Contributor

• Element Name
• Definition
• Where Can the Contributor Information be Found?
• How Contributor Works in the Metadata Form
• How Should the Contributor be Filled in?
• General Contributor Rules
• Contributor Names
• Contributor Type
• Contributor Role
• Contributor Information
• Other Examples
• Comments
• Resources

Element Name

Contributor

Definition

The name of the person or organization that has played an important but secondary role in creating the content of the resource and is not specified in the creator element.

Where Can the Contributor Information be Found?

Contributors include any person/company/organization that was involved in creating the item (but who were not primarily responsible) and may be found on:

In some cases contributors may come from accompanying or supplementary information.

How Contributor Works in the Metadata Form

Parts:

1. Contributor name -- text field
2. Contributor type -- drop-down menu
3. Contributor role -- drop-down menu
4. Contributor information -- text field

Repeatable?

Yes - to include multiple contributors, click 'Add' to repeat all field parts

How Should the Contributor be Filled in?

General Contributor Rules

• Only include individuals/organizations who had secondary responsibility for the item or who were only responsible for a portion of the work

• Primary 'contributors' should be entered as creators instead

• Include as many contributors as are readily available

• Place them in order of importance
• If contributors are equally important, list them in the order that they appear

• For each contributor, include the name, type, and role
• If possible, consult an authority file to find the correct form of the name, including:

• The Library of Congress Authorities
• A locally developed utility

• If no contributor information is readily available, leave the field blank

 

Contributor Names

Contributor Type

• Choose the appropriate contributor type:
• Person - an individual
• Organization - a company, organization, association, agency, or institution
• Event - a conference or other event that produces papers and materials

• If it is unclear whether the contributor name belongs to an individual or an organization, use 'Person' and format the name appropriately.  (If it is important to clarify this choice, you can include a Non-Displaying Note.)

Contributor Role

• Choose the appropriate contributor role from the controlled vocabulary

Contributor Information

• This field is only for information about the contributor listed in or directly related to the object
• It is not necessary to do research to find information; this field is only used for readily-available notes

Other Examples

Book

Name: Ben C. Jones & Co.
Type: Organization
Role: Printer
Information: "Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, Austin."

Yearbook

Name: Richards, Olan
Type: Person
Role: Editor
Information: Art Editor

Name: American Beauty Cover Company
Type: Organization
Role: Artist

Name: Abilene Printing and Stationery Company
Type: Organization
Role: Printer

Name: Thurman's Studio
Type: Organization
Role: Photographer

Name: Southwest Engraving Company
Type: Organization
Role: Engraver

Journal issue

Name: Baldwin, Dan
Type: Person
Role: Editor
Information: Assistant Editor

Name: Riddle, Peggy
Type: Person
Role: Editor
Information: Assistant Editor

Map

Name: [United States.] Navy Dept. BuPers. Educational Services Section.
Type: Organization
Role: Distributor
Information: Navy distribution. Washington, D. C.

Name: Harrison, Richard Edes
Type: Person
Role: Cartographer
Information: Base map for "Pacific War in the Air" drawn by Richard Edes Harrison. Copyright, Fortune.

Name: United States. Office of Strategic Services.
Type: Organization
Role: Cartographer
Information: Map of South Burma and Thailand "prepared in the R and A Branch, O.S.S."

Collection of legal papers

Name: Wilhelm, Ronald
Type: Person
Role: Chair or Major Professor
Information: Major Professor

Name: Ausbrooks, Carrie Y.
Type: Person
Role: Committee member
Information: Minor Professor

Name: Cowart, Melinda
Type: Person
Role: Committee member

Faculty Recital

Name: Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Type: Person
Role: Composer
Information: Partita for Solo Violin No. 2, BWV 1004: Chaconne in D minor

Name: Chopin, Fryderyk, 1810-1849
Type: Person
Role: Composer
Information: Allegro de Concert in A major, Opus 46; Scherzo No.2 in B-flat minor, Opus 31

Name: Paderewski, Ignacy, 1860-1941
Type: Person
Role: Composer
Information: Miscellanea: Legende in A-flat Major, Op. 16; Miscellanea: Nocturne in B-flat Major, Op. 16; Humoresques de Concert: Cracovienne Fantastique in B Major, Op.14

Name: Prokofiev, Sergey, 1891-1953
Type: Person
Role: Composer
Information: Sonata No.6 in A Major, Op. 82

Opera score

Name: Harding, Bertita
Type: Person
Role: Librettist

Name: Ballenger, Kenneth L.
Type: Person
Role: Author of introduction, etc.
Information: Prof. Kenneth L. Ballenger; Author of synopsis (page ii).

Comments

• The contributor field is not constrained by the AACR2 practice of limiting creators/contributors to three or fewer names. Include as many contributors as are readily available.
• Input entities responsible for digitizing an existing resource in the Institution element instead of the contributor element.
• Individuals or organizations with greater or complete responsibility for creation of the intellectual content of the resource should be recorded in the Creator element instead of the Contributor element. Some examples of creators are author, editor, compiler, etc.
• The contributor roles come primarily from MARC relator codes; not all of the Library of Congress roles are included in the UNT system and several have been created which do not come from the relator codes.

Resources

• Library of Congress Authorities
• UNT Contributor Role Controlled Vocabulary