A library may have a collection of books or a few volumes which from their rarity deserve to be catalogued with every bibliographical nicety, with the most exact copying of punctuation, spelling, and forms of letters, and even with marks to show where the lines of the title end. Such collections are the Prince and the Ticknor books in the Boston Public Library, such single books are fifteeners or the rarest Americana. Yet it may be questioned whether a library does well to redescribe books already fully described by Hain, Harrisse, Thiele, Trömmel, Stevens, or Sabin. A simple reference to these works will generally suffice (§ [261]).
208. Supply the proper accents if they are not given in the title.
In French and Greek titles printed in capitals the accents are often omitted. In the titles of rare books, copied exactly, accents should not be supplied.
209. Use [ ] only for words added to the title, and ( ) to express inclusion.
Ex.
Talbot, E. A. Five years’ residence in Canada, [1818–23].
Maguire, J. F. Canada. (In his Irish in America. 1868.)
Bale, J. Kinge John, a play; ed. by J. P. Collier. Westm., 1838. 4º. (Camden Soc., v. 2.)
210. If any title contains [ ] or ( ) omit them, using commas instead.
One sign should never be used to express two things, if that can be avoided; each should have one definite meaning. Also alter — into , or ; or . as the context may require.