Title

Definition

A name given to the resource.

Where Can the Title Information be Found?

In some cases, titles may come from accompanying or supplementary information; generally titles may be found on the item, such as:

Item Types	Information Sources
For text	title page (use the title page unless there isn’t one) front cover copyright page spine of cover
For images	title written on the back of a photograph captions an envelope, slip cover, or case
For maps	title caption on map notes around the outside of the map
For music scores	title page or header top of first page front cover
For videos	title screen(s) container cover label on disc
For sound files	title on disc/cassette container information
For computer files	title page/screen title at top of document title in HTML header

How Title Works in the Metadata Form

Parts:

1. Title qualifier – drop-down menu

2. Title – text field

Repeatable?

Yes - to include multiple titles, click ‘Add’ to repeat all field parts

Required?

Yes - a Main Title is required (more information)

How Should the Title be Filled in?

General Title Rules

• Every record must have one Main Title, also called an “official title”

• Some records may have multiple titles (see below under Special Titles for more clarification about when to use other titles)

• For each title, be sure to choose the appropriate qualifier from the controlled vocabulary

Guideline	Examples
Write out the title the way it appears Do not put the call number, file name, or other identifiers in the title	Reminiscences of the Terry Rangers
Capitalize the first word and proper nouns Keep other capitalization the same as it is on the item If a title is written in all caps, change it to title case Use the same capitalization for all titles in a record unless there is a reason not to do so (e.g., authorized series titles)	Difficulties of a Mexican revenue officer in Texas
Change Roman numerals to Arabic numbers (when a change is made to the printed title, the original version be added as a display note Write out numbers through 100 (Note that an alternate title may be appropriate if the numbers are important to the title)	Title: Laws of the Republic of Texas in two volumes. Volume 1 Note: “Vol. I.”
	Two Ladies in Beauty Shop
Write out abbreviations or acronyms (Abbreviations may be included in an alternate title or display note)	Main: Documents pertaining to the case of Eliza Miller vs. Texas & New Orleans Railroad Company, cause no. 547, 1902 Alternate: Documents pertaining to case of Eliza Miller vs. T & NORR Co.
Separate title and subtitles with a colon	Deaf Smith County Schools: 1893-2003
In some cases, it may make sense to separate long titles with commas (e.g., normalized periodical titles) or periods	An Assessment of the Social and Special Effects of Siting a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in Texas: Phase 1. Historical and Sociodemographic Dimensions
If there is no title on the item: Use a title from a library catalog or similar resource (including OCLC Worldcat) Create a title in [square brackets] that is both succinct (roughly ~10 words or less) and descriptive	[Calf-Roping in Groups at Cowtown Coliseum] [Bus Transfer Ticket #020137] [Certificate of Appointment of K.K. Legett as Delegate]
It is preferred that titles include more than a personal name only (for items that do not have titles)	[Stan Kenton Reading a Score] [Portrait of Susan R. Theodore] [Obituary for I. M. Cummings]
Any time a printed title does not accurately reflect the item (e.g., multiple, titled maps printed on one page), create an appropriate title in [square brackets] Original title(s) may be included as added titles	[Correspondence between Meyer Bodansky and A. O. Gettler - 1940] [Maps of the United States, New England, and Principal U.S. Cities]
Clarifying information can be added to a title using [square brackets] in order to identify differing versions or provide context for users	Texas Board of Law Examiners Annual Financial Report: 2016 [Audited]
	Standard Varieties of Chickens: [Part] 1. The American Class
In some cases, it may be appropriate to add a number in [square brackets] when there are near-identical copies This may also apply to situations where titles are being created (e.g., near-identical portraits taken during a photo shoot), but should generally not take the place of creating unique, descriptive titles when content is different	Conrad & Menefee’s Subdivision of Lot Number 2, Block Number 146, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas [#2] [Aerial View of Workers Digging a Channel #1]

Standarized Titles

• For some materials, we often use a standardized format for convenience and consistency

  • When dates are included in titles, they should be written out in “human readable” form

