamboyant Richard Coeur de Lion and his exquisite queen (Summing up The Passionate Brood, by Margaret Campbell, a historical novel about the Crusades and the early Plantagenet kings of England.) To add color To judge (no!) ¦ Comment: Flamboyant is appropriate to Richard’s activities and style; exquisite denotes someone dainty and provides contrast. Note how flat the sentence would be without the adjectives. Adjectives add color. April Lady by Georgette Heyer Annotation: Light novel set in Regency England. To help such (1) deserving people as (3) her (2) dashing, debt-ridden brother and (3) her husband’s (2) lovesick young sister, Lady Helen continually tells little white lies. One fib too many puts her marriage in jeopardy. Comment: (1) Deserving people sets up an image that is (2) Immediately counteracted by dashing, debt-ridden brother and lovesick young sister, presenting quite a different picture and underscoring the irony of the first adjective. (3) Simple words give defini­tion and hint at something about the plot; one of these relatives is hers and one is his. Adjectives that judge. Adjectives should not be used to make explicit judgments about books. What reviewers or annotation writers find lively may be deadly to readers. Reaction to a book depends on interest in the subject, back­ground brought to it, and often mood of the moment. These factors cannot be assessed for readers. (See Judgments, p. 36.) Avoid phrases like these: ¦ pleasant introduction to ¦ sensitive novel about ¦ colorful account ¦ powerful collection ¦ enthusiastic, lively, reverent account ¦ unique, interesting commentary ¦ a touching, funny novel ¦ perceptive insights into (redundant as well as judgmental) ¦ warm, sympathetic story ¦ engaging account ¦ charming portrait ¦ fascinating stories of ¦ moving and lucid biography ¦ engrossing tale of ¦ poignant story of ¦ riveting novel about gripping account and all similar adjectives that prejudge. Adjectives that describe. On the other hand, descriptive adjectives can and often should be used to identify an To describe (yes!) author’s approach or attitude. The key word is “descrip­tive”; the writer does not judge the success of the effort. ¦ sympathetic treatment (The author is “for” whatever is being discussed) ¦ revisionary history (Content runs counter to what has been the prevailing thought) • Small words Articles— a, an, the ¦ controversial approach (Other books may say just the opposite) ¦ light approach (Don’t expect profundities) ¦ in-depth study (There’s more meat here) ¦ critical portrait (The author is not “for” whoever is being discussed) Dossier: The Secret History of Armand Hammer by Edward J. Epstein Annotation: An unflattering portrait of the noted American industrialist, philanthropist, and alleged agent for the Soviet Union. Drawing on official American and Soviet records, extensive interviews, and secretly taped conversations, the author describes a man given to duplicity and ambition. Comment: A well-rounded annotation presenting immediately the author’s approach to his subject and ending with specifics that expand on his negative attitude. In between, the subject is identified suc­cinctly, as are the sources of information. Small words Little words mean a lot! But in the struggle to get words right—interesting nouns, active verbs, precise and colorful adjectives—articles and words that connect or introduce phrases can get insufficient attention. Articles. English utilizes three articles. A and an are indef­inite; the is definite. Indefinite and definite are not just grammar-book names; they point out a function. Articles are not interchangeable, and they are overused. A and an indicate that the subject is one of a group—any one. Often such a relationship is understood, and the article is unnecessary. Conjunctions— and, or, but The presents more problems. It shows uniqueness—that particular one. It also indicates a totality—all of them. Be careful when using this simple word that you don’t imply that the book covers every aspect of this situation, every historical event in the time frame, or every possibility for discussion. Example: …describes the adjustments made by plant and animal species to perpetuate themselves in their inhospitable environment (from a nonfiction work about deserts, but it could apply to any place where plants or animals are in trouble). Comment: The adjustments implies that every pos­sibility is covered, an unlikely circumstance in any scientific field. The force of the annotation is not diminished if the article is omitted; the content is suspect if it is included. Conjunctions. These connecting words make a relation­ship clear. And indicates that elements go together, or shows choice or disparity, but introduces an exception or condition. And/or has crept into use but not into the dic­tionary; options that are compatible at some point and divergent at others can usually be expressed differently and better. Or is straightforward and rarely misused; it indicates that one of two or more things happen or are involved, but not all of them. Sentence: By following their suggestions, a person can avoid investing in companies that manufacture weapons, test products on animals, use environmen­tally unsound packaging, or exploit minorities. Comment: The reader can identify companies involved in any one of these four practices. Sentence: …and joining, staying in, or leaving the work force. Comment: Lists three options that are mutually exclusive. Sentence: Was it fate or was it an act of God? Comment: The characters have to ponder about this. Sentence: Xar, lord of the Nexus and now lord of Abarrach, wants to control the Seventh Gate, which will give him the power to unite or destroy the worlds of air, fire, stone, and water. Comment: There’s a big difference between uniting and destroying. And is concerned with similarities rather than differences. Writers have to be careful about uniting two clauses with and unless they are really connected and relatively equal in importance. One event that follows, or is dependent on, another is better introduced by a phrase or clause that indi­cates the relationship: ¦ After the war, they… (not The war ends and they…) ¦ Because their sun is dying, the Klingons… (not Their sun is dying and…) ¦ When he learns the truth, the master spy… (not The master spy learns the truth and…) ¦ In spite of her terror, Monica… (not Monica is terrified and…) ¦ Desperate for love, the young queen… (not The young queen is desperate for love and…) ¦ Abandoning hope of rescue, the castaways… (not The castaways abandon hope of rescue and…) Similarly, but should be used primarily for two things that are equal. But could be substituted for and in any of the examples above, depending on the information that follows. 77 Prepositions— not always short Within an annotation, sentence structure needs to vary for interest, so not all information can or should be conveyed through dependent clauses. The equality of the information is largely the determining factor for using conjunctions. Prepositions. These words lead to qualifying phrases. Many prepositions are visually short, only two letters (to, by), and simple in sound, having only one or two syllables (through, below). Although these small and familiar words are not interchangeable, several of them can be used in somewhat the same sense. Of, the most common preposi­tion, has twelve major definitions—with up to four sub-meanings under these headings—in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition (Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1993). An annotation that used of for all, or even a large fraction, of its possible meanings would be infinitely monotonous. Strive for variety and the most precise meaning. Avoid overuse, which leads to long, rambling sentences. Because of the tendency to equate prepositions with short, writers tend to get edgy and wonder if they’re being pedan­tic when considering prepositions longer than five letters. Actually, English utilizes many prepositions, not all of them short; many longer ones are in common usage and not at all obscure in meaning. Several, called phrasal prepositions, consist of more than one word. A list of prepositions for selection: about apart from at above apropos of barring according to around because of across as against before after as between behind along as compared with below along with as for beneath alongside of aside from beside amid as regards besides among as to between beyond in addition to past by in back of pending by dint of in behalf of regarding by means of in case of regardless of by reason of in comparison to round by way of in consideration round about concerning of short of considering in default of since contrary to in front of through despite in lieu of throughout down in place of till due to in preference to to during in regard to toward ere in spite of under except inside underneath except for instead of until excepting into unto for like up from near up to from above of upon from among off versus from around on via from behind on account of with from beneath on behalf of within from between onto without from over opposite to with regard to from under out of with respect to in outside with reference to in accordance over with the with owing to exception of It’s Disgusting—and We Ate It! True Food Facts from around the World—and throughout History (Note the double preposition, from around, and the long one, throughout.) Some constructions almost always use a particular preposi­tion. Grammatically, things are always different from, not different than—a very common error that uses the wrong part of speech. Words into Type (Third Edition, Completely Revised, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1974, pp. 432-446) lists sever­al hundred words with one or more appropriate preposi­tions. Where more than one preposition can be used, the meaning usually differs with the one selected; for example, interfere in something, but interfere with someone. Note that some of the words listed as prepositions can also be other parts of speech, depending on their function in the sentence. Language traps • Language traps Be careful about ¦ any word that has more than one meaning. Since means both because of and from the time of; exam­ples of its misuse are legion. Substitute another word or construction unless the meaning is unmistakable. ¦ words that can be used as more than one part of Take care speech. That description applies to many words that writers cannot, and should not, always avoid. These words have different pronunciations: ¦ read (present and past tense of the same verb) ¦ project (noun and verb) ¦ separate (adjective and verb) record (noun and verb) These common words have the same pronunciation: ¦ gain (noun and verb) ¦ mandate (noun and verb) ¦ light (noun, adjective, and verb) ¦ like (verb, noun, adjective, preposition, adverb) Obviously, such words cannot be prohibited for annota­tions, but the context must make their meaning clear. Can You Trust Your Bank? by Robert Heller and Morris Willatt Annotation: A study of the world’s banks docu­ments what went wrong… Problem: Documents is intended as a verb (a study … documents), but the statement has to be read sev­eral times and the punctuation examined carefully before that is clear. The reader’s tendency is to con­sider documents as a collection of official-looking papers. Reading that phrase would try the most pro­fessional and dedicated narrator. Avoid: ¦ redundancies. Dead corpse is overdoing it. A corpse or a body found someplace is assumed to be dead; it’s inherent in the noun. Case histories are assumed to be actual; if they are fictionalized, that needs to be stated. ¦ clichés. Some words have been used together so often that they no longer have any meaning. All ends are not bitter, apologies can be something other than abject, and not all horses have to be dark. Such Watch out for: phrases are sometimes appropriate for a formula-written book that is in itself a cliché; they have no place in the description of a classic, either estab­lished or potential. ¦ obscure words. The purpose is communication. Scouring the dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and other references is good practice for writers; these sources may lead to the exact word for the concept to be expressed. Using unfamiliar words in the annota­tion, however, is bad practice. Readers need to understand what is being communicated. Variety adds interest • Parallel construction— keep like things like ¦ literary allusions. Annotation writers can’t assume that readers know other books or references; there should be some explanatory phrase. Vary sentence structure Variety makes reading and listening interesting. Short sen­tences should be mingled with longer ones. Sentence frag­ments are acceptable if the meaning is clear. Questions, exclamations, and quotations can occasionally add interest. Annotation: A cat is kidnapped because he is the cherished stablemate of a thoroughbred racehorse who performs well only when the cat is around. The catnap job is assigned to Bertie! Annotation: Will easy-riding cowboy Hewey Calloway finally settle down? He realizes that a new era is coming to Texas in the early years of the cen­tury, but he doesn’t want to change with it. Annotation: Shakespeare’s best-known plays are presented in a new, humorous light, the old light hav­ing blown a fuse. Comment: All of these annotations present the tone and the thrust of the book in a few carefully selected words. There is no need to summarize plots, although another sentence with supportive details could be added to each one as long as the tone is maintained. Note that the first two alternate a long sentence with a short, simple one. The third example uses a short quote in the last clause for an abrupt change in direction. Parallel construction Keep parallel thoughts parallel in construction. Use a verb throughout or omit throughout. Use the same tense and approximately the same length for each thought. Annotation: The junior senator from New York, elected on the Conservative Party ticket, presents his political views. He analyzes the Constitution, advo­ • Complex sentencescan obscure meaning cates less centralized government, observes the loss of American productivity, and comments on the dan­ gers of isolation. Comment: The second sentence, with supportive details, lists four major tenets presented, each about the same length and each introduced by an active verb that delineates the difference in approach. The Brontës by Juliet Barker Annotation: Barker draws on eleven years’ research to compile this detailed, documented rein­terpretation of the nineteenth-century family of writ­ers. Contrasting her findings with conclusions of previous biographers, Barker presents the father, Patrick, as a sympathetic patriarch; brother Branwell as a talented, though tortured, poet; and authors Charlotte, Emily, and Anne as strong, not oppressed, women. Comment: A fine annotation introducing both the subject and the unusual approach in the first sen­tence, along with the author’s credentials. The sec­ond sentence spells out how the subjects are treated. Note the parallel structure of elements in the second sentence, where three individuals or groups are iden­tified, named, and characterized. Also note that semi­colons are properly used to separate the sections with interior commas. Complex sentences Avoid overlong and overcomplex sentences. They make the reader search for the meaning and can pave the way for grammatical errors. Unacceptable: Former Scotland Yard detective John Raven becomes involved with a Polish con man whom he knew years before to help denounce a fel­low Pole whom he suspects of spying for the KGB. Questions can enhance meaning Comment: It’s hard to tell how many people are involved here, much less who did what to whom. Questions Questions can effectively introduce the situation or summa­rize the problems. As discussed earlier (see Get to the Point, p. 66), they should not be used to state what is already obvious or as a way to get out. The Neandertal Enigma: Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins by James Shreeve Annotation: Science writer Shreeve surveys evi­dence and theories on the origins of modern humankind. Drawing on his travels to sites where the oldest human remains have been found, his inter­views with foremost anthropologists, and a weighing of discoveries, Shreeve points to Neandertals as the central mystery of human evolution. Did our species evolve from, interbreed with, or replace Neandertals? Comment: The words enigma and mystery in the title make it clear that this book is dealing with a question. Most of the annotation deals with creden­tials and methodology, which are valuable for giving credence to evidence presented on such a large and controversial subject. The points raised are still in question, and it is appropriate for the final sentence to express them in that form. Mischief: A Novel of the 87th Precinct by Ed McBain Annotation: Could the man who is blowing away graffiti artists as they perform their peculiar brand of mischief be the same person who is gunning down annoying kids and inept counter help? The men in blue must also deal with their own mischief maker—the Deaf Man, last heard from in Eight Black Horses (RC 23671)—who keeps calling with • Exclamations are meant to startle • Quotes offer flavor and precision clues to his latest scheme. Strong language, vio­ lence, and explicit descriptions of sex. Comment: The introductory question sums up one of the problems being tackled, and with a good series of nouns and modifiers. The mischief of the title, incorporated into both sentences, seems to be con­siderably more than that. The final descriptive tagline reinforces that concept. Exclamations Exclamations pull the attention up abruptly and say to the reader “How about that!” They are a useful device, which, like all devices, should not be overused. But for fiction with sharp contrasts or unexpected twists, an exclamation can often be more effective than a description or an expla­nation. The Forty Fathom Bank: Novella by Les Galloway Annotation: The author recalls the year 1940 in San Francisco when, worried about how he would support his family, he settled on a get-rich-quick scheme involving shark fishing. But life at sea proved difficult, especially when he was called on to cope with rough waters, a silent partner, a dead engine, and—most dangerous of all—an overactive imagination! Comment: Things were bad enough already, and oh, what imagination can do to you! The exclama­tion point emphasizes the possibilities. Quotes Sometimes a few words from the text can convey a book’s approach or flavor much more directly than words about the text. Selected phrases or a line or two of poetry can illustrate method and feeling. Quotes are often necessary for nonfiction works where the author identifies his approach or thesis with a particular repeated phrase. Note that in using quotes an ellipsis is not needed at the beginning or at the end; the reader knows that only part of the material in the book is being quoted. An ellipsis is used only when words are omitted from within the phrase being quoted. Example: And in the title poem, an autobiographical narra­tive, he speaks of learning “the need in all things…to bal­ance out.” Using a few words, phrases, or lines of poetry does not infringe on copyright, a problem that always lurks in the minds of librarians and conscientious writers. Quotes used for reviews or commentary are allowable under copyright law. And it would usually be difficult in a fifty-word anno­tation to lift enough material to usurp the writer’s theme, much less gain any advantage from it, especially when quotes indicate the author as source. An exception occurs in very short material, such as a poem for children, where the annotator must be careful not to use the entire piece. Sentence: Many are known by familiar first lines, including “Will the day be bright and cloudy?” (The Complete Poems by Emily Brontë) Sentence: She explores the progression [of her father’s final illness], beginning with a visit and observing how her father “sat as if waiting for his daughter.” (The Father by Sharon Olds) Sentence: He divides his extended meditation into eighteen sections, each division “a catch-your-breath moment” before his argument continues. (Garbage by A.R. Ammons) Comment: All three of these quotes are used in annotations for poetry, which often seems to cry out for some small sound of the author’s own voice. Quote from the book, not about it Be specific and concise Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color by Iyanla Vanzant Sentence: Daily meditative statements that Vanzant hopes will “assist the children of the earth in the redevelopment of their minds, bodies, and spirits.” Comment: The statement of such an extensive pur­pose is more effective in the author’s words than in a writer’s summation. Quotes from introductions, book reviews, and other source materials are a different matter entirely. Without other information, the reader will assume that the words quoted are the author’s. It is unnecessary to use quotes if a phrase describing the book comes naturally to the subject matter; one person’s historical fiction is likely to be everyone’s his­torical fiction, and using such general descriptive phrases does not constitute appropriating someone else’s work. Quotes from introductions by well-known people should be attributed, which has the additional benefit of indicating that the introduction exists as part of the book. Rarely, an authority in the field may be quoted; the quote should be attributed and the credentials noted briefly. Generally, how­ever, it is better to describe the book than to tell what someone else, however prominent, thinks about it. Be specific and concise Language should create a precise image. Sentences should flow smoothly from one thought to another and should not encompass too many separate thoughts. Avoid overusing prepositional phrases, choppy sentences with too many discrete parts, and wordiness. Avoid imprecise language Annotation: Excerpts from various sources that present the author’s provocative opinions and • Avoid