Topic 6: Glossary: Fingerprint

[Richard Noble]

The reference to fingerprint is taken from ISBD(A), which gives it its own
area, described on p. 85 of the 2nd rev ed. (1991) (the rest of this
message is quotation):

8 FINGERPRINT AREA (optional)

Introductory note

When the ISBD(A) is used to describe publications bearing an International
Standard Book Number (ISBN), the provisions of ISBD(M) for area 8 (standard
number (or alternative) and terms of availability) must be applied.
   ...

Prescribed Source

The publication itself for fingerprint. Any source for ISBN.

8.1 Fingerprint

8.1.1  Since no standard numbering system appears in older publications,
experiments have been conducted in recent years as to the feasibility of
extracting information from each publication to make it uniquely
identifiable. The fingerprint system has been considered as a substitute
for the standard number for older publications.

8.1.2  The fingerprint [note 8--see below] consists of a number of
characters drawn from a number of uniform places in the text of the
publication, followed by a number indicating the source of one or more of
the characters, and/or a letter indicating the direction of the
chain-lines, and/or the date as it appears in the imprint.

Note 8: A definitive formula for fingerprint has yet to be determined by
international agreement. Until such agreement is made, various forms of
fingerprint will be considered acceptable in this area.

Description of a method of fingerprint construction is found in:
_Fingerprints = Empreintes = Impronte_ - Paris : Institut de Recherche et
d'Histoire des textes, 1984. 2 vol. which is supplemented by the
periodical: _Nouvelles des empreintes = Fingerprint Newsletter_. - no. 1
(1981)- . - Paris : Institut de Recherche et d'Hisoire des Textes, 1981-


RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : 401-863-1187/FAX 863-2093 : RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU