# Title

Every item **must** have a title statement in the [**245**](https://docs.wellcomecollection.org/library-cataloguing/9yMHsFGBXS9DDRGtdmSE/bibliographic-record/2xx#id-245-title-statement-nr) field.

## Identifying titles

Author names may be more prominent on title pages, making it harder to identify the title.

## Misprints or errors in the title

Titles should be transcribed exactly as they appear on the item, even where there are misprints or misspellings. Follow the error with \[that is, *correction*].

Titles with errors should also have a [variant title](#variant-titles) recorded.

## Variant titles

Variant titles should be recorded in a [**246**](https://docs.wellcomecollection.org/library-cataloguing/9yMHsFGBXS9DDRGtdmSE/bibliographic-record/2xx#id-246-varying-form-of-title-r) field wherever there are possible variants that users might search for or know the item by. For a full list of when to record a variant title, see [DCRMR 1.25](https://bsc.rbms.info/DCRMR/title/Variant-title-of-manifestation/).

The most common instances of variant titles are:

* misprints or misspellings
* cover titles
* caption titles
* half-titles
* running titles
* spine titles

Make a note on the source of the variant title in a [**500**](https://docs.wellcomecollection.org/library-cataloguing/9yMHsFGBXS9DDRGtdmSE/bibliographic-record/5xx#id-500-general-note-r) field.

## No title

If there is no title on the item and none can be found in another source, formulate a title from the opening words of the text.

If the opening lines are not distinctive or descriptive enough, formulate a a brief descriptive title based on the content of the text. This should be recorded in square brackets.

## Notes on titles

Notes on titles should be recorded in a [**500**](https://docs.wellcomecollection.org/library-cataloguing/9yMHsFGBXS9DDRGtdmSE/bibliographic-record/5xx#id-500-general-note-r) field.

Where relevant, the following notes should always be included:

* Source of information (if not the title page)
* Source of information for variant title (if from within the item)
* Title formulated by cataloguer
* Title page printed in black and red (also known as 'rubrication')
* Engraved or highly decorated title pages
* Missing title page (where ours is an imperfect copy, rather than the item is published without a title page)