Guideline	Examples
For letters: [Letter from {name} to {name} - {date}] Separate correspondence information from the date with a dash or comma Also see Correspondence Guidelines	[Letter from John C. Brewer to Emma Davis - April 21, 1879]
For clippings: [Clipping: {article title}]	[Clipping: Forced Sale!]
For funeral programs: [Funeral Program for {full name}, {date of funeral}]	[Funeral Program for Cottrell Brackett, Jr., October 10, 2012]
For an invoice/receipt: [{Invoice/Receipt for {item/ summary}, {date}]	[Invoice for Cooking Materials, May 18, 1894] [Receipt for Kinsel Motor Payment, October 1936]
For items related to court cases: Documents pertaining to the case of {name/case name}, Cause No. {#}	Documents pertaining to the case of Garner Williams & Co. vs. J. E. Ennis, Cause No. 507, 1867
For serials: {title}, Volume #, Number, {date} Other normalized values may be appropriate for specific serials, see Serials Guidelines	AACOG Region, Volume 5, Number 9, November 1978
Note that these standardized formats may not apply to all items When appropriate, adjust titles to accurately reflect the content and type of materials, e.g.: When information is unknown (generally omit) Business or organizational correspondence (e.g., form letters) that may not have correspondents If there are multiple items (e.g., a reply added to the bottom of a letter or multiple clippings on a sheet of paper)	[Letter from Betty Scrivner to her Mother] [Correspondence Concerning a Marriage License] [Front Page of ‘The Washington Blade,’ August 4, 2000] [Newspaper Clippings About Dr. May Owen and a TMA Meeting]

Special Titles

Does the item need multiple titles?

If…	Add:
The title has alternate spellings, omissions, abbreviations, or acronyms	an alternate title
The item is in a non-English language The item is a translation from another language	a parallel title
The item has multiple versions of a title listed in different places (e.g., title page, cover, and/or spine)	an added title
The item is a serial publication (e.g., yearbooks, newsletters, journals, magazines, etc.) Also see Serial Guidelines if the serial also has:	a serial title
a different title on the cover or title page	an added title
no sequence number (e.g., an index) that should sort with other issues non-alphabetically	a sort title
The item is part of a series (also see Series Guidelines)	a series title
The item has been published under other titles (e.g., music pieces, Shakespeare’s works, some serials)	a uniform title

Formatting special titles:

Guideline	Examples
If the item is part of a serial (see the serial guidelines for more information)
Formulate a standardized main title format, which will be the same for each issue Include the title, volume/issue numbers, and date(s) in main title (as relevant) Add a serial title that represents the entire publication (i.e., no issue-level information) Include the title from the title page as an “added title” when relevant	Main: Prickly Pear, Yearbook of Abilene Christian College, 1945
	Serial: Prickly Pear
	Added: The 1945 Prickly Pear
If a serial has has multiple titles over time Use the serial title that matches the individual issue A note may be added regarding former or later titles but this may be handled by title records when there are at least 10 issues of any serial
If alphabetical sorting of titles is not logical A sort title may be added to order items This is particularly useful for indexes or special editions that may not sort with numbered issues It may be used when serials have no volume or issue number/s, but is not necessary if the same order may be achieved by sorting chronologically	Main: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Fourth Congress, Second Session Serial: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States Sort: Annals of Congress, Congress 4, Session 2
If the item is part of a series or part of a sub-collection
Use the title on the item (or an appropriately-created unique title) Add a series title that represents the entire series	Main: [Glass with picture of an oil well] Series: Commemorative glasses
	Main: [War Tax Receipt, June 1862] Series: Judge Harris Masterson I Papers (MS 468)
If the item is in a non-English language, or is a translation
For a non-English-language item, add a parallel title with the English translation (if known) If the translation is not included on the item, enclose the parallel title in [square brackets]	Main: Estado libre de Coahuila y Tejas Parallel: [Free State of Coahuila and Texas
If the item is a translation into English (or a second language, add a parallel title in the original language	Main: The Mexican Soldier, 1837-1847 Parallel: El Soldado Mexicano, 1837-1847
If the item title has abbreviations, acronyms, or alternate spellings
Write out full words in the main title Add an alternate title with the abbreviations	Main: Barnhart Southwest Quadrangle
	Alternate: Barnhart SW Quadrangle
If the acronym is well-known or significant to the context, it can be used in the main title with the fuller version added as an alternate title	Main: FCC Record, Volume 12, No. 20, Pages 11370 to 11956, July 28-August 8, 1997 Alternate: Federal Communications Commission Record, Volume 12, No. 20, Pages 11370 to 11956, July 28-August 8, 1997
If a published item has multiple titles
Use the title on the primary title page Include other titles as added titles, if relevant (e.g., from the front cover, spine, secondary title page, or sub-section)	Main: A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas Added: The Lone Star State
If an item has multiple parts or sections
Create an inclusive title that describes the entire item Include piece titles as added titles	Main: [Maps of Canada] Added: Quebec Added: Ontario
If the same item has been published under multiple titles
Use the title on the item as the main title Add a generic uniform title that represents all versions Uniform titles generally come from catalog records	Main: Six suites for violincello solo Uniform: Suites, violoncello, BMV 1007-1012
	Main: 1980 census of population and housing. Census tracts. Abilene, Tex., standard metropolitan statistical area. Uniform: Census of population and housing (1980). Census tracts.
If the item is a serial with a complex title pattern
Use the main title and serial title according to serial guidelines Add a generic uniform title that represents all versions Uniform titles generally come from catalog records	Main: Texas Eleventh Court of Appeals Annual Financial Report: 2011 Uniform: Financial report for … fiscal year