fuzzy words • Limit prepositional phrases insights on literature, feminism, her family, and var­ ious contemporary figures. Comment: Two vague, various things are too many. If it is important to mention sources at all, they need more definition. The second various is unnecessary and weakens an otherwise good listing of content; readers would no more expect opinions on all con­temporary figures than they would on all literature. Much of the time various can be left out with no meaning lost. Don’t use too many prepositional phrases At one time, NLS stressed starting annotations with the traditional five w’s (who, what, when, where, and why) and an h (how) of newspaper reporters. The result was fre­quently a conglomerate that bumped along in a sing-song manner from one prepositional phrase to another. These are important considerations for notes and for inclusion some­where in the annotation (see Jot down notes, p. 44). But not all in the first sentence. First sentence: Novel about one year in the lives of four women in their late thirties in the glamorous city of New York… Comment: Three ins and two ofs, one after the other. And the sentence goes on from there. In anno­tations, novel about is a weak opening. First sentence: Former Washington Post White House correspondent chronicles the paper’s centenni­al (1) from its founding (2) by Democrat Stilson Hutchins (3) from New Hampshire (4) in 1877 (5) to the exciting days (6) of the Watergate expose. First sentence: Novel examines the lives (1) of Beverly and her friends, two wealthy sisters (2) from a prominent family, (3) from young womanhood (4) in the mid-1940s (5) in California (6) through the turbulent present. Comment: There are six prepositional phrases in each sentence. Consider whether all this information • Language should flow, not bump along needs to be included. See if another construction can be used. Some wordiness can be avoided by substituting adjectives for prepositional phrases: ¦ Australian kangaroo species, not species of kangaroo in Australia ¦ New Orleans street, not street in New Orleans ¦ social evils, not evils of society. This technique can become as monotonous as the preposi­tional phrases and should not be used all the time, but it does make writing more concise. A judicious mixture of prepositions and adjectives is the best solution. Smooth out choppy sentences A sentence needs to flow easily from one thought to the next with a construction that is easy to follow. If a sentence breaks too frequently, it loses focus and may become devoid of meaning. First sentence: In Florida, in 1941, irrepressible, red-haired, six-year-old Terrell, son of Gerald, the harried manager of a farmworker’s camp, and his expectant wife, Mickey, continually plays hooky from school. Comment: Too many thought units broken up by too many commas. Some of the information may be unnecessary; some could be combined (Florida farmworker’s camp). The subject of the sentence (Terrell) takes a while to appear and is a long way from the verb (plays hooky). Readers should not have to work to determine who and what the book is about. • Words should convey meaning—succinctly Eliminate wordiness Wordiness takes many forms. The examples given for over­use of prepositional phrases and choppy sentences show types of wordiness that results from sentences with too much detail. An opposite phenomenon can also occur. Annotation: The authors trace one hundred years of American technology from the innovative plumbers of the 1770s to the inventions of Bell and Edison. Through the use of minibiographies, they produce a highly readable study of the early years of American technology. Comment: Too many words for the amount of information they provide. The facts presented are (1) 100 years of technology, (2) from the 1770s to Bell and Edison, (3) through the use of minibiogra­phies. A highly readable study is opinion. The anno­tation is circular; it starts with American technology and ends with American technology. Space and words could be used to better advantage. Do the authors have a point to make? And who are Bell and Edison? The simplest and most obvious form of wordiness consists of using words and phrases that could be eliminated or made more specific without changing the meaning or the impact. Wordy: one of the most distinguished of the Latin fathers Concise: a distinguished churchman Wordy: shortcuts and guidelines, including specific details Concise: tips Wordy: Considered to be the most famous biography in the English language, this is an intimate … Concise: Famous biography gives an intimate … • Synonyms help Be specific and concise Wordy: information in the area of … Concise: information about/on Avoid repetition One of the most common problems in annotation writing is repeating the same word several times, when a different word would surely add more interest and provide more information. Sometimes a different construction is needed. Mary Magdalen: Myth and Metaphor by Susan Haskins Annotation: Scriptural exegesis, history, and art serve as sources for this portrait of the renowned female saint and intimate of Jesus. Haskins demon­strates how through the ages the image (1) of Mary Magdalen has merged with other biblical figures to become that of the penitent prostitute, a portrayal (2) that epitomizes the subordinate role of women in the church and in society. Haskins reevaluates that concept (3). Comment: Good annotation on a complex subject, improved by finding two new and more explicit words. Image, (1) indicating something that exists in the mind, was originally used in all three places marked. Substituting other nouns not only avoids the monotony of repetition but enlarges on the thrust of the book. Portrayal (2) in the next clause adds the element of creation; someone or something made the image what it has become. Concept (3) refers back to the role of women and, as a last word, gives emphasis to the author’s thesis. Dreams of Dead Women’s Handbags: Collected Stories by Shena Mackay Sentence: Thirty-one short stories written since 1974 by this British fiction writer who often writes • Simple rules aidcomprehension Subjects and verbs should agree of bizarre circumstances in the seemingly normal lives of her characters. Comment: Written, writer, writes—all forms of the same word. Obviously what a writer does is write. This kind of repetition is easily corrected by making the fiction writer an author and replacing writes with tells. With these simple changes, this fine introducto­ry sentence refers back to the rather cryptic title with bizarre circumstances juxtaposed to seemingly nor­mal. There is no need to study all the parts of speech and become conversant with such esoterica as gerundives and cognate objects. Following a few basic tenets will make the annotation easy to follow, which is what annotation writing is all about. There are many good books on grammar for further reference. Just remember that if the construction misleads, gramatically correct or not, do something else. Subjects and verbs. Subjects and verbs should agree: they are either singular or plural but not one of each. Lack of agreement most often occurs with collective nouns (a fam­ily does something, but its members do something) or with compound subjects separated by descriptive clauses or phrases. Lack of agreement often creeps in when the sub­ject and verb are separated by long, parenthetical informa­tion. Keep the construction simple and the verb reasonably close to the subject. Sentence: Recollections of the four Carter children growing up, and their relationship with each other, provides insight into the mercurial personality of Billy. Problem: Recollections is plural; provides is singu­lar. Thirteen words come between the subject and the verb and contribute to the creation of an error. Pronouns should have clear antecedents Phrases should be properly attached Referents should be clear. Watch those pronouns and modifiers. Annotation: When a stranger offers young Willie Banks a ride and asks him to deliver a package, he is unaware that he is about to become … Problem: Which he? Willie or the stranger? Both? Separately? There are four possible readings. Annotation: Joining two friends for a flight from San Francisco to Death Valley, the pilot chooses the wrong pass, forcing the plane into the mountainside and killing the author’s two friends. Problem: If all three people are friends, the sen­tence is correct technically; the pilot joined two friends and the author’s two friends were killed. But the pilot and the author are two different people; the pilot did not survive. That’s almost impossible to determine from the information in the sentence. Watch out for danglers. Participles and phrases should not be grammatically on their own; they should have some­thing to modify—the noun or pronoun that comes next. Annotation: Written in 1962, the former presi­dent… Problem: The former president wasn’t written in 1962, the book was. Annotation: The recipient of many awards including the Pulitzer Prize, her poems … Problem: The dangling modifier fails to make a subtle distinction; the poem doesn’t receive the prize, the poet does. Annotation: As soon as Jessica arrives, someone tries to steal her suitcase, and while visiting Salisbury Cathedral, the same person attacks her… Problem: Grammatically the reference is to the same person, who is also the someone in the previ­ • Small marks group thoughts ,,,,, ous clause. The person meant is Jessica, and the sen­ tence is easily fixed by inserting she is before visit­ ing. Dangling modifiers generally appear at the beginning of a sentence, but obviously they can also be hidden within one. Be careful with punctuation Use proper and adequate punctuation. These small marks help to group thoughts that belong together and separate those that need to be isolated. Collecting and separating thought units help the person who reads the written annota­tion and the narrator who presents the oral one. Don’t let words and thoughts run together; use more punc­tuation rather than less when there is a chance of misread­ing. Divide long sentences into separate thought segments with commas, semicolons, dashes, and colons and even into discrete sentences with periods. Use dashes or paren­theses to isolate elements when too many commas become confusing. Ease of reading is the criterion. The following comments on punctuation marks cover the most common usages. The discussion is in no way com­plete; possibilities are seemingly endless. As with gram­mar, many good reference books are available for difficult punctuation situations. Some punctuation marks are generally understood and need little comment. The smallest of all, the period, is used to indicate a full stop. The uses of question and exclamation marks are defined by their names, and apostrophes are used to indicate possession or letters omitted in contrac­tions. Some punctuation marks that have several uses or can be easily misused need clarification. Commas. Some punctuation is optional. The Chicago Manual of Style manual says that, aside from the few oblig­atory situations, use of the comma is mainly a matter of good judgment, with ease of reading as the end in view (section 5.29). That statement doesn’t mean commas can be used at random; it recommends judgment. One of the obligatory uses is between two or more parts of a compound sentence. The discrete sections should be set apart for ease of reading, except when each part is very short. Another required use is for nonrestrictive clauses, which add information; unlike restrictive clauses that are needed to define. Information that is merely added is set apart; infor­mation that is needed is not set off by a comma. Restrictive: He is the one person who can help you. Comment: Information needed; no comma. This person is the only one. Nonrestrictive: All of these people, who come from different parts of the country, are going on the cruise together. Comment: Merely adds information, set off by commas. The main idea of the sentence would be complete without the clause. Chicago style also uses the serial comma: all items in a series of three or more are separated by commas, includ­ing a comma before and or or preceding the last item in the series. Note that a comma should never separate the subject of a sentence from its verb(s). There can be commas before the verb, as in sentences with descriptive information in apposition to the subject, but the commas must not simply separate. This situation generally occurs when too much information comes between the subject and the verb, or sometimes when there are two verbs, and the construction becomes elusive. 95 ; ; ; ; ; The Cat Who Tailed a Thief by Lilian Jackson Braun Annotation: A rash of petty thievery, newcomers in Pickax, a wedding, and a couple of murders Down Below, keep Qwilleran, who has bought a condo for the winter, and his cats, Koko and Yum Yum, busy during the holiday season. Bestseller. Problem: It’s that hard-to-spot comma after Below. The sentence has a compound subject in four parts, and the serial commas are used correctly between the parts, but the comma after the last one disconnects all four from their verb. Semicolons. One common use of the semicolon is to sepa­rate elements in a series (including a series of coordinate clauses) where some items have interior commas. Another major purpose is to separate parts of a compound sentence where the connective conjunction is not used; this usage can also be considered a joining of two related sentences whose connection would be less clear if each came to a full stop. It can also be used before connective words that emphasize a transition and a relationship such as therefore, however, moreover, also, and consequently. These words are usually followed by a comma for more emphasis. 100 Years, 100 Stories by George Burns Sentence: Burns states that he can’t put each of his fans in his will; he can’t even thank them enough. Comment: The second part of the sentence com­pletes the first, with the semicolon creating a pause but not a full stop. Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook edited by Julia Alcock Annotation: One hundred classic recipes to cele­brate the cooking school’s centenary. Includes first courses, such as vichyssoise; main courses, such as ::::: — — — duck breasts with pistachios; and desserts, such as chocolate and Cointreau gateau. A section on techniques provides the beginner with the basics for becoming a successful cook. 1994. Comment: Semicolons separate sections of the sen­tence with interior commas. The sentence is also a fine example of parallel structure. Colons. The colon is generally used to indicate that what follows will explain or complete the preceding thought. Uncommon Knowledge by Judy Lewis Sentence: Growing up as Loretta Young’s adopted daughter, Judy finally learns her true identity when her fiancé tells her what the rest of her world has known: she is Young’s illegitimate daughter by Clark Gable. Comment: Note the colon after known. This mark indicates that the rest of the sentence will tell what the generally known thing is, and so it does. Dashes. Be careful about dashes. Even though they are large and visible, they function as a kind of subsidiary comma, setting aside things where commas are already in use. They can also be used to indicate a longer pause than that created by a comma, for situations where the informa­tion that follows comes as somewhat of a change or sur­prise. A dash should not be a substitute for a colon when the information that follows explains or completes the pre­ceding thought. Sentence: Meanwhile, when John Porteous—a guard condemned for murder—is reprieved by the queen, a mob takes justice into its own hands. Comment: The parenthetical description would normally be set off by commas. However, the sen­tence has two commas needed for other purposes, so the dashes are used to isolate the information. ( ) ( ) ( ) Sentence: She travels to Harpers Ferry where her arrival, along with that of her grandfather, Daniel Griffin, stirs up long-suppressed memories involving murder—and another murder ensues. Comment: After the rather involved part of the sentence that evokes the past, a pause is needed to introduce the brisk announcement of current may­hem. Parentheses. These paired markings are perfectly accept­able punctuation for setting aside some types of informa­tion, and there is no reason to eliminate them from your repertoire. Their purpose is to set off information not nec­essary to the grammatical construction of the sentence but too important to omit. Like dashes, which can often be used in similar construc­tions, parentheses should be used with care and should not appear to enclose an afterthought that should have been incorporated earlier. That Kind of Danger RC 39979 by Donna Masini Annotation: Unlikely urban places, including con­struction sites and a dark basement, form the settings of these poems. But the noise (“sandblast, jackham­mer, the city making itself over”) and violence (“a leather jacket, handgun followed me up the stairs”) that permeate life in the city are relieved by sweet­ness (“I laugh—at nothing—the way a baby laughs at wallpaper”). Some strong language. Comment: Parentheses bring examples of the poet’s words close to the nouns describing them as instant illustrations of the concept. It is seldom nec­essary to use parentheses in this kind of situation, but they provide one possible alternative for convey­ing the information. Style is for consistency Parentheses are particularly useful for dates and references to other material that would take several more words to insert in the sentence as a phrase or part of a clause. NLS also uses them as its style for book numbers in referring to other works by the same author or in a series. (Note that we never give a reference without a book number; the cross reference is useless to the patron unless it provides a means of ordering the book.) Sentence: The complete texts of The Hard Hours (1967), which won the Pulitzer Prize; Millions of Strange Shadows (1977); and The Venetian Vespers (1979); along with selections from A Summoning of Stones (1954), Hecht’s first poetry collection. Sentence: The author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (RC 24959) and the poem read at President Clinton’s inauguration, On the Pulse of the Morning (RC 36169), presents four poems that cele­brate women: Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise, Weekend Glory, and Our Grandmothers. Adhere to style Style in this context means the treatment of punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and numbers that have various acceptable forms. For consistency, one form is selected and used throughout. As noted in earlier sections NLS uses The Chicago Manual of Style as the basic reference. It has also adopted some style practices of its own that have been found to be more workable for annotations. (See Style and Presentation, p. 131.) Other annotation writers do not, of course, have to follow these forms. But every individual or group should use some formal style reference or develop practices that are adhered to consistently. Otherwise, there is chaos. The style chosen will often differ from the style used in the book being annotated; publishers have, or should have, their own style practices. This problem occurs most often with capitalization: But it’s capitalized in the book! It doesn’t matter what the book does; if you have a style, you should adhere to it. