Re: Slugs

[everett <everett@CHS.ORG>]

Boutell calls this code a "Printing Statement."  The instructions for doing
entries for "First Printings of American Authors," compiled by Bruccoli Clark
Laymen calls the code "Printing Code."

I dislike the word "slug" to describe this term.  Slug, to me at least, has
a distinct meaning--something that comes from a Linotype machine or one of
its cousins.  It doesn't have much meaning in the days of cold type and desk
top publishing, wherein "slugs" have no place.

I also think that this "code" (or whatever) is indeed the printer's
responsibility rather than the publisher's.  The latter may be intellectually
responsible for it, but the former is the one who actually effects the change
in the physic(al) sense.  It's not the publisher who changes 123456789 to
23456789; it's the printer.  It really is no different from a flat out
statement such as "First Printing."  It's just expressed differently.

I hasten to add that these statements lie.  David Randall's *Dukedom Large
Enough* is an instructive example.  I own two states of this book.  Both
are labelled on the t.p. verso as "First Printing."  Yet, in the first
state, Louis H. Cohn's name is misspelled twice on p. 231 as Cohen and
also misspelled in the Index on p. 357.  In the second state, the name is
corrected on p. 231 and in the Index.  The physical clue?  The green used
to color the top edge of the text block is a slightly lighter shade of green
in the second state, something you wouldn't know if you didn't have the
two states side by side.

Sounds like one for Bibliographic Standards to me.
***********************************************************************
                      Everett C. Wilkie, Jr.
                Head Librarian and Crofut Curator
                   of Rare Books & Manuscripts
                The Connecticut Historical Society
                       1 Elizabeth Street
                     Hartford, CT 06105 USA
Email: everett@chs.org     Phone: 203-236-5621     Fax: 203-236-2664
        "Computers are stupid; they can only give you answers."
***********************************************************************