Note: In the Digital Collections, serial and series titles show up as a facet used for narrowing search results, so adding a series is one way to create a subset or grouping of items within an established collection. Also see Serials and Series for more information.

Other Examples

Hand-carved cross

Main: [Wooden Cross]

US Geological Survey map

Main: Map of the Woodbine Artesian Reservoirs of the Black and Grand Prairies of Texas including the Eastern and Western Cross Timbers

Letter

Main: [Letter from Jose Maria Viesca to Lorenzo de Zavala, April 14, 1828]

Yearbook

• Main: The Swarm, Yearbook of Howard Payne University, 2005

• Serial: The Swarm

• Added: Building the Future, Howard Payne University 2005 Swarm, Volume 94, Brownwood, Texas

Legislative Journal

• Main: Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session, Volume 2, and First Called Session of the Fifty-Ninth Legislature

• Serial: Journal of the House of Representatives, Texas Legislature

• Uniform: Journal of the House of Representatives of the…session of the…Legislature of Texas.

• Series: 59th Legislature of Texas

• Sort: Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, Legislature 59, Regular Session, Volume 2

• Added: Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Fifty-Ninth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 2

• Added: Journal of the House of Representatives of the First Called Session of the Fifty-Ninth Legislature of the State of Texas

Plat Map

• Main: K. K. Legett’s Subdivision of Lot Number 4 & a Part of Lot Number 5 of the Benjamin Austin Survey Number 92, Taylor County, Texas

• Alternate: K. K. Legett’s Subdivision of Lot No. 4 & a Part of Lot No. 5 of the Benj. Austin Sur. No. 92, Taylor Co., Texas

Technical Report

• Main: Fuel Cycle Program Progress Report: Eleventh Quarter, January-March 1963

• Added: Fuel Cycle Program. A Boiling Water Reactor Research and Development Program: Eleventh Quarterly Progress Report, January-March, 1963

• Serial: Fuel Cycle Program Progress Report

• Sort: Fuel Cycle Program Progress Report, Quarter 11, 1963

• Series: AEC research and development report

• Series: Atomic Energy Commission Reports

• Series: General Electric Company Atomic Power Reports

• Added: General Electric Atomic Power Equipment Department Report GEAP-4215

Comments

Glossary of Title Types:

Code	Examples	Definition
officialtitle	Main Title	The most appropriate title to represent the individual item
alternatetitle	Alternate Title	Reflects alternate spellings, terms, or omissions (including abbreviations, acronyms, and enumerations)
paralleltitle	Parallel Title	Used for items written in non-English languages or translations from a second language
serialtitle	Serial Title	Representative of an entire serial publication
seriestitle	Series Title	Representative of an entire series of separate but related items
uniformtitle	Uniform Title	A generalized title when an item has been published under different titles
addedtitle	Added Title	Reflects additional titles or significant subsections

Resources

• UNT Title Qualifier Controlled Vocabulary

• OCLC Worldcat

• Worldcat via FirstSearch (UNT staff/students can get to OCLC records through electronic resources)

More Guidelines:

• Quick-Start Metadata Guide

• Metadata Home