I2 - Searching and Indexing of Initial "A", "An" and "The" in Innopac Title Index

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W.E.B. Du Bois Library Cataloging Manual
SEARCHING AND INDEXING OF INITIAL "A", "AN" AND "THE" IN INNOPAC TITLE INDEX

CONTENTS
Searching
Indexing of title (t) index
Search strategy
Note about subject searches

Searching

An initial "a", "an" or "the" is automatically dropped in a title search regardless of the language of the title. This fact causes problems when these words are not initial articles as in some foreign languages or in English titles such as A to Z.

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Indexing of title (t) index

In a title field with a filing indicator (130; 240; 245; 440; 730; 740; 830) an initial "a", "an" or "the" is indexed according to the filing indicator.
In a title field with no filing indicator (?t of 400, 410, 411, 700, 710, 711, 800, 810, 811; 490 0; 246; 247) an initial "a", "an" or "the" is not indexed (regardless of the language of the title).

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Search strategy

To do a title search for a title beginning with an "a", "an" or "the" which is not an initial article, you need to search two ways:
1. to get the title in the title fields with filing indicators
2. to get the title in the title fields without filing indicators
1. To search fields with filing indicators: add an additional "a" (or "an" or "the") to the beginning of the title. This "a" (or "an" or "the") will be dropped in the searching and the second word ("a", "an" or "the") will be searched.
2. To search fields without filing indicators: put in the title as it is. The search will drop the initial "a", "an" or "the" and the indexing will also drop it so you will retrieve the title searched. (The message on the screen will say you searched for the title without the initial "a", "an" or "the".)
Example A
If you want to search for the title "A la recherche du temps perdu", you must make two searches:
1. "A a la recherche du temps perdu" (or "The a ..." or "An a ...") retrieves the message: "You searched for the TITLE: a la recherche du temps perdu" and the screen displays titles "A la recherche du temps perdu". These are records with "A la recherche du temps perdu" in title fields with a filing indicator.
2. "A la recherche du temps perdu" retrieves the message: "You searched for the TITLE: la recherche du temps perdu" and the screen displays titles "La recherche du temps perdu". These are records with "A la recherche du temps perdu" in title fields with no filing indicators.

Example B
If you want to search for the title "A to Z", you must make two searches:
1. "A a to z" (or "An a to z" or "The a to z") retrieves the message: "You searched for the TITLE: a to z" and the screen displays titles "A to z ...". These are records with "a to z ..." in title fields with filing indicators.
2. "A to z" retrieves the message: "You searched for the TITLE: to z" and the screen displays titles "To z ...". These are records with "a to z" in title fields with no filing indicators.

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Note about subject searches

The above procedures are for searches in the title index only. In the subject search initial "a", "an" and "the" do not affect the searching or indexing of a title. Books about A la recherche du temps perdu will be found by doing a subject search "A la recherche du temps perdu".
Searching
Indexing of title (t) index
Search strategy

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6/27/94 - I2 / HTML 10/18/00

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