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of a different style for every publisher, or possibly for every book. Editing an annotation Editors stand in for the reader Think first Why edit? Editing reverses the writing process: the writer goes from the book to the annotation; the editor goes from the annota­tion to the book. The editor can look at the announcement as the reader would—without necessarily any prior knowl­edge of the book—and consider what it tells. Editors are looking for exactly the same things writers should have been concerned with; they simply start in a different place. Editing does not automatically mean making changes; the review may show that the copy can stand as written. Or it may show quite the opposite: that a complete rewrite is needed. Most annotations will fall somewhere in between, with some changes needed. From an editing point of view, annotations come in four categories: ¦ no editing or minimal changes needed ¦ some editing needed to correct grammar or construc­tion ¦ multiple errors that require revision ¦ serious content problems that may require rethinking and rewriting. Editors should have available the source material, and sometimes the book itself, so that content can be verified. Put down the pencil! Like writers, editors have to take time to think. All editing begins with questioning: Are these the right words for the purpose? Read the announce­ment as a whole: bibliographic information, description, and additional information. Then consider the following questions about the annotation: Six questions to deal with Fix errors in style Is it stylistically correct? Is it grammatical? Is it interesting? Is it judgmental? Does it describe the book? Are the facts accurate? These questions are arranged, not in order of importance, but according to usual editorial procedure. Errors in style and grammar hit the eye first; determining accuracy of content requires research. A simple language change can disclose other problems. All questions must be handled, but they cannot always be dealt with in the order given. Is the annotation stylistically correct? The most common mistakes will be corrected easily and, since they are common, almost automatically by the editor. For less frequent and more complicated situations, the edi­tor should have two references readily available, The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. If a more complete dictionary is needed to locate a word, that word is probably too obscure to present to readers, who should not have to interrupt their selection process to consult a dictionary. Most groups will develop their own style lists and prac­tices. Those for NLS consist largely of frequently used but scattered sections of the basic style manual, plus some deviations from that style, and a few situations not covered. (See Part Two: Style and Presentation, p. 131.) Check that subjects and verb go together Is the annotation grammatical? Subject and verb agreement Grammatical mistakes may be simple to correct: locate the subject and the verb and bring them into agreement. Sentences may require some rearranging or rewriting if the subject and verb are too far apart and difficult to locate, even if they do agree. Sentence: Auntie Tiger Lil, followed by her niece Lily in a large cylindrical costume, hotly pursue the thief. Problem: Although two people are in this chase, the subject of the sentence, Auntie Tiger Lil, is singu­lar; information about the niece is parenthetical. The verb should be pursues. Sentence: Lonsdale College of Oxford will soon be seeking a new master, and there appears to be only two main contenders—Storrs and Cornford. Problem: In this case, the subject is not there but the people listed after the verb, and there are two of them. The verb should be appear. Sentence: Lively stories of the names of some of the most familiar stars, planets, and constellations include what ancient people believed about them and what scientists know today. Problem: All those words between the subject and the verb (which do agree), including three of phras­es. Procedure: Divide into two sentences, give the first its own verb, and delete the wordiness. Also delete the judgmental adjective lively. Edited: Stories explain the names of familiar stars, planets, and constellations. Covers… Watch location of modifiers Attach dangling phrases Misplaced modifiers Misplaced modifiers are so far from the words they describe that readers cannot be sure which words are meant. The meaning must be clarified. These phrases usually have to be moved to their correct location and the sentence repunctuated, rewritten, or divided. Sentence: Like the saint, Margarita becomes a familiar figure in the Bay area serving the outcasts. Problem: Serving the outcasts should modify fig­ure. Note that it could also modify area, but that would give a different, and unintended, meaning to the sentence. Procedure: Move the phrase to follow figure. Dangling participles Dangling participles are often coupled with other language or content problems. They always require rewriting to clarify. Example: Meeting in 1946 (1) when Ivinskaya was a beautiful young editor (2), this is an account of (3) their love for each other. (The unidentified half of their is Russian author Boris Pasternak.) Problems: (1) The phrase is dangling rather than misplaced because it doesn’t modify any of the sub­sequent words. It also doesn’t indicate the duration of their relationship, which has a bearing on her cre­dentials for writing this book. (2) This description can cover a twenty-year span. She was in her mid-thirties—hardly elderly, but the meaning of beautiful, young would surely be different for a gothic novel. (3) Wordy within the annotation as well as at the beginning. Procedure: Could be made grammatical by replac­ing meeting with Ivinskaya and Pasternak met and dividing into two sentences. That correction would not solve the content problems. Needs research and rewriting. Pronouns should clearly show who—or what— is meant Present like thoughts in the same way Rewritten: This love story covers the last fourteen years of Pasternak’s life, which Ivinskaya shared, and … Ambiguous pronouns Correcting other grammatical mistakes may also take research. Ambiguous pronouns require discovering which person is meant. Reviews or the book jacket may clarify the reference; some reading may be necessary. Example: Traces the lives of frontiersman Matthew Howard, a follower of Jefferson and his aristocratic wife. Problem: Grammatically, the wife referred to must be Jefferson’s, because his name is the nearest refer­ence to the pronoun. But lives is plural and must refer to Howard and his wife, as there is no other person indicated. Procedure: An easy one. Insert a comma after Jefferson to make the phrase parenthetical; Mrs. Howard is the wife being discussed. Or rearrange, if the relationships still seem obscure. Parallel structure Lack of parallel structure can also obscure meaning, espe­cially if one section contains a vague phrase. Finding more precise language may require more knowledge of the book. Example: Relates the story of Sir John Ollenshaw’s crippled son, Philip, who grew up in hatred and neglect, left England for America, and what he accomplished there. Problems: The final phrase needs a verb form par­allel with grew up and left. What did he accomplish? Also, some wordiness could be eliminated and the tense made more immediate. Procedure: Check the sources for a specific accomplishment. Rewritten: Sir John Ollenshaw’s crippled son, Philip, grows up in hatred and neglect, leaves England for America, and learns to survive in the wilderness. No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One by Carla Fine Annotation: Seven years before writing this book, the author learned that her forty-four-year-old hus­band had killed himself. She writes of her experi­ences in dealing with this, and discusses the sto­ries of the people she met in survivor groups and the comments of experts. Included are lists of relat­ed organizations, resources, and support groups. Some violence. 1997. Problems: The major problem in the middle sen­tence is lack of parallel structure; there are three ele­ments (experiences, stories, and comments) but only two verbs (writes of and discusses), with the second verb trying to cover two of the three. In addition, there is some weak writing: the repetition of write from the first sentence, a vague this referring back to the entire first sentence, and unnecessary use of the definite article the. Also the next sentence is written in the passive voice. Edited: She relates her experiences in dealing with her anguish, discusses stories of people she met in survivor groups, and provides comments of experts. Includes… Is the annotation interesting? A good annotation won’t get people to select books on sub­jects they don’t care about, but a dull or vague annotation might cause them to ignore books they would enjoy or find useful. Editors need to consider: 106 Four questions to deal with Consider the facts ¦ Does the annotation contain information that achieves the purpose? ¦ Does it leave something to the reader by not giving away too much of the plot? ¦ Is it concise and easy to follow? ¦ Does it use clear and descriptive language? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the editor will have to study the annotation to isolate its problems. Editors must consider the facts chosen for inclusion, the structure and balance of their presentation, and the language used to express them. Editors may have to separate these interwov­en factors. They may have to rearrange language, add or substitute more precise and descriptive words, and elimi­nate wordiness. They may also have to add some facts for balance and delete some for conciseness. Are appropriate facts chosen? The annotation should cover the basic content of the book and the direction the author is taking. Focusing too much on how things begin, for either fiction or nonfiction, detracts from what is covered or where the theme is lead­ing. Marina and Lee by Priscilla Johnson McMillan Annotation: (1) A former member of Sen. John F. Kennedy’s staff, later a Moscow-based reporter who interviewed Lee Harvey Oswald, (2) tells the inti­mate details of his marriage to a Russian and his per­sonal life. (3) A sympathetic portrait (4) of this unlikely couple’s life together in Russia and America and (5) a discussion of Oswald’s motive for assassi­nating Kennedy. 1977. Problems: (1) The book-jacket information about the author and several reviews of the book confirm Watch out for too much information her connections to Kennedy and Oswald; they proba­ bly explain the author’s interest in the subject. The reader would probably conclude that the material came from these sources. Actually, most of it came from research and from Mrs. Oswald, who is not mentioned as a source. Also, the background of the author has a more prominent position in the annota­ tion than the subject of the book. (2) Wrong order; his personal life should come first and then his mar­ riage, which was eventually a part of it. (3) This statement should come first to introduce what the book is about. Sympathetic is an acceptable modifier in this context; it goes to the attitude of the author. (4) Unlikely is a judgmental word without some defining content. (5) This statement could be more precise and intriguing; does the author have an opin­ion to offer? Rewritten: Sympathetic portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald’s personal life and intimate details of his marriage. Written with his Russian-born widow’s cooperation, this study depicts the couple’s life together in Russia and America and theorizes that Oswald’s motives for assassinating Kennedy were both political and personal. Does the annotation leave something for the reader? Telling too much of the plot can destroy interest. Seeming to give away the whole story is as deadly as actually doing it. All the Rivers Run by Nancy Cato Annotation: Orphaned in a shipwreck and cut off from her native England, twelve-year-old Delie begins a new life in the gold-mining town of Kiandra in Australia. Raised by relatives in the outback coun­try, she becomes a lovely young woman, leaves home to study art, and marries a riverboat captain. Check for clarity Comment: The first sentence sets the scene well, except for excess prepositions at the end. The second sentence gives a rather flat outline of the plot, with the implication that the heroine married and they lived happily ever after. There is little to entice the reader’s imagination. Actually, much of the action takes place after the marriage; there was no prover­bial happy ending at that point. Some small editorial changes could remove the wrong impression and throw the focus more on the setting, where it belongs for this novel. Discovering what happens in the hero-ine’s life would depend on reading the book—the reader’s choice. Rewritten: Orphaned in a shipwreck and shut off from her native England, twelve-year-old Delie begins a new life in Kiandra, an Australian gold-mining town. The saga of her life is set in the out­back country where she is raised, in the cities where she studies art, and on the riverboat where she raises her own family. Is it concise and easy to follow? Facts selected need to move the reader easily from the opening premise or situation through to an ending that supports the premise or leads onward into the plot. When the sentences are overstuffed or meander through a variety of unconnected facts, the reader is put to too much work sorting things out and can easily lose interest. Example: With the mistakenly convicted young murderer of his wife Nina about to be executed, Steve’s asthmatic six-year-old son who witnessed his mother’s murder is kidnapped—possibly by the real murderer. Comment: Some commas would help. The sen­tence ends well, but there is too much information preceding the final phrase. The wife’s name adds little, and too many facts about the son are stuffed in. If the person was convicted erroneously, he’s not Words, words, words Words used incorrectly a murderer; all those words include one that’s wrong. Such mistakes are easier to make when too much information is being handled as a unit. Edited: As the young man mistakenly convicted of murdering Steve’s wife is about to be executed, Steve’s asthmatic six-year-old son is kidnapped— possibly by the real murderer. Is the language clear and descriptive? Many problems are caused by choice of words: misused words, unnecessary words, too few words, words that could be better selected, words that would be better placed, words that should never be used. Misused words Sentence: Account of the author’s bout with rheumatoid arthritis from the age of twenty-five, and her determination not to be thought of, and treated as, a cripple. Comment: Bout is generally used for a short-term, one-time conflict. It’s inappropriate for the descrip­tion of a lifelong struggle. Note that using cripple is appropriate here; the negative connotation is what she was trying to avoid. Sentence: Personalized overview of Tito’s swiftly changing land by a former Yugoslav…. Comment: Personalized means made for someone, such as stationery or T-shirts. The point of view was taken by someone and was from a personal perspec­tive. Sentence: Born illegitimately, Brown was adopted by relatives and raised in the south. Comment: Illegitimacy is not something active that can be encompassed in an adverb; it is a legal or soci­etal concept described by an adjective. Use Born illegitimate, or rewrite. Words just filling space Rewritten: Describes her illegitimate birth, adop­tion by relatives, and southern childhood. Sentence: Although the Aborigine is suppose to complete his walkabout alone… Comment: To suppose is to speculate or assume. The word for being required to is supposed. Sentence: A most unique presentation… Comment: Unique means singular, without equal. A one-of-a-kind thing cannot be more or less so. Unique cannot be compared; delete most. Annotation: The mythology of cleanliness moving up next to godliness is the prime tenet of [the author’s] thesis, and he debunks it well. Comment: Thesis is an argument presented and a tenet can be part of that; but debunks means to expose sham pretensions. The words are contradicto­ry and at least one is misused. The editor has to determine whether cleanliness is a tenet or a target. The presence of mythology, even though incorrectly used, suggests that the intent is to explode the myth. Note that the last clause passes judgment on the author’s success with handling the subject. Procedure: Definitely rewrite. Unnecessary words. The annotation should be kept tight, for both space considerations and ease of reading. Often wordiness creeps in when the writer has difficulty getting to the point—or perhaps getting the point. Example: There is a final section that also dis­cusses his conclusions. Procedure: Edit to “The final section discusses his conclusions.” Eliminate the statement entirely if there is already enough information. Better still, sub­stitute a sentence summarizing the conclusions. To identify the conclusions is much more meaningful than to tell where they are placed in the book. Words needed Examples: The adventures of…who … A collection of…that … Procedure: Such phrases should be eliminated and the subject approached directly. The information needed is the content indicated by the ellipses. Too few words. Often an annotation that is seemingly correct is also bland and fails to indicate the approach of the writer or the tone of the book. A few well-chosen descriptive words or phrases can make a big difference. How to Travel with a Salmon and Other Essays by Umberto Eco Annotation: In this collection (1) of forty-one essays (1), Eco (1) reflects (2) on the follies of mod­ern life. His topics include telegrams, fax machines and cellular phones, private and public libraries, and sequels. One lengthy essay (3) entitled “Stars and Stripes” is a science fiction tale (3) of intergalactic sex and espionage. Some violence and some descrip­tions of sex. Comment: (1) Readers know from the bibliographic statements that this book is a collection of essays by Mr. Eco; the only new information in the first part of the sentence is the number of entries. (2) Reflects how? We need an adjective to indicate the approach. (3) In spite of the book’s title, a science fiction tale is not an essay. Edited: Forty-one pieces give the Italian author’s curmudgeonly reflections on the follies of modern life. His topics include telegrams, fax machines and cellular phones, private and public libraries, and sequels. One lengthy parody entitled “Stars and Stripes” is a science fiction tale of intergalactic sex and espionage. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. Sloppy choices Words that could be better selected. Many aspects of language could be considered under this heading. In gen­eral, the editor should see if the wording can be tightened, if synonyms are needed to avoid repetition, if additions would add definition or interest, or if substitutions are needed. Tightening: shows how false the common view is Edited: shows common misconceptions Adding definition: sending towns backward and forward in time Edited: sending towns backward into prehistoric settlements and forward into futuristic cities Adding interest: In London William Helder meets the beautiful Hazel Paget Edited: A rich London bachelor meets an attractive Cambridgeshire secretary (descriptions indicate more about the plot than names) Substituting to expand information: Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution by Jack N. Rakove Annotation: Explores the ideological and political assumptions that underlie the original meanings of the Constitution. Critiques the method of original-ism, which looks to original meaning for adapting the document in modern circumstances. Examines specific issues, such as federalism. Comment: Using some form of the title three more times in the annotation does not enlarge on the con­cept, and it kills interest. Some explanatory phrases need to be substituted and more information incor­porated. Wrong placement Misleading words Edited: Explores the ideological and political assumptions that underlie the original meanings of the Constitution and the resulting ambiguities. Critiques the method that looks solely to the founders’ intent for adapting the document to mod­ern circumstances. Examines specific issues, such as federalism and the influence of James Madison. Words that could be better placed. Positioning makes a difference in readability and often in thrust. The Book of Sand by Jorge Luis Borges Annotation: An assortment of thirteen short stories from the distinguished blind Argentinean poet that contains fable, philosophy, and autobiography. Comment: The poet doesn’t contain these things; the clause really modifies assortment, which is two prepositional phrases back in the sentence. Even without the grammatical problem, starting with these content words provides more interest. Edited: Fable, philosophy, and autobiography in thirteen short stories from the distinguished blind Argentinean poet. Words that should not be used. Inappropriate words include those that violate sensitivities and those that appear to judge the author. Many others are hard to classify but, like a Supreme Court justice’s comment on pornography, you know it when you see it. Editors need to be alert. Example: Tells of the hopes and understanding needed for dealing with a hopelessly retarded child. Comment: The book explains that the parents haven’t given up hope. Putting hopes and hopelessly in the same sentence needlessly emphasizes the diffi­culty. In addition, hopelessly is judgmental about the condition. Sexual innuendo Edited: …severely retarded child (or, a child with severe mental retardation). Example: The author attempts to explain Comment: Attempts to implies a lack of success, a judgment better left to the reader. Edited: The author explains/theorizes/claims/shows/proposes … Example: The author believes travel stories should be oriented to the actual act of traveling, rather than to the destination to which one goes. Comment: There’s no way to know what an author believes; we can only know what is said. Edited: The author argues that travel stories should be oriented to the actual act of traveling, rather than to the destination. Example: The narrator, a ten-year-old child, discloses… Comment: Narrator is frequently used to identify the point of view of a novel written in the first per­son. However, the word has a specific meaning for NLS patrons: the person who is reading the book for the recorded version, who is also called a reader. To avoid confusion, the word should not be used in its usual sense. In this case, the annotation can simply begin with A ten-year-old child. Freudian traps. Also look at whether the annotation has any hidden Freudian traps—situations where the writer intended one reading and the reader may find quite anoth­er. Grammatical errors can often lead to amusing interpre­tations, but none get quite as much reaction as those with sexual connotations, even mild ones. The annotation should not become, unintentionally, too interesting. These state­ments often provoke the proverbial double-take: What did that say? Every Other Man by Mary Ann Bartusis Consider: Explores some of the deep-seated emo­tional conditions that cause men to be unfaithful and gives specific details on handling many aspects of extramarital affairs. Reconsider: Is the book a how-to manual for phi­landering husbands? The statement should be direct­ed to its proper audience. Edited: …and gives women techniques for coping with many aspects of their husbands’ extramarital affairs. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot Consider: Yorkshire veterinarian recalls his stint in the RAF during World War II and expresses his feel­ings about his new family and friends, including his first child whom his wife delivered…. Reconsider: Veterinarian or not, it’s unlikely that he had the child and she did the delivery. The writer was thinking about his not being there when the baby was born, but the sentence doesn’t read that way. Procedure: The easiest solution is to delete every­thing after child. Alternatively, the editor could insert the birth of before his first child. Either way, the phrase about the delivery should go, and family and friends should be reversed. Lust for Life: The Novel of Vincent van Gogh by Irving Stone Consider: Fictionalized account of the Dutch painter follows his tortured life of unsuccessful love affairs and endless striving for perfect techniques and accomplishment. