Describes the numerous and profound problems with accepting Romanization as the sole means for universal bibliographic control, and suggests that some numerical system like the ISBN numbers might evolve to secure better bibliographic control of dissimilar scripts. (Author/VT)

Documents in non-Roman scripts now constitute a sizeable part of world production, and their bibliographic control through Romanization is beset by many problems. Among these are the impossibility to simultaneously satisfy certain functional requirements, the multiplicity of schemes and their inconsistent use, and the susceptibility of the method…

Advocates the use of machine readable codes to accomplish romanization and promote the exchange of bibliographic data. Proposals are presented for transliteration standards, design of machine readable conversion codes, and the establishment of databases. (RAA)

Citing the confusion generated for both librarians and users that results from the Romanization of bibliographic entries written in non-Roman scripts, it is argued that a standardized solution generally applicable to the arrangement of non-Roman script entries in bibliographic control tools should be found and adopted. Such entries should not be…