Bib - Title Underline

What is this?

In plain text data like the contents of MARC fields, characters may be underlined by using the unicode "combining low line" character (U+0332).

When is this trouble?

The LC-PCC and LAC policy statements for Original RDA 1.4 on Language and Script say "Do not attempt to replicate font features such as bold and italics through the use of underlining or other means of indicating such features."

Many catalog records do have letters or words in their titles that have words or letters in their titles underlined (perhaps to indicate font features) using the combining low line, and this may create issues with searching or display. Examples:

  • The "tortured heart" : suffering in Saul Bellow's H̲e̲r̲z̲o̲g̲
  • The A̲g̲a̲v̲e̲s̲ of Baja California
  • You c̲a̲n̲ go home again : the focus on family in the works of Horton Foote
  • Algebraic L̲-theory and topological manifolds

The combining low line character may also appear in titles in places that should have stand-alone underscores or hyphens:

  • city of ,̲̲̲̲̲̲̲̲̲̲ Iowa (should be city of __________, Iowa)
  • Some reflections on Mr. Pn̲̲̲̲, lecturer at the Bagnio in Nt̲̲̲̲e-street in a dialogue. (should be Mr. P----n and N----te-street)
  • Papers on outd̲oor relief and tramps (should be out-door)

Exceptions

There are some languages where the combining low line is correctly used as a diacritic in romanized text:

  • Laax̲aayík, near the glacier (Tlingit language)
  • Tanna děb̲e Eliyyahu = The lore of the school of Elijah (Hebrew)

How to Find

If you are in Alma, there is an analysis to search for this issue in the "Looking for Trouble" folder. Go to the "Bibliographic" folder and look for the "Title Underline" analysis.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Megan Day for helping me sort through all of the varied reasons that this character was appearing in our titles!