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Reconsider: The writer had in mind artistic tech­nique and accomplishment, which is only one part of 116 The Library of Congress has no opinion the book. The title and the placement of the phrase might easily indicate that the subject is still sex, especially when followed by the tagline about explic­ it descriptions. Procedure: Divide into two sentences and make sure that his love life and his artistic endeavors are clearly delineated. Is the annotation judgmental? Most judgments occur in adjectives describing the book: exciting, poignant, easily read and interesting. Some judg­ments are even more overt: a joyful collection, a useful and entertaining work, a highly readable book, an essay of wide-ranging importance. Editors must eliminate words and phrases that tell readers what they will think about a book. These judgments almost leap to the eye, and editors will eliminate them easily. Other judgments are more subtle and require consideration of the impact of words that judge the action described rather than the approach of the book. Example: At fifty-one, the author finally comes to terms with his homosexuality. Comment: That finally implies that he should have done it sooner. Unless a long struggle is identified earlier in the annotation, the word is judgmental and should be eliminated. The age listed conveys dura­tion, and the more succinct sentence has more impact. Endorsement of books or authors More serious are characterizations of authors or style of writing that state directly or imply that the Library of Congress endorses some books or authors. The Library does not promote authors A Fine and Pleasant Misery by Patrick F. McManus Annotation: Twenty-seven (1) mirth-provoking, (2) cautionary camping reminiscences that originally appeared in Field and Stream. Considered by critics as (3) one of the funniest contemporary humorists, McManus’s (4) droll style is a (5) side-splitting expe­rience. Problems: (1) Judgmental; assumes the reader’s reaction. (2) Possibly misleading; the cautions are intended to be funny, not to give directions. (3) Is there a consensus and a ranking? The phrase adds nothing about the book, and its accuracy is hard to determine; one or two favorable reviews do not justi­fy such a sweeping statement. (4) Droll is a descrip­tive adjective meaning that the author wanted to pro­voke laughter. It’s useful to know the author’s intentions; no problem here. (5) The writer liked the book, but that doesn’t count. It’s judgmental to say the author succeeded in his intention to be funny; that’s up to the reader to decide. Comment: Overall, the annotation says a lot about what other people think. The only information on content is that the book is about camping reminis­cences. There should be more feeling for the content, not merely commentary on it. The language can show that the book is funny without saying so. Note that the editor will have to go back to the source material to obtain content examples. Edited/rewritten: Twenty-seven droll sketches that originally appeared in Field and Stream. Dealing pri­marily with camping reminiscences, they poke fun at the author’s experiences with an inept hunting dog, intruding cows, ne’er-do-well companions, and a national park. The Library does not take sides Controversial subjects More dangerous is taking a position on controversial sub­jects. Proponents of opposing positions could rightfully expect equal space and support. Origins by Richard E. Leakey and Roger Lewin Annotation: (1) This book has been described as the best work on man’s origins and development. The authors explain the emergence of man out of Africa and into modern life. (2) Some new approaches (3) to controversial topics are discussed, such as the growth of intelligence, the nature of man, and the names of species. Problems: (1) The statement, which could reflect a single reviewer’s opinion, seems to be a strong endorsement of the book and the positions taken. (2) What new approaches? The premise and conclu­sion are missing. Also, approaches remain new only until the next book on the subject is written: avoid words about timeliness. (3) Sources indicate that the controversy is about cooperation as opposed to aggression; the areas listed are details of that. A statement is needed about the authors’ stand on this subject. Comment: The NLS collection contains books by prominent anthropologists who take different or opposing positions. If the subject is controversial, the Library of Congress can’t appear to promote one point of view. Rewritten: Explains the emergence of man out of Africa and into modern life. Some controversial top­ics are discussed, such as the growth of intelligence, the nature of man, and the names of species. The authors consider cooperation and social organization more significant in human development than aggres­sion. (Note that the purist might prefer humans, humankind, or human beings to the use of man. Any Opinions should be those of the author of these words are appropriate, but less forceful in this context. It’s a judgment call.) The author’s opinion Most dangerous of all is expressing the author’s opinion as that of the Library of Congress. Be sure the annotation explains that the thesis is the author’s. The Zapping of America by Paul Brodeur Annotation: (1) The dangers of microwave radia­tion have been covered up by numerous government agencies. (2) The author exposes the inherent dan­gers of microwaves. His examples range from the (3) seemingly benign microwave oven to the (4) well-publicized (5) intentional irradiation of embassy officials in Moscow. Problems: (1) That’s a rather sweeping statement for a government agency to make about other gov­ernment agencies! (2) Wrong placement in the anno­tation; should come first as the main emphasis. (3) Questionable modifier; benign means harmless only in medical parlance. Its more common defini­tions include of gentle disposition, gracious, and kindly—terms more appropriate to people than objects. (4) Modifier that time may erase. The pub­licity occurred before the book was written and long before the book was published. By the time the book is recorded, distributed to network libraries, and available to readers, the publicity may be long for­gotten. (5) Modifier that must be considered for accuracy; the intention is unproved at the time of writing. However, the assumption is the author’s and listed as his example. To remove it would not reflect the content of the book. Edited: Exposes the inherent dangers of microwaves. The author claims that the hazards posed by microwave radiation have been covered up by numerous government agencies. His examples Can the reader tell what he is ordering? range from the household microwave oven to the intentional irradiation of embassy officials in Moscow. Does the annotation describe the book? Read the annotation and consider the content the annota­tion describes. What can readers expect the book to be like? Now go to the background material—reviews, the book cover, and the table of contents. Flip through the book and scan for tone and approach. Is this the same book? If not, editing is not sufficient; rewriting is needed. The Ecstasy of Owen Muir by Ring Lardner Jr. Annotation: Ironic novel of a young American and seeker of truth who is sent to prison for pacifism. Later he joins the army, is wounded, and [is] dis­charged. He then launches himself in a business career, marries his secretary, and converts to her reli­gion of Catholicism. Eventually they part and he joins a monastic order. Some strong language. Problem: The annotation covers plot—exhaustive-ly. The background material indicates that what hap­pens isn’t of primary importance; the point is what the author thinks about situations described. Because the author is one of the creators of M*A*S*H, the background material is very likely to be correct. Ironic novel is useful, but it isn’t strong enough or long enough to balance all that plot. More research is needed. Rewritten: Satiric novel about a young American truth-seeker who is sent to prison for pacifism. Later episodes with the army, in a business career, and in a monastic order provide vehicles for slashing com­mentary on war, racism, big business, and organized religion. Some strong language. Three questions Right amount of information Emma Watson: The Watsons Completed by Joan Aiken Annotation: Aiken completes this story of the Watsons begun by Jane Austen in 1804. After living with an aunt for fourteen years, Emma, the youngest of a large family, returns home. It falls to Emma and her favorite sister, Elizabeth, to deal with the foibles of their siblings, including an elopement, a fatal accident, and the revelation of an old scandal. Comment: The editor’s attention should be caught immediately by foibles (oddities of personality) fol­lowed by three plot elements that seem much more than peccadillos. Checking the source material shows that the main point—the dreary prospect for two dowerless women—has been omitted. The sisters do, however, deal with foibles, as well as events, and assigning these to people catches the spirit of the book. Rewritten: Aiken continues a novel begun by Jane Austen in 1804. After living with an aunt for four­teen years, Emma, the youngest of a large family, returns home to face a spinsterhood of genteel pover­ty with her favorite sister, Elizabeth. It falls to them to deal with the foibles and misadventures of their siblings, assorted relatives, and eccentric neighbors. Editors should also ask: Is there enough information? Is the emphasis correct? Does the information lead to the proper conclusion? Even when all the factual material in an annotation is cor­rect, the reader can still be misled about the book’s content. Is there enough information? The whole plot does not need to be there, and should not be there. Too much infor­mation leaves nothing to the reader’s imagination and can Author’s point clear be misleading. But there does have to be enough informa­tion for separate parts to make sense together. Lion at Sea by Max Hennessy Annotation: The startlingly courageous adventures of Midshipman Kelly Maguire of the Royal Navy at the outbreak of World War I. Assigned to patrol duty on an obsolete battle cruiser in the North Sea, he is captured by the Turks but escapes with the help of a sexy Arab princess. Problem: The question is not hard to find: How did the Turks and the sexy Arab princess get to the North Sea? Either something is missing or more explanation is needed. Research shows that quite a lot is missing; the book covers most of the major naval battles of the war. Startlingly courageous adventures sets the tone well, but the rest of the annotation needs help. Rewritten: The startlingly courageous adventures of Midshipman Kelly Maguire of the Royal Navy during World War I. At first assigned to patrol duty on an obsolete battle cruiser in the North Sea, he is later captured by the Turks after Gallipoli, helped to escape by a sexy Arab princess, and involved in the Battle of Jutland. Is the emphasis correct? The annotation must highlight the point of the book. Just listing facts is not sufficient. Education in the United States: An Interpretive History by Robert L. Church and Michael W. Sedlak Annotation: A chronological social history of American educational ideas and institutions, from the Revolutionary War (1) to the present. A number of topics are discussed including the role of schools in American society, (2) equality in education, and the (2) drive to preserve the status quo in social inequality. Problems: (1) Phrase indicating currentness of the book. (2) The last two phrases seem contradictory. They do reflect the book’s content, but tying them together in that form does not show how the authors approached the subjects. The contradiction needs to be emphasized, not ignored. Edited: Chronological social history of American educational ideas and institutions, from the Revolution to the 1970s. Discussions cover the role of schools in American society. The authors contrast the goal of equality in education with the tendency to preserve social inequality. The Least of These My Brethren: A Doctor’s Story of Hope and Miracles on an Inner-City AIDS Ward by Daniel J. Baxter, M.D. Annotation: A physician’s account of life and death amid the squalor of New York City’s largest designated AIDS center. Relates (1) the stories of drug addicts, prostitutes, and other social outcasts (2) who are facing death with AIDS. (3) In spite of it all, the author affirms his belief in the value of human life. Strong language. 1997. Problem: This one falls apart in the middle with weak and vague words that do not develop the point being made about the ward itself and almost impos­sible conditions. (1) Stories of generally implies background information about individuals, while the point here is their attitudes in the ward. (2) We already know they are facing death; this space can be better used. (3) In spite of it all is a cliché; it all needs clarification. For proper emphasis, the annota­tion has to build from squalor, a well-chosen word, through frustration to affirmation. Rewritten: A physician’s account of life and death amid the squalor of New York City’s largest AIDS Nature and scope of the book center. Relates the difficulties of providing care for uncooperative drug addicts, prostitutes, and other social outcasts. Despite all the hardships and frustra­ tions, the author affirms his belief in the value of every human life. Strong language. Note the subtle difference made by inserting every before human life, changing the focus from a generality to the individuals, even the least of these, of the title. The title also identifies the author as a doctor, making the M.D. after his name and physician’s in the first sentence unnecessary. Is the reader led to the proper conclusion? The proper conclusion is what the book is all about, not about how it begins or how it ends. It also includes the tone of the book: serious, humorous, folksy, or frightening. Waxwork by Peter Lovesey Annotation: In the 1880s, Detective Sgt. Cribb of Scotland Yard methodically investigates the case of a proper Victorian lady who confesses to poisoning her photographer husband’s assistant because she was being blackmailed. Upon close examination of her statement, an impossible detail reveals her confes­sion to be false. Problem: The background material says that the impossible detail is what got the detective interested and later mentions a surprise ending. Research shows that the detail was carefully contrived to negate the confession. She did it! The ending can’t be revealed to readers, and they can’t be given the impression that the false confession was the end of the matter. There are also some style, tense, and wordiness problems. Rewritten: In the 1880s, Detective Sergeant Cribb of Scotland Yard methodically investigates the case of a proper Victorian lady who has admitted to poi­soning her photographer husband’s assistant. She’s Take one more look at details about to be hanged—and her confession may be false! Comment: Note that the rewritten version is not only more succinct and suspenseful but leads the reader into the book instead of implying an ending. Usually you can correct problems in the same way that you add interest: by rearranging language or elements, inserting more precise and descriptive words, eliminating wordiness, adding or deleting facts to achieve conciseness and bal­ance. If the annotation is too far off the mark, it will have to be rewritten. There is no way to edit annotations that are all judgment and no content. Annotation: This is one of the best stories that has been written by an American about a ballerina. Problem: Yes, but what is the book about? What does it say? Some content has to be discovered and inserted. When the general content is interesting, describes the book, and is correct grammatically and stylistically, the editor can move on to the final step. Are the facts accurate? Take one last look at names, dates, and places. Too much work has gone into all this to leave a silly mistake. Some annotations present reasons to check. Annotation: World War II intrudes on the already troubled life of Eleanor, handicapped by a reading disability that makes college seem impossible. Ironically, the war frees Karen to accept herself and pursue her own life. Problem: What have Eleanor’s problems to do with Karen? Checking shows that there is only one char­acter; a mistake has been made with the name. Leave nothing to chance Annotation: A continuous narrative of the Bible from Genesis to Exodus, told in 168 stories in simple language. Comment: It’s possible; a great deal of story mate­rial appears in the first two books of the Bible, but that’s not very far into Judaeo-Christian lore. Checking is justified, and shows that the phrase should read from Genesis through Revelation, encompassing the whole span of the Christian Bible. Annotation: Historical tale of love, courtly splen­dor, rebellion, and royal tragedy. Portrays the reign of Richard III, his fragile and tender relationship with Queen Anne, and the fiery battle at Armageddon. Comment: Richard met his Armageddon at Bosworth Field. Don’t leave the biblical allusion; substitute the correct place. Even without something that catches the attention, verify the facts with the background material and, if necessary, with the book. George Burns and the Hundred-Year Dash by Martin Gottfried Annotation: Life of the beloved star of stage and screen who died in 1996 at the age of one hundred. Discusses his show business beginnings in vaude­ville, where he later achieved considerable fame teamed with his wife, Gracie Allen, as Burns and Allen. Also examines Burns’s career resurgence in 1976 with his Oscar-winning performance in Oh God! Some strong language. Comment: Except to a dedicated Burns fan or movie buff, this statement would not arouse editorial instincts. However, the reviews attribute the Oscar (as supporting actor) to an earlier film. Checking with the book is warranted and reveals that casting Burns as God followed and was because of the previ­ous role. The book jacket obscures this point, but all Check again the other sources, including the book itself, are clear. The statement should read in 1975 with his Oscar- winning performance in The Sunshine Boys. Back to basics Before leaving the entry, take a last look to be sure that all the material is consistent: names should correspond to the source information and be spelled the same throughout, including in the title and author lines and the one-liner (See One-line annotation, p. 165); places should be spelled cor­rectly and consistently at each reference. Look again at sub­ject and verb agreement and parallel structure. Check again that words other than names are spelled correctly; the eye often sees what it expects to be there, especially when its attention has been caught by other problems. Part Two: Style and Presentation Background Considerations and procedures listed in this section are for NLS annotations. As stated in earlier sections on adhering to style and editing for style: Style in this context means the treatment of punctua­ tion, capitalization, spelling, and numbers that have various acceptable forms. For consistency, one form is selected and used throughout. NLS uses The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition as basic refer­ ences. It has also adopted some style practices of its own that have been found to be more workable for annotations. Other annotation writers do not, of course, have to follow these forms. But every individual or group should use some formal style reference or develop practices that are adhered to consistently. Otherwise, there is chaos. The style chosen will often differ from the style used in the book being annotated; publishers have, or should have, their own style practices. This problem occurs most often with capitalization: But it’s capi­talized in the book! It doesn’t matter what the book does; if you have a style, you should adhere to it. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of a different style for every publisher, or possibly for every book. Topics in this section are presented in the order in which they occur in book announcements, from title entries through handling of dates. Some of the topics discussed are treatments—how certain situations are handled—which are then subject to formal style considerations. Also covered are two items that are prepared at the same time as the standard book announcement, making use of the print book before it goes out for brailling or recording. The one-line annotation is created as a separate entity, and a suggested catalog category is determined. These items will later be used to provide information to patrons. Titles The title page is the authority for words and spelling; the Chicago Manual of Style is the authority for style (presen­tation). In some cases, treatments are NLS practice. The purpose is a consistent look—as far as possible—for publications and information to patrons. Cataloging rules are different. Capitals—initial letters only ¦ First and last words, regardless of part of speech ¦ All major parts of speech—nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives Initial caps Note: Length is not a criterion; some verbs are very short. Watch especially for is, are, was, and were. Lower case ¦ Coordinate conjunctions—and, or, nor, and but ¦ Articles—a, an, and the ¦ To as part of infinitive ¦ As regardless of part of speech ¦ Prepositions regardless of length Lower case Note: The preposition is sometimes part of verb form and is treated as a verb. ¦ Run Down Clues—down is part of the verb. ¦ Run down the Hill—down is a preposition. Living Through Mourning: Finding Hope and Comfort When a Loved One Has Died— through is part of the verb; note the change of meaning when it is treated as a preposition. Punctuation and ampersands Punctuation follows Chicago style; change the form of the title-page where needed. ¦ Add commas for sense and in series of words, including before and. (Note: brackets indicate addi­tion to original.) If Blindness Strikes[,] Don’t Strike Out Sea to Shining Sea: People[,] Travels[,] Places Spring Jaunts: Some Walks, Excursions[,] and Personal Explorations of Town, Country[,] and Seashore ¦ Retain dashes, question marks, and exclamation points. ¦ Use quotation marks when they appear on title page to denote a spoken phrase, a familiar saying, a nickname, or a popular name. Punctuation— “Grizille, Save the Children!” and other strange marks Best of E.E. “Doc” Smith Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Complete “Orienting” Handbook Should You Shut Your Eyes When You Kiss; or, How to Survive “The Best Years of Your Life” ¦ Retain an ellipsis when it is used to indicate some­thing missing; substitute a dash or other appropriate punctuation when dots are simply a design element. …And Ladies of the Club Aren’t You the One Who…? ¦ But change dots to a dash in Come before Winter… and Share My Hope (in this case, the ellipsis indi­cates a pause, not an omission) ¦ Add hyphens sparingly to adjective forms when needed to make meaning clear or when usually used by NLS; otherwise, retain title-page punctuation for simplicity. Zoo Vet: Adventures of a Wild[-]Animal Doctor (Add a hyphen between wild and animal to make clear that the animal is wild, not the doctor.) ¦ Eliminate colons; substitute a comma, semicolon, or dash as appropriate. A colon is used only to separate title from subtitle. Title page: A. E. Housman Poetry & Prose: A Selection NLS style: A.E. Housman: Poetry and Prose—a Selection (A comma or semicolon could be used instead of the dash. Note that a is lowercase after the new punctua­tion because it is not a first word. (See section on subtitles, p. 139.) ¦ Always write out ampersands unless they are part of a corporate logo. Numbers Use Chicago style: write out numbers through one hun­dred; write out all numbers if first word of text. Figures are Numbers retained for numbers that are part of proper names, such as names of ships or projects. (See the section on text style, p. 150, for other usages.) Dates Years are always expressed in figures. 1939: In the Shadow of the War The Great Depression: An Inquiry into the Causes, Course, and Consequences of the Years Worldwide Depression of the 1930s, as Seen by Contemporaries and in the Light of History (not Nineteen Thirties) ¦ Set apart with commas dates not grammatically related to the title. Advice and Support: The Early Years, 1941–1960 ¦ Use Chicago style for other dates. (See section on text style, p. 150.) Titles within titles ¦ NLS practice for annotations is to treat all titles within titles in the same way for a consistent look. In text, some titles use quotes and some use italics. (See section on text style, p. 149.) Italicize (or underscore) short stories as part of a book title as well as radio and TV programs, two or more books in Titles as part of titles one volume, and groups of stories. Italicize all words including initial articles. Do not use commas to separate unless there are three or more titles. Wind and Birds and Human Voices and Other Stories The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey Postscript to The Name of the Rose The Communist Manifesto [by] Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, with Selections from the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and Capital by Karl Marx Just People and Other Poems for Young Readers and Paper/Pen/Poem: A Young Writer’s Way to Begin (This complex title contains two titles that have to be italicized to indicate that they are sepa­rate items. In addition, the first title contains a title within a title, which is presented in roman text to distinguish it from the remainder of the title.) ¦ Italics are used to distinguish titles from other parts of the book title. They are not needed when the title of a short story or other material is also the title of the book or if descriptive information is in a subtitle separated from the title by a colon. I Love You, I Hate You, Get Lost (title story and title of book) Angel Maker: The Short Stories of Sara Maitland (Angel Maker is both the title story and title of book; colon provides separation from sub­title) ¦ Italicize periodical names but treat an initial article as part of the book title rather than the periodical title; lowercase the initial article except when it is the first word of the title. Great Esquire Fiction: The Finest Stories from the First Fifty Years The New York Times Book of Annuals and Perennials Best Sports Stories from the Saturday Evening Post Farm Journal’s Country-Style Microwave Cookbook (The possessive is not part of the peri­odical title; do not italicize.) 137 Exceptions Exceptions Occasionally rules for capitalization and punctuation should be violated if the original usage is an integral part of the title. M*A*S*H H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N Re: Thinking—How to Succeed by Learning How to Think (The colon is part of the title punctuation; therefore, dashes indicate the subti­ tle, which has an initial capital.) Subtitles A second title The mighty colon— introduces a subtitle Consider the subtitle as another title; the same rules for capitalization and punctuation apply as for titles. Use ¦ Subtitles are considered part of the title information and are always used, regardless of length. Do not abbreviate or omit words. Terms such as stories, poems, or a biography are retained as subtitles. ¦ The one exception to the use of subtitles is A Novel. This subtitle is omitted because it is understood for fiction and adds no new information. It is, however, used when there are added words as in A Novel of Suspense. It is also used if needed for clarification. Glory Enough for All: The Battle of the Crater; a Novel of the Civil War (Note that the article following the semicolon is lowercase; see the next section) Walter Winchell: A Novel (retained because the book could easily be mistaken for a biography without the subtitle) Punctuation between title and subtitle A colon is used to separate title and subtitle in most cases. Place the colon directly after the title; leave one space before the subtitle. Because the colon indicates the beginning of a subtitle, colons should not be used elsewhere in the title or subtitle. If a colon appears elsewhere on the title page, change the punctuation to a comma or semicolon as appropriate. Do not uppercase articles or prepositions that follow; capitals for initial words are used only to indicate a title or subtitle. Other punctuation Subtitle after “or” Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge; a Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution (Note that the a after the semicolon is lowercase.) ¦ A question mark or exclamation point is sufficient for separation. Do not also use a colon. Ar’n’t I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South Crisis Time! Love, Marriage, and the Male at Mid-Life ¦ A quotation mark is not sufficient for separation, because it would not end a sentence in text. Use a colon after the quotation mark to indicate the beginning of a subtitle. Do not use the colon if the quotation ends in an exclamation point or ques­tion mark. “The Rest of Us”: The Rise of America’s Eastern European Jews “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character ¦ Second title after or. Use a semicolon after the title, lowercase or, follow or with a comma. Do not use a semicolon after a question mark or exclamation point. One Fell Soup; or, I’m Just a Bug on the Windshield of Life What’s to Become of the Boy? or, Something to Do with Books Use italics Subtitle identifies series Titles within subtitles NLS practice is essentially the same as for titles within titles: treat the subtitle as a second title and italicize or underscore all titles regardless of whether they would take italics or quotes in text. For subtitles, all short story or novella titles are italicized, because they cannot also be the title of the book. Stories of the Early West: The Luck of Roaring Camp and Sixteen Other Exciting Tales of Mining and Frontier Days Eda LeShan on Living Your Life: Based on the CBS Radio Network Series Getting Along The Same River Twice: Honoring the Difficult; a Meditation on Life, Spirit, Art, and the Making of the Film The Color Purple Ten Years Later Victorian Villainies: The Great Tontine, The Rome Express, In the Fog, The Beetle Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon: My Father’s Dragon; Elmer and the Dragon; The Dragons of Blueland (For the last two examples, the listed stories explain the title. The need for italics would be obvious if the and that is under­ stood between the last two titles were actually present.) Series name as subtitle For our readers, it is useful to list series names as subtitles, because they then appear in author and title indexes for easy identification. Handling style practices for these books is difficult, since publishers indicate series differ­ently and not always in the same way for titles in the same series. Practices listed are designed to give patrons useful information in a consistent format and where it can be eas­ily located. If a book is known to be part of a series, such information should appear as a subtitle even if the information does not appear on the title page; generally it will appear on the book jacket, on the verso title page, or in a list of other books by the author. This practice includes both series pre­sented sequentially and those that feature a particular char­acter or group but can be read in any order. It does not include a publisher’s series such as Great Books of the World. Doom of the Darksword: The Darksword Trilogy, Volume 2 Donovan’s Daughter: The Californians, Book 4 Darkness and Light: Dragonlance Saga; Preludes, Volume 1 Prisoner’s Base: A Nero Wolf Mystery Mischief: An 87th Precinct Mystery ¦ Use roman type. Do not underline or put quotes around a series name. ¦ If volumes are listed, put a comma after the series title and place the volume number at the end; capi­talize and write out volume; and use arabic numerals. Use a semicolon to separate if the series title follows the subtitle or if volume and dates precede the subti­tle. If only a numeral is listed, use volume rather than book. Thomas Jefferson: The Formative Years, 1743–1775; Founding Fathers Series, Volume 6 Montana! Wagons West, Volume 10 (Note that the exclamation point is sufficient for separation, and the colon is not used.) 142 Except... Establish a form Series name as title In some cases, the series name is used as the title for all volumes and information about the particular volume becomes the subtitle. The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume 1, 1902–1941; I, Too, Sing America Consistency Frequently, series information is inconsistent for individual volumes. Some volumes, usually the first one or two in the series, may not have a series title; others may have a variety of forms. For consistency, a form (or variation on that form) should be established. Often several books in a series will have been produced and cataloged before the need for a consis­tent form becomes apparent. Subtitles determined for use in book announcements after some volumes have been produced should be added to the database for use in subsequent publications. The Summer of the Danes: The Eighteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury (subtitle from the book jack­ et). The title page does not list a series title; the also by page identifies these books as the Brother Cadfael Chronicles, and further confuses by list­ ing them in random order. This popular series is troublesome. The most common form is Show placement in series Book number needed (title): The (number) Chronicle of Brother Cadfael but the first few titles weren’t numbered, and some volumes later in the series also don’t list numbers. The common form should be used when the number is listed or can be determined by placement in the series. Otherwise an alternate form resembling that would be (title): A Chronicle of Brother Cadfael The additional information on the book jacket should not be used. It is not consistent with other titles, adds little information, and takes up space better used for the annota­tion. Series titles in text Occasionally a series title is used in the annotation text rather than as a subtitle. This generally occurs when the first one or two volumes have appeared without a series identification and this one purports to be the last. For series titles in text, lowercase any initial article and use roman type. Sequences For series that should be read sequentially, NLS practice is to indicate in the annotation text the title the current book follows: “In this sequel to A Boy’s War (RC 43286)”or “This sequel to Daughters of Albion (RC 35723) opens in the mid-1960s.” The current volume could also precede a previous title and be listed as “Prequel to Becoming a Man (RC 41664),” if written after the previous title, or “Followed by Becoming a Man (RC 41664),” if simply pro­duced later by NLS to fill in a gap. In these cases the series subtitle should not be included in the text. Note that the book number is always listed so that patrons know what to order. Only books in the collection and pro­duced in the same format as the current title are mentioned as cross references. Authors Keep names simple and recognizable. Note. This section describes how the information will appear in print. In some cases the NLS database requires specific practices or placements to achieve these results, especially in dealing with suffixes and coauthors. For these treatments, consult the appropriate computer instructions. Forms of names ¦ Popular usage. Use the form of the author’s name generally known to the public, not the bibliographic form. Generally, this version will be what is listed on the title page. A.A. Milne, not Alan Alexander One author e.e. cummings (lower case) Louisa May Alcott (known with middle name) Lloyd C. Douglas (used middle initial) Parts of a name ¦ Initials. Keep tight, no space between letters (NLS practice). See the examples above. ¦ Suffixes. Jr., Sr., and Esq. are abbreviated. There is no punctuation before either these or numerals. Arthur Schlesinger Jr. John Smith Esq. John D. Rockefeller III Two of them Many Editors and others Coauthors Follow the form for a single author; connect with and rather than ampersand. Multiple authors List the first author followed by and others without punctu­ation. No more than two names are ever listed. Alfred H. Kelly, Winfred A. Harbison, and Herman Belz—delete all but the first author and substitute and others: Alfred H. Kelly and others Editors, selectors, compilers, and the like Use the same rules as for authors; the form is edited by John E. Lewis, not John E. Lewis, ed. Translators List a translator only if the information is significant; that is, the translator is well known or the version is important. The Iliad by Homer, translated by Edward Fitzgerald Illustrators Don’t list illustrators, even for PRINT/BRAILLE books; the focus is not on pictorial material. Honorifics For simplicity and conciseness, titles and degrees are rarely used. If the author’s authority in the field is important, this information should be incorporated into the annotation. ¦ Titles before author’s name. Almost never used. Eliminate Dr., Professor, Sister, Rev., and the like. An exception is for British practice; do use titles for nobility and knighthoods if they are the familiar form. Sir Walter Scott Alfred, Lord Tennyson Lord Peter Wimsey ¦ Degrees after author’s name. Almost never used. Eliminate Ph.D., Order of…, etc. An exception is M.D. (initials tight) when the topic is relat­ed to medicine and the author’s credentials are not in the annotation; don’t use the degree if the annotation covers the writer’s authority. It is preferable to provide this information in the annotation. Text style The main reason for following a particular style manual is consistency. NLS practices for capitalization, type styles, word forms, punctuation, and other text treatments are based on the Chicago Manual of Style. Some aspects of Chicago style have been interpolated from the general approach when the particulars are not spelled out; in a few cases the style has been altered to fit NLS needs. Annotation writers cannot depend on presentations in the book or in reviews (which often differ from each other) to be correct for NLS annotations. The authors and editors of these documents may have been using a different style manual or none at all. The following lists cover situations encountered frequently. For items not listed, consult the manual. Type style—titles in text (See Chicago, 7.129-7.148) Italics (sometimes shown by an underscore) ¦ books titles and book numbers ¦ musical compositions (long) ¦ movies ¦ radio and TV series Use italics ¦ periodicals (but initial article is lower case and not italicized) ¦ plays ¦ poems (long) ¦ works of art Quotes ¦ articles from periodicals ¦ chapter titles Use quotes ¦ musical compositions (short) ¦ poems (short) ¦ radio and TV programs—episodes ¦ short stories Roman type ¦ musical compositions (name of form plus key) ¦ series (treat initial article as for periodicals) Use roman ¦ parts of a book—preface, foreword, introduction (all lowercase) Dates and times (See Chicago, 8.33-8.48) Centuries Write out; hyphenate as adjective. ¦ set in the twelfth century; ¦ twelfth-century castle Decades Write out, use full date, or use apostrophe for century. ¦ sixties and seventies ¦ 1960s (no apostrophe before s) The calendar... ¦ 60s and 70s Years Use figures in most cases. Can abbreviate in familiar phrases. ¦ written between 1975 and 1977 ¦ spirit of ’76 ¦ class of ’97 Month and year Write out month; no punctuation between month and year. ¦ For the United States, World War II began in December 1941. Day, month, and year Treat the year as an appositive; surround with commas. ¦ The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led to the declaration of war against Japan. Month and day Write out month; use cardinal number. December 7 (Not Dec. 7th) Dateline The brief phrases sometimes used to lead quickly into his­torical novels show two different things: date and place. Therefore separation is needed. A comma is sufficient when there is no other punctuation. When either the date or the place contains one or more commas, the dividing punc­tuation is a semicolon. ¦ India, 1886. ¦ Dallas, Texas; 1963 ¦ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; July 1776 ... and the clock Times of day Generally use words; use figures if specific time is important. ¦ four o’clock ¦ around midnight ¦ bedtime at eight But ¦ the 6:20 train ¦ armistice signed at 11:02 Seasons Use lower case (spring, summer, fall, winter); no punctua­tion if followed by year. Historical and cultural periods and events (See Chicago, 7.60-7.67) In general, use lowercase for eras, cultural periods, and events of some duration. the depression early to mid-eighteenth century colonial period ancient Rome westward movement nuclear age Eras the twenties Use capitals when these are derived from proper names, are recognized archaeological periods, or are specific single events. Some names are capitalized by tradition or to avoid ambiguity. Great Depression Victorian Age Roaring Twenties Middle Ages Stone Age Boston Tea Party For simplicity, prefer lowercase when the meaning is clear. When in doubt, check Chicago, which is sometimes also in doubt and allows some latitude. Genres All genre designations should be lowercased, even if a peri­od (Gothic) or place/direction (West) gave name to the genre. Note that Regency romances and Victorian novels Genres refer to a particular setting in time and place and retain the capital letters; these are not yet genres. NLS usage is to capitalize Romantic for writers and works of that cultural period to distinguish them from the romance genre. Titles and offices (See Chicago, 7.15-7.24) In general, capitalize civil, military, religious, and profes­sional titles and titles of nobility when they immediately precede a personal name. Lowercase titles following a per­sonal name or used alone in place of a name. ¦ President Washington ¦ George Washington, president of the United States ¦ the United States president George Washington (president is descriptive, not a title) ¦ when George Washington was president and Martha his first lady Be careful about using Reverend as a title. ¦ the Reverend John Smith or the Reverend Mr. Smith never (properly) Rev. Smith or Reverend Smith The correct form is awkward; rewrite to avoid the problem when possible. Religious terms (See Chicago, 7.74-7.92) In general, capitalize what are clearly proper nouns, espe ­cially names for God (as supreme being), deities (in reli ­gions with several), revered persons, sacred writings, events, concepts, and specific services. ¦ God, Jehovah, Allah, Pan, Thor, Shiva, Isis, Virgin Mary, the Prophet (Islam), Bible, Scriptures, Koran, Crucifixion, Redemption, Holy Communion Lowercase adjectives derived from sacred books (general­ly), general references to services, and objects of religious significance. ¦ biblical, scriptural, talmudic, gospels, mass, service, seder, confirmation, bar mitzvah, baptism, holy water, rosary, shofar, phylacteries, sanctuary Additions to text Content that could be disturbing Several types of information can be added to the end of the annotation text as appropriate for the particular book. These pieces always appear in the same order for consis­tency. Taglines—descriptive phrases Strong language: to indicate that profanity is used fairly freely. Some strong language: to indicate that profanity is present but is mild or infrequent. Violence: to indicate that brutal acts are described in detail. Some violence: to indicate that brutality is present but is not frequent. Explicit descriptions of sex: to indicate a number of detailed sexual passages. Some explicit descriptions of sex: to indicate no more than two or three detailed sexual passages. Descriptions of sex: to indicate a number of erotic but not detailed sexual passages, such as one indicating a passion­ate kiss and caress of the breasts with an indication that the couple proceeds from there but without detailed description of what follows. Some descriptions of sex: to indicate two or three erotic but not detailed sexual passages. Note that some is used in every case to indicate that the occurrences are slight and relatively inoffensive. The deci­sion to use some, as well as the decision to use a tagline at all, is often subjective. What is distasteful to some readers Put some last is not distasteful to all. The best guideline is to consider the age distribution of NLS patrons, more than half of whom are sixty-five years old or older. Times and mores change. Rhett Butler’s famous ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!’ would not cause even a blink today. But this large group of readers originally formed their tastes about what is fit to print in an earlier and gentler era. It is best to be somewhat conservative. Those readers not easily disturbed can ignore these descriptive phrases, or even choose books because of them. We use only one tagline. If more than one element is pres­ent, the two descriptive phrases are joined by and, rather than appearing separately. If all three are present, they are separated by commas with and before the last element. ¦ Strong language, violence, and descriptions of sex not, Strong language. Violence. Descriptions of sex. There is no particular order in which these phrases must appear, although language is generally listed first and sex last if there is no context reason to do otherwise, primarily because it is more euphonious for the longer phrase to appear last. However, when one of the phrases is modified by some, that phrase should appear last so that the reader will not assume that the some also modifies others in the series. To ensure correct interpretation, some is repeated each time it is needed: Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Note that in this case the word without the modifier moves to the first position in the tagline. The phrases about sex cannot be shortened by leaving out descriptions of—which is a temptation when space is limit­ed. Leaving out these words alters the meaning; there are only words about acts and, obviously, not acts themselves. PRINT/BRAILLE These books are for blind and sighted readers to share. They consist of the original print book with clear plastic overlays containing the braille text. Most of them are pic­ture books for very young readers, but some texts are suit- A special format able for those reading up to seventh grade level. Because letter prefixes to book numbers for this medium are the same as for standard braille books, the difference must be noted in the annotation. Grade levels The annotator determines information about reading levels for juvenile titles according to the content of the book and placements in reviews and reading lists. The same phrases are always used. They are For preschool-grade 2. For grades K-3. For grades 2-4. For grades 3-6. For grades 4-7. For grades 5-8. Age group targeted For grades 6-9. For junior high readers. For senior high readers. For junior and senior high readers. For junior and senior high and older readers. For senior high and older readers. For older readers. Note that in the two places where for older readers is part of the phrase, it means that the book is also suitable for adults, not that it can be read by children older than the designated level; any book can be read by people outside the target group, depending on the interests of the reader. The for older readers tagline can also be added for some books designated as for children, even young children, to indicate that they are worthwhile for adults, especially older adults who prefer information in short and concise forms. These books typically include biographies, nature materials, poetry, fables and folktales, and some historical selections—including both fiction and nonfiction. In these cases the addition of and older readers indicates not only that adults can enjoy them, but that advisors and others selecting books can consider these titles for seniors with short attention spans. Prizes Listing prizes won helps the reader evaluate the worth of the book selected. Caldecott and Newbery winners are always in demand. Adult book awards indicate serious liter­ary value. Note that the listing consists of prizes for the particular book, not the writer. A Pulitzer Prize-winning author could be indicated in the annotation text. Bestsellers Some readers are interested in keeping up with the latest popular books. Therefore bestsellers are noted in the anno­tation. Designation of a bestseller depends on the title’s appearance on nationwide bestseller lists for several weeks. For books in English, Bestseller is the last item listed in the annotation before the date. Foreign language For books in languages other than English, the particular language must be indicated. In these cases, the last item before the date is a two-word phrase such as Spanish lan­guage. For the occasional bilingual book, the phrase is In English and Spanish or Bilingual book in English and Spanish. 158 Dates and time Generally show when the book was written Earliest for fiction, most recent for nonfiction Dates at the end of annotations Dates associated with an annotation inform readers about when the book was written. As with other information intended primarily for readers, these dates do not mirror cataloging practices; the purpose is convey to readers specific information where possible and give a general indication otherwise. Usual practice For most books, the date at the end of the annotation, usu­ally a copyright date, suffices; for others, further informa­tion about the time frame must be incorporated in the text of the annotation. For nonfiction, the date is important to indicate how cur­rent the information is. For fiction, knowledge of the centu­ry or decade the book was created can give a clue to the writing style and prevailing attitudes of the period. The usual practice for determining the date at the end of the annotation is to refer first to the copyright date. Dates for current works present no problem; the copyright date, also generally the year of publication, will be used. Copyright dates are also used for older works as far as pos­sible. For fiction, the date will usually be the oldest copy­right date, which indicates the time of the creative effort in producing the book. For nonfiction, the date will usually be the most recent copyright date, because that indicates when the latest information was incorporated. These dates are chosen for the end of the annotation because they are the most accurate source of information; the copyright symbol is not used. Sometimes put time information in text Exceptions The following situations do not follow the usual practice. Public domain. Some books (usually works in the public domain) do not show copyright dates, and other means of conveying the information must be found. If the year the work was written is known, that date can appear at the end of the annotation. Alternatively, the time of creation can appear in the body of the text, with phrases such as nine-teenth-century novel, classic work written in 1776, or first published in 1895. For these titles, it is appropriate to use the publication date to follow the annotation as an indica­tion of when the particular book was available in print. Older works with new matter. Some confusion arises when a book is reissued with a new foreword, introduction, notes, or other type of commentary. This material often leads to a new copyright date, which need not be used at the end of the annotation, since it applies only to the new piece and not to the body of the book. It can be also ignored in the text of the annotation if the addition is short and adds little to the original content. However, if the person who developed the new section is well known or a current authority in the field, his or her contribution should be handled in the body of the annota­tion, and the same sentence can indicate that the book is a recent edition. A sentence such as This 1992 edition con­tains a foreword by… will cover most situations, while the date at the end of the annotation will, as usual, show the original date of the book. Alternatively, the sentence could read This edition of the late-nineteenth-century classic con­tains a critical commentary by…, with the publication date following the annotation. Either form is appropriate, as long as information on both time periods is provided for the reader. Older works with copyright renewals. Some works, when renewed, remain under copyright for a very long time, and using the renewal copyright date will not convey the time of creation. In these cases, the original copyright or publi­cation date should be used, along with the current publica­tion date as appropriate. Phrases to indicate the age of the material are similar to those for works in the public domain. Translations. Similar information is needed for transla­tions of works that appeared earlier in another country and sometimes under another name. A sentence should appear in the annotation listing the country and date of the original publication and also the original name, if different. The date at the end will then be that of the English edition being used. Collections. Dates for collections that contain pieces writ­ten at different times also have to be handled within the annotation, as in essays written between 1945 and 1960, or culled from his writings over the three decades from the 1960s through the 1980s. If the pieces are associated with a particular publication, the phrase could read stories origi­nally appearing in the New Yorker during the 1980s. In these cases the most recent copyright date is used at the end of the annotation; this may be the date of the compila­tion. Occasionally fiction pieces that appeared separately in one or more periodicals are reworked into a novel. In these cases there can be copyright dates for each section, but only the final one denoting the complete work is used. If the pieces are widely separated, a note might be added to the text. Time-sensitive phrases No annotation should contain phases like to the present time, current research, or recent upheavals in the Soviet “Now” doesn’t last Really old and sounding old Union, even if the book does. Annotations remain in the database as long as the book is available, and what is pres­ent, current, or recent when the annotation is written will not be so for very long. The language of the annotation should always be specific: to the early 1990s, information released in 1997, the 1991 upheavals in the Soviet Union. Eras Adjectives referring to a time period should not be used in the same way for books written in that time and books written about that time. Consider the annotation for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, which begins A Victorian melodrama concerning… and the one for Mysteries of Winterthurn by Joyce Carol Oates, which begins A nineteenth-century Victorian-gothic extravaganza of… The Collins book is truly Victorian, an early mystery classic, but the date at the end could be the publication date, because the annotation describes the time of writing. The Oates book was written in 1985, and to clarify that, the language should say something on the order of set in the nineteenth century or written in the Victorian-gothic style of the nineteenth century. The date at the end is not defini­tive. Regency romances, which would seem to be similar, do not present the same problem, since the genre did not exist before the middle of the twentieth century, when it was popularized, or possibly invented, by Georgette Heyer. Eras also present difficulties when the same word has another meaning, as for Romantic period and romantic novel. To differentiate, NLS uses an initial capital letter for the era, even though this practice deviates from Chicago style. Dates and the database These practices about dates have not been in effect throughout the history of the NLS program. At times, the publication date of the particular edition used for recording or brailling was listed without any indication of the real date or era in the annotation. Therefore, the database con­ tains anomalies such as dates in the 1960s or 1970s for Once things were different works that were written several decades earlier and twenti-eth-century dates for classic authors who have long been dead. People doing subject bibliographies should be aware of this situation and plan to correct dates, rewrite a piece of the annotation, or both when assembling lists of retrospec­ tive titles. One-line annotations NLS has long used one-line annotations (generally referred to as one-liners) as supplementary information about recorded books in the braille edition of Braille Book Review (BBR). Full annotations are given for braille books as in the print edition; in addition, the braille edition con­tains one-liners for the recorded books in the companion issue of TBT, as a short-form memory aid. For full annota­tions, braille readers can receive either the print or the cas­sette edition of TBT or refer to the on-line version. Some network libraries use the one-liner rather than the full annotation in their database. For many years one-liners also appeared on the order forms for the disc edition of TBT, which is no longer produced. One-liners have a defined amount of space in publications and on the computer screen; the term means one short line, not a one-sentence summary of indefinite length. Therefore, the writer must be succinct and inclusive. Grade levels For juvenile and young adult books, the most important information is the age group addressed. Therefore the one-liner for these books is always the grade level, which should also be in the full annotation. See list, p. 187. Some juvenile or young adult books are also part of a series. In that case the grade level takes precedence. If the accompanying title is short enough to fit, the sequel note should follow. Prequels and sequels Because readers have indicated a strong interest in books in series, the most important information about such books is that they are part of a series and where they fall within that Identify old friends series. Therefore, if there is a sequel note, it becomes the one-liner. This information is, of course, also in the full annotation. In general, the first book in a series is listed as followed by and all others are listed as sequel to the preced­ing title. Some books are added to popular series as pre­quels, and it is possible to have more than one title listed as a prequel if the first title has already been produced. Note that for this purpose, books in series are considered to be only those where the action continues sequentially from one title to the next. Titles featuring the same charac­ter or group of characters do not list prequels and sequels if the books can be read in any order. Many detective novels, such as those featuring Perry Mason or Nero Wolfe, fall into this category. Familiar characters Since NLS adopted the practice of using the series title as a subtitle if it appears on the title page of any of the books in a series (see the section on subtitles, p. 139), many well-known characters or series are identified as part of the title lines. This practice makes indexes more useful and valuable information available almost immediately in book listings. Therefore, one-liners do not need to repeat this informa­tion, leaving space for other content. For familiar characters or favorite series, it is essential that this information be conveyed quickly. If it is not in the title information, it should be included in the one-liner: Jane Marple investigates…; Sam Sackett trails …. Even where the series is identified in the subtitle, the character focused on can be useful: Detective Steve Carella… (for an 87th Precinct mystery). Don’t repeat biblio­graphic information Text is new to patrons Content Because space is extremely limited, the content of the one-liner should not repeat information already given in the title or author fields. Many nonfiction books convey a great deal about their subject matter in the title and subtitle, so the one-liner should cover other elements such as approach, dates, people involved, or whatever is most perti­nent to the particular book. Others only hint at their sub­ject, and the one-liner must lay the content out clearly. For fiction titles, the genre is important. One-liners for his­torical fiction should indicate the time and place, either directly or in connection with a historical event. One-liners for mysteries should lay out the problem to be solved. One-liners for science fiction or fantasy should refer to outer space, a mythical kingdom, starships and space travel, or whatever devices the author has chosen for this exercise in imagination. Books that do not fall easily into a particular genre need a brief summary of the conflict or plot elements. In general, items that would be useful in the first sentence of a full annotation would also be useful in a one-liner. Repetition of annotation text The one-liner and the full annotation are maintained in the same computer record and on the accompanying hard copy and are written and then edited at the same time. Patrons, however, never see both together. The one-liner can use some of the same language as the full annotation, and often makes a good first sentence for the full annotation. All information in the one-liner should be in the full annota­tion, although not necessarily in the same words; if some­thing is important enough for the limited space, it must be important enough for the larger one. Catalog subject categories Books have been announced; only the arrangement is new About NLS catalogs NLS publishes three basic catalogs listing books produced during the years indicated in the title. Cassette Books, which lists adult and young adult books on cassette, is pub­lished annually, because by far the largest number of NLS titles are produced on cassette. Braille Books, which lists adult and young adult books in braille, is published bienni­ally. For Younger Readers, which lists juvenile books pro­duced in both media, is also published biennially. For Younger Readers also contains selected young adult books suitable for middle school and junior high readers. In addition, a cumulative catalog of foreign-language books is produced irregularly, usually about every four years. All of these catalogs contain information already made available to patrons in the bimonthly magazines Braille Book Review and Talking Book Topics, which list books produced for both adults and children since the previous issue. The catalogs enhance this material by giving access through subject categories, which can call attention to books that might have been overlooked in the bimonthly magazines. Catalogs are available to patrons in several ways. They are published in large print and also in one or more special media. All of these publications can be ordered by patrons and retained for reference. The three basic catalogs are entered into the book collection and produced for loan in the medium most appropriate: on cassette (usually voice indexed) for Cassette Books and For Younger Readers and in braille for Braille Books. In addition, catalogs are posted on the Internet. The basic catalogs list books under nonfiction and fiction headings further subdivided into subject categories. These Best placement needed categories are for the general reader and can differ from usual library practice; the intent is to list books under the subject heading where a reader is most likely to look for a particular type of material. Subject categories also break out material of specific interest, such as books relating to blindness and physical handicaps. Subject categories for catalogs The list on pp. 177 to 191 is used to assign subject cate­gories and reflects those that have been found most useful over the years. The four-letter code in the first column sim­plifies inputting information into the computer; it usually consists of the first four letters of the category. Some of the codes assigned to foreign-language books or print/braille are designed deliberately to make this material fall (via alphabetical computer sorts) at the end of the other lists, where it will appear in the catalogs. Assigning subject categories These NLS catalogs are not the same as library card cata­logs, or the current automated equivalent, in which multi­ple subject listings may give the reader several points of access to information. Special-format material can be diffi­cult for readers to access because of the sheer length and bulk of a large-print volume, the shelf space required by many braille volumes, or the tedium of listening to large numbers of recorded entries. Librarians assigning cate­gories should exercise restraint and search for the one best placement—or two at most, if the book definitely and throughout (not just here and there) is representative of those categories. Although subject categories are reviewed several times before catalogs are published, the best time to make such a determination is at the beginning, when the annotator has the book in hand. Later determinations have to be made from the annotation, which we surely hope is accurate. It is, however, a secondary source and necessarily short, and Where would a reader look? therefore using the annotation for this purpose is much less reliable than working from the book. Things to consider Some titles naturally overlap two or more subject cate­gories. Most books of historical fiction are also either romances or adventure stories, and many contain elements of both. The person assigning the subject category must decide which of the possible placements—historical fic­tion, romance, or adventure—is the most descriptive of the book. Cooking, diet and nutrition, and medicine and health overlap, but the subject generally leans toward one of these categories, and one placement is sufficient for a reader to find the information. More difficult are categories that are similar to each other but have a slightly different emphasis. Government and politics and U.S. history are obviously related. People inter­ested in this material would be likely to look for books under both headings and would not be well served by find­ing many of the same books in both places. The annotator must determine whether the material is more related to governing and its political aspects or has substantial impact on history. Some subject categories are more precise subdivisions of a larger subject category, such as animals and