Assignment 2: CCO Rules for Titles

TITLE THAT DOES COMPLY WITH CCO

[Medical supply ships "Connecticut" and "Planter" docked at a wharf on the Appomattox River]

The record for this image can be found at the LOC Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.

1.2.2.2.1 Index of Important Information: If there is important information in the title, index it in Work Type, Subject, Physical Characteristics, Location, or another appropriate element.

Since the title of a catalogue record is what the CCO guidelines call a 'free-text' field, and isn't a reliable search retrieval method, the LOC has also provided subject terms that match the title. Below are the subject terms for this record:  

• • • Side wheelers--Virginia--1860-1870.
    • Piers & wharves--Virginia--1860-1870.
    • United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Equipment & supplies.
    • United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Transportation.

1.2.2.2.2 Constructed Title: If no descriptive title is available in an authoritative source, construct a descriptive title.

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1.2.2.2.3 Descriptive Titles: It is required to include a descriptive title, which is a concise title... that indicates what the work is or what is depicted in it. 

      Sub section of same rule: Where appropriate, refer to named or anonymous figures, other works or places depicted in the work. 

There was no title provided for this photograph either by the photographer or any other authoritative source. As such, the cataloger has constructed a descriptive title for the image, indicated by the  [ ] brackets surrounding the title. Furthermore, it is stated within the Notes section of this record, "Title devised by Library Staff."

The title itself concisely conveys what the image is of (supply ships docked on a wharf), and where the image was taken (Appomattox River). The cataloger even went one step further and stated what the ships were transporting (medical supplies). Additionally, following a sub section of CCO Rule 1.2.2.3, the ships where identified and named in the title (Connecticut & Planter).

              TITLE THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH CCO

Dean Hall Plantation

The record for this image can be found at the University of SC, Digital Collections.

The title for this image leaves a lot to be desired. There is no reference to where the planation is, when the picture was taken, or the individual subjects within the photograph. Using the CCO Rules, I have constructed new title (using the information found elsewhere in the record):

Photograph of Joe, an African American Slave, and Snap, a Horse, at the Dean Hall Planation, Beaufort County, South Carolina, circa 1827.

Side Note:

This record (and others on the University of SC Digital Collections) has something extremely weird going on with the links. The majority of each individual word in the catalogue record is linked to a search. For example, with the Title, "Dean Hall Planation", one can actually click on each single word ("Dean", "Hall" or "Planation"), and be brought to a search result page that used that single word in a keyword search. I presume that they meant for the entire term to linked, but somehow screwed up the formatting of the record.