God save catalogers

Catalogers are wonderful people: we had 2 occasions to confirm this
great opinion.
About “Text block defect description” , we had 29 emails in 2 days,
about dog-ear, dog earings, dog-eared witness,
alszeugnisumschlagendenpapierblattgutgottbereits, temoin, binder’s
hangover, binder’s dog ear, binder’s folded corner, etc…
And the 2 following days (including sunday) again 38 emails about the
correct way to list pages in bibliography and in the The Golden Ass of
Apuleius. Apuleius (and his Golden Ass) certainly would have like this
discussion , becaus he was a very famous and emeritus rhetor and much
more…
We are really delighted to read some magic formulas such:
v-xxxv-27-239
converted into [iv],v-xxxv, [1],
then into [i-iv]v-xxxv [xxxvi], 27-239 [240],
and [4], v-xxxv,[1],27-239
and so on…
Is [1-2] 3-16, [1-2] 3-16 better than [1-2] 3-16 [1-2] 3-16 ?
Are we reading magic formulas ? At least we need some Enigma machine to
decipher the code.
Or probably catalogers are members of an international and dangerous
sect, with some hidden God utturing some uncomprehensible rules and
laws, gurus to clarify the unclear, and practising and non practising
members
God save catalogers!

François Lapèlerie
Université de la Mediterranée
13009 Marseille — France

Ex: EXLIBRIS list

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