wildlife, astronomy, and computers, all of which could also fall under science and technology. Books placed in specific subject categories should not also be listed under the more general one. NLS practice is to place most biographies in the subject category for which the person is known, because readers interested in a sports figure are most likely to look in the subject category of sports, reader interested in a musician are most likely to look under the music heading, and read­ers interested in movie stars are most likely to try stage and screen. General memoirs and biographical writings about people not identified with a particular field are listed under biography, and a note precedes this category explaining that other biographies can be found in the appropriate sub­ject category. Some books must have more than one category for various placements in the catalogs. These books usually appear in the main-entry section and also again under headings for different age groups or types of material. Both adult cata­logs have lists for young adults following the main section and an index to bestsellers. For Younger Readers has sepa­rate lists of print/braille books and books for very young readers (generally preschool through grade 2), as well as the selected list for young adults mentioned above. These placements are indicated by assigning the heading as an additional subject category. The general category in both the nonfiction and fiction sections is for books that do not fall into any of the desig­nated subject categories. Therefore, books placed there should not have a second listing except for placement. Books can be general and bestsellers; they can be general and for young adults; they cannot be general and also belong to social sciences. The short stories category is an exception to the rule about single placements as far as possible. Many NLS patrons prefer short material, almost regardless of the subject, probably because more than half of them are sixty-five years old or older and some are subject to the decreasing memory span that can be part of aging. Short stories, there­fore, are always listed in their own category and also in another subject category if appropriate. Science fiction col­lections, for example, would always be listed in both places. Dealing with different types of category records Subject categories are entered into the production record when the book is annotated, along with a copy-allotment category for use by professionals in libraries for selecting the number of copies they will need. Assigning catalog Formal cataloging rules are different Combination of titles actually produced may require restructuring categories subject categories is a separate function from assigning copy-allotment categories and each has a different audience and purpose. Copy-allotment categories generally follow Dewey Decimal rules and can be different from the one or more NLS categories assigned for catalogs. The NLS Bibliographic Control Section may add more categories or use different ones for the official cataloging record retained in the International Union Catalog database. Up to three categories can be used for catalogs, not because three are expected but for the rare occasions in which three are needed. An example would be a collection of occult short stories that becomes a bestseller. Juvenile fiction can fall under family, friends, and very young readers. Generally, however, one subject category is best and two will suffice for nearly all exceptions. Reviewing catalog categories Categories are reviewed when the book is annotated and again when the book has been produced and initial records for catalogs are compiled. These initial records are done in conjunction with the preparation of the bimonthly editions of Braille Book Review and Talking Book Topics, which do not list books by subject. However, the computer record for each book, which is derived from the production record, does contain this information. Review at this point is main­ly concerned with correcting errors and removing extra entries. The more significant review takes place when all issues of Braille Book Review and Talking Book Topics have been prepared for the calendar year or years covered by each catalog. At that point records for each issue are combined and sorted by catalog and category for a prelimi­nary review of books actually produced and where they are placed. Catalogs that contain recorded books (either entire­ly or combined with braille books) generally list between 1,200 and 1,700 entries and can run to upwards of 500 print pages, making access by subject essential. Categories may change The reviewer has to use judgment to make sure that read­ers have subject categories that will provide the best access to information about books included in each partic­ular catalog. When categories were assigned, the annotator was dealing with best placement for an individual book— without knowledge of what other books would be pro­duced in a particular time period (production times vary for different types of material) and therefore appear in the same catalog. Only now do we deal with these books col­lectively. The basic categories are a starting point and are not immutable. Most of the books will be listed under the subject cate­gories initially assigned; mysteries, romances, and westerns do not tend to change genres, and there will surely be enough of them to fill several pages in each print catalog. Some of the nonfiction categories, such as sports and stage and screen are also quite static. We try not to raise reader expectations by listing on the contents pages subject categories that contain only two or three books. Some categories, therefore, should be com­bined if there are only small numbers of books in one or both of them. Gardening books, for instance, can be includ­ed under either home management or hobbies. Inspirational books can be combined with religion. Gothics can be placed with suspense books, if there are not enough titles in that category in this particular catalog. Single entries that do not fit with any other category should be designated general. More exciting is trying to discover categories that can be broken out from the basic category lists according to the actual entries for each catalog. The collective categories such as government and politics are prime candidates for separation. We have at times had enough books to list poli­tics as a separate category, which means that readers more interested in the political aspects of government do not have to deal with the more legalistic aspects unless they choose to do so. We are now using family as a basic cate­gory due to a renewed interest in this subject and therefore more books available for selection, but these books were for many years listed under marriage, family, and sex. And there have been times when the combined listing of mar­riage and family made more sense, with sex listed separately. The general category should always be examined for books that fall into a subject not considered earlier. One year we discovered several books on amateur radio, an important interest and activity for some blind patrons. And sometimes scanning the entire list reveals a new and significant cate­gory. Nature and the environment, now on the basic list, emerged by combining several biographies, some titles list­ed under animals and wildlife, others listed under science, and some from social sciences. The basic category list, which itself changes from time to time, represents what is realistic and probable when dealing with an individual book, and should reflect the annotator’s best judgment for that book. But the preliminary list for each catalog is not static. Much review and judgment go into determining the best patron access to each particular group of entries. Catalog subject headings Adult catalogs Nonfiction ADVE Adventure True accounts of hazardous or exciting events, often in exotic settings ANIM Animals and Wildlife Books on natural history, zoology, pet care, birding, and other wildlife activities ARTS Arts, The Works on painting and artists, plus other works on the fine arts not included in specific subjects ASTR Astronomy Works about space and the universe BEST Bestsellers Books that appear on a major list of bestselling nonfiction for at least four weeks. Now used to compile a list, rather than as a separate category. Full entries appear in another subject category as appropriate. BIOG Biography Biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and accounts of spe­cific events in an person’s life. Use for individuals who do not fit into a specific subject. BLIN Blindness and Physical Handicaps BUSI Business and Economics CARE Career and Job Training CLAS Classics COMP Computers CONS Consumerism COOK Cooking CRIM Crime Personal accounts, handbooks and guidebooks, and legisla­tion affecting blind or handi­capped individuals; includes NLS catalogs Books on business principles, successful business people or firms, and analyses of eco­nomic practices and trends Books with general career advice and information on specific fields Classical works of nonfiction; includes landmark books in various disciplines Books on the history of com­puter technology and basic principles of computer operation Information for the informed buyer; includes money han­dling, insurance, estate plan­ning, legal advice, and classes of products such as beauty aids or wholesome foods Cookbooks and books describ­ing food for particular occa­sions or from various ethnic cultures Accounts of the planning and execution of a crime; the con­sequences of that crime to the perpetrator, victim, or commu­nity; workings of the judicial system HOME DIET Diet and Nutrition Books on food consumption and its relationship to health, including types of regimens for specific purposes and conditions DRAM Drama and Screen Plays, lives of playwrights, and critical commentaries; reviews, interviews, history, and biogra­phies of stars go under Stage and Screen EDUC Education Guides for parents, personal accounts, and discussions of theory FAMI Family Family concerns, child develop­ment, parenting, and elder care FOLK Folktales Folktales, fairy tales, tall tales, and legends (will be printed in fiction section) GARD Gardening Garden handbooks and guides GENE General Books that do not readily fit elsewhere GOVE Government and Politics Discussions and analyses of political policies and practices and government events; includes biographies of political figures, accounts of election campaigns, and effects of foreign policies GRAD Grade 1 braille Books in uncontracted braille for adult learners HOBB Hobbies and Crafts How-to books and personal accounts 179 HUMO INSP JOUR LANG LEGA LITE MARR MEDI MUSI Home Management Humor Inspiration Journalism and the Media Language and Linguistics Legal Issues Literature Marriage and Sex Medicine and Health Music 180 Housekeeping hints and main­tenance guides Essays in a light vein Meditations and prayers; commentaries on spiritual life; personal accounts of spiritual growth and dealing with crises Career guides, reminiscences, and appraisals Usage manuals; histories of language development Court cases, functions of the court system and the Supreme Court, and legal aspects of legislation Literary works including speeches and letters; biograph­ical works about authors; critical appraisals Books on love and relation­ships General guides to well-being; health care for parts of the body such as hair and skin; books on specific conditions and diseases; biographies of medical practitioners Books about music and musicians, both popular and classical NATU Nature and the Environment OCCU Occult and Astrology PHIL Philosophy POET Poetry PSYC Psychology and Self-Help RELI Religion SCIE Science and Technology Books on natural sciences, ecology, conservation, and lives of people identified with natural history Accounts of events beyond the known range of natural or physical science; includes astrology and UFO phenomena Introductions to philosophers and their thoughts; historical surveys; modern commentaries Poetry collections and lives of poets Discussions of behavior and its development, problem solving, and self-fulfillment Religions of the world, histori­cal developments, commen­taries, and personal accounts Biological and physical sci­ences; technological develop­ments; lives of scientists. Do not use for books with a more precise category such as Nature or Astronomy. SOCI Social Sciences Anthropology; social behavior SPOR Sports and Recreation 181 and customs; social problems; etiquette Books on specific sports, people in sports, and sportswriters; recreational activities primarily concerned with the outdoors STAG Stage and Collections of reviews and Screen interviews; history of develop­ ments and trends; lives of stars. People primarily noted for stage or screen musicals are listed here; rock stars and opera singers go under music. TRAV Travel Accounts of journeys, usually adventurous or leading to insights about people and places; travel guides and tips, including guides for disabled travelers USHI U.S. History Accounts and analyses of events, eras, and cultures in the American past; lives of historical figures WARS War Military histories, personal memoirs, and analyses of causes, leaders, and develop­ ments WEST West, the Histories and true stories of the American West from frontier days to the present, including accounts of both settlers and Native Americans. Accounts of settling land east of the Mississippi go under U.S. History WOME Women’s Books on women’s issues and Concerns women who have been stan­ dard bearers. Does not include all books featuring a woman, or even all books about a woman who has achieved a first in some field. 182 Adult fiction WORL YOUN y fren y germ y ital y span Fiction ADVE ANIM BEST CLAS World History Accounts and analyses of events, eras, and cultures outside the U.S.; lives of historical figures Young Adults— For junior high or older Nonfiction readers; must have grade-level tagline in the body of the annotation French titles German titles Italian titles Spanish titles Adventure Stories about suspenseful, hazardous, exciting, or unusual events that generally happen outdooors and often include journeys; includes survival stories Animals Stories with animals as protag­onists or largely about animals Bestsellers Books that appear on a major list of bestselling fiction for at least four weeks. Now used to compile a list, rather than as a separate category. Full entries appear in another subject category as appropriate. Classics Classical works of a fictional nature CONT Contemporary Works of an experimental nature or trendy content. Can contain general works characterized by much strong language, violence, or explicit descriptions of sex. FAMI Family Fictional works that trace the history or development of families; can cover more than one generation or focus on current relationships FANT Fantasy Whimsical stories involving imaginary or improbable situations or events, usually taking place on Earth or in an imaginary land rather than in outer space GENE General Fictional works that cannot be readily classed elsewhere. Also used for works of more literary merit than genre fiction. GOTH Gothics Stories of mystery and romance, usually in an eerie setting GRAD Grade 1 braille Books in uncontracted braille for adult learners GROW Growing Up Coming-of-age stories usually involving relationships HIST Historical Fictional treatment of events or persons in history, or stories set in a particular era 184 HOLI Holidays Stories centering around a holiday theme HUMA Human Relationships Works about dysfunctional families, non-traditional choices, and other bondings HUMO Humor Fictional works of a humorous nature, generally light in tone LEGA Legal Themes Stories about lawyers, law firms, and court cases LITE Literature Books of lasting value or literary worth, but not considered classics; can include recent prize winners MEDI Medical Stories about doctors and Themes nurses, hospitals, and illnesses MYST Mystery and Detective Works about police, private investigators, or civilians who redress offenses against the law or cleverly solve baffling puzzles; includes crime stories OCCU Occult and Horror Fictional works on supernatural phenomena, the occult, ghosts, and extrasensory perception; includes horror tales POLI Political Themes Works that deal with politicians, cians, the workings of political parties, or the affairs of government PSYC Psychological Themes Stories where much of the action takes place within the mind of the character, often distinguished by internal dia­logue and a distortion of reality 185 RELI ROMA SCIE SHOR SPOR SPIE SUSP WARS WEST YOUN Religious Themes Romance Science Fiction Short Stories Sports Spies and Espionage Suspense War Stories Westerns Young Adults— Fiction 186 Stories of a religious or inspirational nature; includes Bible stories Uncomplicated, sentimental, or emotional aspects of romantic love presented in a simple plot and usually ending happily; generally light, but may include descriptions of sex Stories about life in the future or in outer space Short fiction of all kinds Fictional accounts of sports, sporting events, or people involved in sports Fiction involving plots against political figures, governments, or large organizations Fiction usually involving some type of rescue or resolution of Fiction involving plots against a dangerous situation Fictional accounts of the exploits of soldiers or events of wartime Stories set in the American West For junior high or older readers; must have grade-level tagline in the body of the annotation y fren French titles y germ German titles y ital Italian titles y poli Polish titles y port Portuguese titles y span Spanish titles Children’s catalogs Note: Juvenile categories are similar to those for adults. Explanations are given only when a category is not used for adult titles or when the contents differ. Nonfiction ADVE Adventure Works about adventurous people, present and past ANIM Animals ASTR Astronomy Space, the sky, and the stars BIOG Biography Lives of famous people BLIN Blindness and Physical Handicaps CARE Careers CLAS Classics Use only for books that have endured; do not use for Children’s nonfiction retellings of familiar stories COMP Computers COOK Cooking FOLK Folk and Will be placed in fiction when Fairy Tales printed because children GENE GEOG GOVE HIST HOBB HOLI JOKE LANG MEDI MUSI NATU POET RELI SCIE General Geography Government and the Law History Hobbies and Crafts Holidays Jokes, Riddles, and Rhymes Language Medicine and Health Music Nature Poetry, Drama, and Literature would look there for stories about things that are not real Books on places in the world and the people who live in them Books about fun things to do Books on the meaning and origin of holidays worldwide and how they are celebrated Collections that use language to evoke fun and laughter Books about grammar, usage, and fun aspects of words Books on natural history and wonders of the world around us; can include environmental issues Religion and Ethics Science 188 SPOR Sports and Recreation VERP Nonfiction books, usually for young children, (PRINT/ that combine the original print and clear braille BRAILLE) overlays; used to create a separate catalog section for these books Stories focusing on an experience that promotes understanding and growth VERY Very Young Readers Books for preschool through grade 2; does not include PRINT/BRAILLE YOUA You and Your Body Explanations of how the body works, health care, and problems of addictions and substance abuse y span Spanish titles Fiction ADVE Adventure ANIM Animals CLAS Classics Use only for books that have endured; do not use for retellings of familiar stories FAMI Family Stories about relationships with siblings and adult family members FANT Fantasy Tales of other lands and worlds, strange beings, magic, and wishes-come-true; includes tales of witches and ghost stories FRIE Friendship Stories of forming and main­taining bonds—with school­mates, neighbors of all ages, pets, and even favorite toys 189 GENE General GROW Growing-up HIST Historical Fiction HOLI Holidays HUMO Humor MYST Mystery RELI Religious Themes SCAR Scary Stories SCIE Science Fiction SCHO School SHOR Short Stories SPOR Sports TALL Tall Tales Stories about celebratrations of all kinds, from birthdays to major religious or ethnic festivals Books that revolve around biblical stories or religious practices Works designed to provide a mild thrill, often with a fantasy theme Stories that take place primarily in the classroom or revolve around school activities Stories of legendary heroes and extraordinary feats or events VERP Fiction books, usually for young children, that PRINT/ combine the original print and clear braille BRAILLE overlays; used to create a separate catalog section for these books VERY Very Young Books for preschool Readers through grade 2, not including PRINT/BRAILLE WEST Westerns y span Spanish titles Index A Additions to text bestseller designation, 158 foreign language information, 158 grade level information, 157–158 PRINT/BRAILLE, 157 prizes, 158 taglines, 155–156 Adjectives adding color, 73 annotation examples, 10, 73, 75 contemporary settings and, 30 descriptive, 74–75 gender issues, 35 humorous books and, 21 judgmental, 21, 73–74 purpose of, 72 setting or summing up the tone, 72–73 Adult catalogs, 172, 177–187 African American use of the term, 32 Age considerations taglines, 156, 157–158 Ambiguous pronouns, 105 Ampersands in titles, 135 Annotation examples author’s intent, 48–49 children’s books, 22–24 collections, 18–22 editing annotations, 103–128 fiction, 6–10, 11–14, 28–29, 47 for long titles, 46 mood of the book, 48 nonfiction, 5–6, 10–11, 14–18, 26, 46, 47, 51–52, 56, 57, 58, 62–63, 67, 68–69, 75, 96–97 sex in books, 7–8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 28, 46, 52 strong language in books, 9–10, 20, 21, 28, 52, 56 violence in books, 7, 9–10, 20, 28, 46, 48, 52, 56 Annotations abstracts and, 4 functions of, 3–4, 45 misleading, 43 one-line, 128, 132, 165–167 as part of recorded books, 1 purpose of, 1–2, 3–4, 36 reviews and, 4 Announcements elements of, 2–3 as sources for information, 40 uses of, 1–2 