-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: Determining Persian/Arabic dates when cataloging
Date:   Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:26:27 -0600 (MDT)
From:   Laurence Creider <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>



Another source for conversion to and from the Persian calendar dates is

Khayam: http://www.payvand.com/calendar/

Laurence S. Creider
Head, General Cataloging Unit &
Special Collections Librarian
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM  88003
Work: 505-646-4707, 505-646-7227
Fax: 505-646-7477
[log in to unmask]

On Thu, 4 Oct 2007, Maps-L wrote:

> Okay, maybe I'm the last one to learn this - but I thought I'd share it
> anyway.
>
> I'm trying to catalog some Iranian atlases and maps. There is only a
> little English on the items but I did find some OCLC records that seemed
> close. One of the OCLC records had the date given WITHOUT brackets -
> meaning that the date is clearly given on the item. I used a handy-dandy
> Persian/Arabic numerals page (here:
> http://www.laits.utexas.edu/persian/persianword/numbers.htm ) and tried
> to identify a date from the verso of the cover page. I kept seeing
> numbers like 1385, 1374 and I was confused.
>
> Fortunately, a colleague  of mine reads and writes Arabic and was able
> to help me through my problem.
>
> I quote from
> http://www.iranchamber.com/calendar/iranian_calendar_converter.php  :
>
> "Iranian Calendar: The Iranian calendar (also known as Persian calendar
> or the Jalaali Calendar) is a solar calendar currently used in Iran and
> Afghanistan. It is observation-based, rather than rule-based, beginning
> each year on the vernal equinox as precisely determined by astronomical
> observations from Tehran."
>
> and
>
> "Muslim calendar: The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (also called
> "Hijri calendar") is the calendar used to date events in many
> predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to
> determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days. It is
> a lunar calendar having 12 lunar months in a year of about 354 days.
> Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year,
> such as a year of the Jalali or Gregorian calendar."
>
> One may enter the Jalaali, Hijri or Gregorian date and convert one to
> the other here:
> http://www.iranchamber.com/calendar/iranian_calendar_converter.php
>
> So, next time you're intimidated by an Arabic, Farsi or Persian
> cataloging project I hope you find this information helpful.
>
> Angie
>
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>
> Angie Cope, Senior Academic Librarian
> American Geographical Society Library
> UW Milwaukee Libraries
> 2311 E. Hartford Avenue
> Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
>
> http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/AGSL/index.html
> Hours: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
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> (414)229-6282 / (800)558-8993 (US TOLL FREE) / (414)229-3624 (FAX)
>
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>