Apostrophes uses of, 94 Articles uses of, 75–76 Authors announcement element, 2 attitudes toward sensitive situations, 31 coauthors, 146 editors as, 146 endorsement of, 117–118 forms of names, 145 honorifics, 146–147 intent of, 48–49 minor works by authors of classics, 13 multiple, 146 parts of a name, 145 translators, 146 Author’s authority biographies, 15 psychology and self-help books, 17 Authors’ opinions, 120–121 Awards to authors or books as additional information, 158 as part of the announcement, 3 B Background of the book Book digests as sources for information, 41 Book jackets as sources for information, 41–42 Book List, 40 Book numbers for ordering, 2 parentheses for, 99 Book Review Digest, 41 Braille Book Review, 1–2, 169, 173 Braille books number of volumes, 2 Braille Books catalog annotation examples, 10, 57 BBR. See Braille Book Review Bestsellers. See also Fiction books; Nonfiction books as additional information, 158 annotating approaches, 13–14 annotation examples, 6–7, 9, 21, 47–48 status of as part of the announcement, 3 Bibliographic Control Section, 173 Bilingual books, 158 Biographies. See also Nonfiction books annotating approaches, 14–16, 26 annotation examples, 15, 24, 26, 55–56, 62, 67 avoiding superlatives, 15 fictionalized, 14–15 first sentences, 55 keeping the annotation balanced, 15 subject categories for, 171–172 Black use of the term, 32 Book announcements. See Announcements description of contents, 169 C Capitalization. See also Text style adhering to style and, 100, 131 in titles, 133 Cassette Books catalog description of contents, 169 Cassettes. See also Recorded books annotations as part of, 1 number of, 2 Catalogs adult catalogs, 172, 177–187 assigning subject categories, 170–173 children’s books, 187–191 combining categories, 174 copy-allotment category, 172–173 family as a basic category, 174–175 fiction books, 183–187, 189–191 International Union Catalog, 2, 173 media presented in, 169 more than one category for some books, 172 nonfiction books, 177–183, 187–189 ordering, 169 reviewing categories, 170–171, 173–175 subject categories, 169–175 subject headings, 177–191 Wilson catalogs, 41 Centuries style for, 150 Character names, 68–71, 166 The Chicago Manual of Style comma usage, 94, 95 as NLS basic reference, 99, 102, 131, 133, 149 Children’s books annotating approaches, 22–24 annotation examples, 9, 23–24, 56, 69 brief annotations for, 47 catalog categories, 187–191 character names and, 22 older children’s books, 23–24, 26, 157–158 vocabulary for, 22 Choppy sentences, 89 Classics. See also Fiction books annotating approaches, 13 annotation examples, 13, 46 minor works by authors of, 13 time and place references, 29–30 Clichés, 81 Coauthors, 146 Coined phrases psychology and self-help books, 16 Collections annotating approaches, 18–22 annotation examples, 5–6, 19–20, 58, 91–92 dates for, 161 fragmentation of material and, 18 time reference style, 161 unifying themes, 18–19 Colons in subtitles, 139–140 in titles, 135 uses of, 97 Commas compound sentences and, 95 nonrestrictive clauses and, 95 serial, 95, 96 in titles, 134 uses of, 94–96 Common elements planning annotations and, 42–43 Compilers announcement element, 2 style for, 146 Complex sentences, 83–84 Compound sentences, 95, 96 Conciseness, 109–110 Conjunctions uses of, 76–78 Contemporary settings, 30 Contemporary works time references, 27, 30 Content considerations annotation examples and comments, 5–11 different types of books, 11–24 editing annotations and, 121–126 ethnic and racial designations, 32–34 gender, 34–35 judgments, 36–37 lifestyles, 35–36 one-line annotations, 167 people with disabilities, 31–32 planning annotations, 43–44 sensitivities, 31–36 skimming books for content, 42 taglines, 37 time and place references, 25–31 195 type of book, 43–44 Controversial subjects, 119–120 Copy-allotment category for catalogs, 172–173 Copyright dates, 159 Copyright law quotes and, 86 Copyright renewals, 161 Credibility judgments and, 36 Critical reviews as sources for information, 40–41 Cultural periods text style for, 152 D Dangling participles and phrases, 93–94, 104–105 Dashes in titles, 134 uses of, 97–98 Database content, 162–163 Datelines, 151 Dates. See also Time references annotation example and, 9 collections, 161 copyright dates, 159 copyright renewals, 161 at the end of annotations, 159 eras and, 25, 152 historical fiction and, 29 NLS database and, 162–163 older works with new matter, 160 parentheses and, 99 public domain information, 160 style for, 150–151, 159–163 in titles, 135–136 translations, 161 verifying correctness of, 126–128 Days style for, 151 Decades style for, 150 Definite articles, 75–76 Derogatory terms, 34 Detective novels. See Mystery stories Dewey Decimal rules for copy-allotment category for cata­ logs, 173 Digests. See Book digests Digital format books, 2 Disabilities accepted terminology for, 31–32 Discs number of, 2 E Editing annotations author’s opinion and, 120–121 categories of annotations, 101 choosing appropriate facts, 107–108 conciseness, 109–110 content considerations, 121–126 controversial subjects, 119–120 correct emphasis and, 123–125 disclosing too much of the plot and, 108–109 endorsement of books or authors, 117–118 giving enough information, 122–123 grammar correction, 103–106 inappropriate words, 114–115 keeping the annotation interesting, 106–107 nature and scope of the book and, 125–126 positioning of words, 114 questions to consider, 101–102, 106–107 reasons to edit, 101 reviewing editing work, 128 sexual innuendo, 115–117 style errors, 102 tightening wording, 113–114 using clear and descriptive language, 110–117 verifying facts, 101, 126–128 Editions of books, 160 Editors announcement element, 2 style for, 146 Ellipses quotes and, 86 in titles, 134 Endings for annotations, 63–66 Endorsement of books or authors, 117–118 Eras adding dates for, 25 differentiating contemporary works set in a previous era, 30 time reference style, 162 Escapist fiction. See also specific types, i.e., Science fiction books annotating approaches, 11–13 annotation examples, 6, 64 disclosing the ending in the annota­ tion, 63 one-line annotation content, 167 Essay collections annotating approaches, 19 annotation examples, 20 humorous, 20 Ethnic designations accepted terminology for, 32–34 Examples. See Annotation examples Exclamation points in subtitles, 140 in titles, 134 uses of, 94 Exclamations uses of, 85 F Facts choosing appropriate facts, 107–108 verifying, 101, 126–128 Family as a basic category for catalogs, 174–175 Fantasy books one-line annotation content, 167 Fiction books. See also Children’s books; specific types of fiction, i.e., Escapist fiction annotating approaches, 11–14 annotation examples, 6–10, 11–14, 28–29, 47, 52, 53–54, 57, 60–61, 64–65, 67, 68, 69–72, 84–85, 91–92 catalog categories, 169–170, 172, 183–187, 189–191 dates and, 159 fictionalized biographies, 14–15 first sentences, 52–53 humorous, 20, 21 one-line annotation content, 167 place references, 28–31 time references, 28–31 Fifty-word precept for annotation length, 45–46, 48 Final sentences annotation examples, 7, 8, 11 First sentences annotation examples, 5, 7–9, 11, 24, 51–52, 53–54, 56, 57, 58, 60–61, 62 background and, 56–57 biographies, 15, 16 describing the point of the book, 51–52, 55–57 errors to avoid, 55–62 examples of good first sentences, 53–54 fiction, 52–53 genre and, 59–60 humorous books and, 60–61 nonfiction, 52, 54–55 one-line annotations and, 167 overcrowding and, 61 psychology and self-help books, 17 repeating title information, 58 setting the tone of the book, 52–53 throwaways and, 61–62 wordiness, 59–61 For Younger Readers catalog description of contents, 169 subject categories for, 172 Foreign-language books catalogs of, 169 language as additional information, 158 Formulas escapist fiction and, 12 Fragmentation of material collections and, 18 Freudian traps, 115–117 G Gender issues gender-specific words encompassing both sexes, 34 gender-specific words for occupations, 34 terms relegating women to a second ­ ary position, 35 Generalizations, 64–65 Genres. See also specific genres, i.e., Victorian novels first sentences and, 59–60 text style for, 152 Grade level information one-line annotations and, 165 as part of the announcement, 3, 9 phrases used, 157 Grammar. See also Language ambiguous pronouns, 105 dangling participles and phrases, 93–94, 104–105 editing annotations and, 103–106 misplaced modifiers, 93, 104 parallel construction, 7, 82–83, 97, 105–106, 128 subject/verb agreement, 92, 103, 128 using clear referents, 93 Guidebooks. See Practical guides H Hispanics use of the term, 34 Historical fiction annotation examples, 28–29, 53, 63–65 older books, 29–30 one-line annotation content, 167 time and place references, 28–30 Historical periods text style for, 152 Holding agencies, 2 Honorifics Judgments style for, 146–147 avoiding, 36–37 How-to books. See also Nonfiction books editing annotations and, 117–121 annotating approaches, 17–18 taglines and, 37 annotation examples, 18 Juvenilia. See Children’s books brief annotations for, 47 Humorous books K annotating approaches, 20–21 Kirkus Review, 40 annotation examples, 21, 60–61 types of humor, 21 Hyphens L ethnic designations and, 33 Language. See also Grammar in titles, 135 adjectives, 72–75 articles, 75–76 clichés, 81 conjunctions, 76–78Imprecise language, 87–88, 109–110 errors to avoid, 80–82 Inappropriate words, 114–115 imprecise, 87–88Indefinite articles, 75 inappropriate words, 114–115 Indexes literary allusions, 82 how-to books and practical guides, 17 making annotations interesting and, Indians 106–107 use of the term, 33 misused words, 110–111 Information selection, 43–45, 121–126 nouns, 67–72 Information sources, 39–43 objectives of word choices, 66 Instruction books. See How-to books obscure words, 81 International Union Catalog, 2, 173 prepositions, 78–80Internet redundancies, 81 catalog ordering and, 169 unnecessary words, 111–112 Introductory sentences. See First sen-using clear and descriptive language, tences 110–117 Italics using too few words, 112 in titles, 136–137 verbs, 66–67 for titles in text, 149 words that can be used as more than one part of speech, 80 J words with different pronunciations, 80 Jackets. See Book jackets words with more than one meaning, 80 Jewish words with the same pronunciation, 80 use of the term, 33 Large print for catalogs, 169 Latinos use of the term, 34 Length determination fifty-word precept, 45–46, 48 Library Journal, 40 Lifestyle issues, 35–36 Literary allusions, 82 Long titles, 46 Los Angeles Times, 40 M Memoirs. See also Nonfiction books annotating approaches, 14–16 annotation examples, 10–11, 16, 62 subject categories for, 171–172 time references, 27 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition as NLS basic reference, 78, 102, 131 Misplaced modifiers, 93, 104 Misused words, 110–111 Models for annotations, 5–11. See also Annotation examples Modifiers, misplaced, 93, 104 Months style for, 150–151 Mood of the book, 48 Mystery stories annotation examples, 8, 9–10, 68, 70, 71–72, 84–85 one-line annotations and, 166, 167 N Names. See also Authors; Nouns verifying correctness of, 126–128 Nation use of the term, 33 National Library Service Bibliographic Control Section, 173 catalog subject categories, 169–175 computer system to track titles, 45–46 database content, 162–163 International Union Catalog, 2, 173 Native Americans use of the term, 33 New York Times Book Review, 40, 41 Nonfiction books. See also Children’s books; specific types of nonfiction, i.e., Memoirs annotating approaches, 14–18 annotation examples, 5–6, 10–11, 14–18, 26, 46, 47, 51–52, 56, 57, 58, 62–63, 67, 68–69, 75, 96–97 avoiding the use of the story of, 14 catalog categories, 169–170, 172, 177–183, 187–189 dates and, 159 first sentences, 52, 55–57 humorous, 20, 21 one-line annotation content, 167 place references, 25–26 table of contents, introductions, and postscripts as sources of informa ­tion, 42 time references, 25–26 Nontraditional family arrangements, 35 Notes numbering, 45 questions to cover, 44 Nouns consistent use within an annotation, 72 definition of, 67 place or character names, 68–71, 166 Numbers. See also Book numbers; Time references in titles, 135–136 volume numbers of series, 142 O Obscure words, 81 Offices text style for, 153 One-line annotations content of, 167 definition of the term, 165 familiar characters and, 166 grade level information, 165 prequels and sequels and, 165–166 repetition of annotation text, 167 reviewing after edit, 128 as a separate entry, 132 Overcrowding first sentences and, 61 P Paperback books teasers on the backs of as sources for information, 42 Paragraph structure, 63 Parallel construction annotation example, 7, 97 editing annotations and, 105–106, 128 writing annotations and, 82–83 Parentheses uses of, 98–99 Participles, dangling, 93–94, 104–105 People with disabilities accepted terminology for, 31–32 phrases to avoid, 32 Periodical names, 137 Periods uses of, 94 Place references annotation examples, 10 fiction books, 28–31 historical fiction, 28–30 nonfiction books, 25–26 phrases that work, 27 using proper nouns, 68–71 using the book’s language for, 30–31 verifying correctness of, 126–128 words to avoid, 27 Planning annotations choosing a writing style, 48–49 content selection, 43–44 determining length, 45–48 finding common elements, 42–43 jotting down notes about the book, 44–45, 88 questions notes should cover, 44–45 selecting what to include, 43–45 sources for information, 39–42 steps, 39–49 structured notes, 45, 51 Plots annotation examples, 6, 8 disclosing too much, 64, 108–109 escapist fiction and, 12–13 Poetry collections annotating approaches, 18–19 annotation examples, 19, 22, 98 quotes from the text, 86 Popular genres. See Genres Positioning of words, 114 Practical guides annotating approaches, 17–18 annotation examples, 47, 62 Prepositions common errors, 79–80 list of, 78–79 lower case in titles, 133 prepositional phrases, 78, 88–89 short versus long prepositions, 78 Prepublication announcements. See Announcements Prequels one-line annotations and, 165–166 as part of the announcement, 3 PRINT/BRAILLE designation, 157 Prizes. See Awards to authors or books Pronouns ambiguous, 105 gender issues, 34–35 misplaced modifiers, 93, 104 using clear referents, 93 Proper nouns. See also Authors; Names uses of, 68–71 Psychology books. See also Nonfiction books annotating approaches, 16–17 coined phrases, 16 Public domain information, 160 Publishers Weekly, 40 Punctuation ampersands, 135 apostrophes, 94 capitalization, 100, 131 colons, 97, 134, 139–140 commas, 94–96, 134 dashes, 97–98, 134 dividing long sentences, 94 ellipses, 86, 134 exclamation points, 94, 134, 140 hyphens, 33, 135 parentheses, 98–99 periods, 94 question marks, 94, 134, 140 quotation marks, 134, 140 semicolons, 96–97 in subtitles, 139–140 in titles, 134–135 using more rather than less, 94 Purposes of annotations, 1–2, 3–4, 36 Q Question marks in subtitles, 140 in titles, 134 uses of, 94 Questions annotation examples, 84–85 questions to which the answer is obvi­ ous, 65–66, 84 Quotation marks in subtitles, 140 in titles, 134 Quotes ellipses and, 86 from introductions by well-known peo ­ ple, 87 from source materials, 87 from the text, 85–87 titles in text, 149–150 R Racial designations accepted terminology for, 32–34 Reader names, 2 Recorded books. See also Cassettes annotations as part of, 1 book jacket information, 41–42 catalog categories, 173 reader names, 2 Redundancies, 81 Reference books. See also specific refer ­ence publications brief annotations for, 47 Regency romances annotation example, 73 text style for, 152 time references and, 30, 162 Reissue or rerecord information, 3 Reissued books, 160 Religious terms style for, 153 Repetition annotation examples, 91–92 of annotation text in one-line annota­ tions, 167 avoiding, 91 repeating title information in first sen ­ tences, 58 Reviews of catalog categories, 173–175 of editing work, 128 of one-line annotations, 128 as sources for information, 40–41 of subject categories, 170–171 Roman type for series names, 142 titles in text, 150 Romantic period novels time reference style, 162 Run-on sentences annotation example, 9 S Sampling, 3 Satire. See Humorous books Science fiction books one-line annotation content, 167 subject categories for, 172 Seasons style for, 151 Second sentences adding supportive details, 62–63 annotation examples, 7, 8, 11, 51–52, 62–63 Self-help books annotating approaches, 16–17 annotation examples, 16–17 coined phrases, 16 Semicolons uses of, 96–97 Sensitivity issues ethnic and racial designations, 32–34 gender, 34–35 lifestyles, 35–36 people with disabilities, 31–32 Sentence structure complex sentences, 83–84 exclamations, 85 parallel construction, 7, 82–83, 97, 105–106, 128 questions, 65, 66, 84–85 quotes from the text, 85–87 varying, 82–87 Sentences. See also Final sentences; First sentences; Second sentences; Third sentences choppy, 89 complex, 83–84 compound, 95, 96 single run-on, 9 throwaways, 61–62 Sequels one-line annotations and, 165–166 as part of the announcement, 3 Serial commas, 95, 96 Series consistency of form, 143 familiar characters in annotations, 166 identified in subtitles, 141–142, 166 name as title, 143 one-line annotations and, 165–166 as part of the announcement, 3 roman type for, 142 sequences, 144 volume numbers, 142 Settings contemporary, 30 historical fiction and, 29 time references, 10, 25–30 using the book’s language for place references, 30–31 Sex in books annotating approaches, 22 annotation examples, 7–8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 28, 46, 52 as part of the announcement, 3 taglines for, 37, 155–156 Sexual innuendo, 115–117 Sexual orientation issues, 35–36 Short story collections annotating approaches, 19 annotation examples, 20, 91–92, 96 subject categories for, 172 Skimming books for content, 42 Sources for information, 39–42 Special-interest sources for information, 41 Special sections how-to books and practical guides, 17 Sports books. See also Nonfiction books annotation example, 5–6 Strong language in books annotating approaches, 22 annotation examples, 9–10, 20, 21, 28, 52, 56 as part of the announcement, 3 taglines for, 37, 155–156 Style additions to text, 155–158 authors, 145–147 catalog subject categories, 169–175 catalog subject headings, 177–191 dates and time, 159–163 definition of, 131 errors, 102 one-line annotations, 165–167 punctuation rules, 94–99 subtitles, 139–144 text, 149–153 titles, 133–138 Style choice errors in style, 102 punctuation rules, 94–99 writing annotations and, 48–49, 99–100 Subject categories for catalogs, 169–175 Subject headings for catalogs, 177–191 Subject/verb agreement, 92, 103, 128 Subtitles announcement element, 2 first sentences and, 58 long subtitles, 58 punctuation rules, 139–140 second title after or, 140 series names, 141–144 time and place references in, 25 titles within, 141 uses of, 139 Summaries on book jackets, 41 how-to books and practical guides, 17 Supportive details annotation examples, 8, 51–52, 60, 62–63 T Taglines content of, 37, 155–156 for older readers, 157–158 order of phrases, 156 Talking Book Topics, 1–2, 169, 173 TBT. See Talking Book Topics Text additions. See Additions to text Text style centuries, 150 dateline, 151 dates and times, 150–151 days, 151 decades, 150 eras, 152 genres, 152 historical and cultural periods and events, 152 italics, 149 months, 150–151 offices, 153 quotes, 149–150 religious terms, 153 roman type, 150 seasons, 151 times of day, 151 titles of individuals, 153 years, 150–151 Third sentences annotation example, 8 Throwaway sentences, 61–62 Time references. See also Dates annotation examples, 10, 26, 28–29, 31 collections, 161 copyright renewals, 161 dates at the end of annotations, 159 eras, 25, 30, 162 fiction books, 28–31 historical fiction, 28–30 NLS database content, 162–163 nonfiction books, 25–26 phrases that work, 27 public domain information, 160 reissued books, 160 style for, 150–151, 159–163 time-sensitive phrases, 161–162 translations, 161 using the book’s language for, 30–31 words to avoid, 27 Times of day style for, 151 Titles ampersands in, 135 annotation examples, 6, 58 announcement element, 2 capitalization, 133 exceptions to the rules, 138 italics in, 136–137 long titles, 46 NLS computer system for tracking, 45–46 numbers in, 135–136 punctuation, 134–135 punctuation between the title and sub­ title, 139–140 repeating title information in first sen­ tences, 58 series name as, 143 style for, 133–138 within subtitles, 141 time and place references in, 25 titles within titles, 136–137 type style, 149–150 Titles of individuals style for, 153 Too few words, 112 Translations, 161 Translators announcement element, 2 style for, 146 Trials annotating approaches, 14 Type style italics, 136–137, 149 roman, 142, 150 titles in text, 149–150 205 U choosing a writing style, 48–49, Unifying themes 99–100 collections and, 18–19 choosing appropriate language, 66–82 Unnecessary words, 111–112 choppy sentences, 89 consistency and, 99 disclosing too much of the plot, 64 endings, 63–66Verbs final sentences, 64–65 active voice preference, 11, 52, 66, 67 first sentences, 51–62 definition of, 66 grammar, 92–94 present tense preference, 11 imprecise language, 87–88 subject/verb agreement, 92, 103, 128 language errors to avoid, 80–82 usage of, 66–67 prepositional phrases and, 88–89 Verifying facts, 101, 126–128 punctuation, 94–99Victorian novels questions to which the answer is obvi­ text style for, 152 ous, 65–66 time references and, 30, 162 repetition, 58, 91Violence in books second sentences, 62–63 annotating approaches, 22 sentence structure, 82–87 annotation examples, 7, 9–10, 20, 28, style choice, 48–49, 99–100 46, 48, 52, 56 weak generalizations, 64–65 as part of the announcement, 3 wordiness, 59, 90–91 taglines for, 37, 155–156 Y W Years Washington Post Book World, 40 style for, 150–151 Weak generalizations, 64–65 in titles, 136 Wilson catalogs as sources for information, 41 Word choice. See Grammar; Judgments; Language; Sensitivity issues Wordiness. See also Language annotation examples, 60–61, 90 avoiding, 59, 90–91 first sentences and, 59–60 Words into Type (Third Edition, Completely Revised), 80 Writing annotations