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SUBJECT CATALOGUING CHEAT SHEET
J. McRee Elrod 29 December 2008
See also Assigning LCSH.
These directions are for assigning call numbers and subject headings to
works lacking CIP (Cataloging in Publication).
First look at the item to determine whether it is fiction or non
fiction, and if the title gives you a clear indication of the subject.
If not, check the preface, introduction, blurb, and/or table of
contents.
One test for print fiction is a large proportion of dialogue.
It is the policy of some libraries to assign subject headings only to
nonfiction. Others assign subject headings to belles lettres with the
form subdivision $vFiction, $vDrama, or $vPoetry.
Some cataloguers prefer to assign at least one subject heading first,
and then the class number. For LCC (Library of Congress
Classification) libraries, this is in part because there is no general
index to LCC, but many headings in LCSH (Library of Congress
Subject Headings) suggest a class number. Most cataloguers go back and
forth between the two, since they are interrelated. Normally the first
subject heading reflects the class numbers, and additional ones bring
out other aspects of the work. We will deal with class numbers first
here, simply because they come first in a MARC record.
If your database allows searching by class number and by subject
heading, searching the first subject heading to see where other works on
that topic have been classed, and the class number to see what subjects
have been assigned to works classed there, is a great help. You may
also search keywords from the title to see how other works with the
same words in the title have been classed and given subject headings.
You should attempt to be consistent within a particular collection, so
that similar works are shelved near each other, and are found by the
same subject search.
This site allows you to search a known item on WorldCat, and see what
DDC/LCC numbers it has been given:
http://deweyresearch.oclc.org/classify2/
008/33
The only fixed field affected by the fiction/nonfiction distinction is
008/33. This field contains a "0" for nonfiction and a "1" for fiction.
Letters have been added to MARC 21 for other belles lettres, e.g., d
for drama, p for poetry.
043, 045
Some libraries code 043 for the geographic area covered by a work
(particularly if there is a 651 or 6XX$z), and 045 for time period of
content (particularly if there is a 6XX$y). These fields date from when
keyword searching of text in records was more difficult. Few OPACs
take advantage of them. SLC does not feel they are worth the time
required to code.
You will need to determine the classification policies of your library.
Most libraries use LCC or DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification). Some use
other classifications in conjunction with these, e.g., a library serving
a medical school may not use LCC's R (Medicine) but rather NLM's
(National Library of Medicine) W and late Qs. Canadian libraries may
use FC (Canadian history), PS 8000 (Canadian literature), and Canadian
KF (Common law). Commonwealth libraries may use Moys K rather than
LCC's K (Law) or DDC's 340, which like Canadian KF arranges common law
jurisdictions together by topic rather than first by jurisdiction. Some
libraries class bibliographies in Z (LCC) or 016 divided like the
classification (DDC), others by subject (with the form number 016 in
DDC). Practice varies even more in DDC for biography. Some class by
subject with the form division 092; others class in B or 92, or 920, or
920s divided like the classification.
For fiction, the first step is to search the author in the catalogue to
see if a number has been used for that person in your collection. You
may only have to assign a title Cutter (LCC) or letter (DDC). Most LCC
libraries classify fiction, and most DDC libraries do not, using "F" or
"Fic" plus a Cutter or workmark instead. The Cutter may be based on
the Cutter-Sanborn tables or the LC Cutter table, and usually
consists of the first letter of the main entry plus two or three
numbers representing subsequent letters. A public or school library
workmark may simply be the first three letters of the main entry.
Biography is normally Cuttered by biography.
LCC classes fiction by author's nationality or original language of work
in P along with linguistics. Within each nationality or language,
authors are arranged first by period, and then alphabetically by
surname. Some prolific authors prior to 1900 have their own number, so
the single Cutter is for the title of the work. Most schedules for
20th century authors have a class number for authors of a particular
time whose surnames begin with a particular letter, so the Cutter begins
with the second letter of the author's surname. (See separate cheat
sheet on Cuttering.) In DCC collections criticism and belles lettres
other than fiction are usually classed, even if fiction is not. DDC
arranges first by nationality or language, then by form (poetry, drama,
fiction, essays, etc.), then by period and name, or just name. Thus the
literary works of an author are together in LCC, but not DDC.
For nonfiction the first step is to check your catalogue to see if you
have an earlier edition of the same work, in which case only the year in
the call number will vary; or another work by the same author on the
same subject, in which case there will need to be a variation in the
Cutter number.
Once you have established the general subject area, consult the index to
DDC or the index in the appropriate individual subject letter of LCC.
It is good to memorize the meanings of the hundreds from 000 to 900 in
DDC, or at least the first letters in LCC A-Z (no I, O or W) depending
on the classification used, as soon as possible. (You would need to know
the LCC letter to consult the appropriate index.) Pay particular
attention in determining the subject between "pure" and applied science,
i.e., between Q and T, or 500 and 600. The distinction between
psychology (BF) and psychiatry (RC/RJ) can be difficult in LCC. In each
case, the question to ask is, is the work theoretical or applied?
Another a question to ask is, who will want this book? That is, a
scientist or a technician, a researcher or a doctor? When one subject
is applied to another (e.g., mathematics for surveyors) this question
will have the book class with the subject to which the other is applied.
Surveyors, not mathematicians, will want this work.
Observe the rule of three. That is, if a book is about two or
three subjects, class with the first. or one receiving more space, but
if about four or more, class with the more general subject, e.g., a book
about four fruits goes in the general number for fruit, and a book about
four mammals goes in the general number for mammals.
Note that quite a few LCC numbers are broken down by A-Z topic Cutters,
so a second Cutter is required for main entry. (Some libraries
assign their own subject Cutters as needed; others wait for LC to
establish them.) Note that some ranges of class numbers in LCC are
broken down using tables. You must be careful to distinguish between
tables in which you add the number in the table to the base number
(e.g. tables in K) from those in which you add to one less than the base
number (e.g. tables in H). Look at some numbers assigned by DLC to
understand how they were constructed.
In reading the LCC schedules, there are many indentations indicating that
the indented number is a part of the larger subject. Be certain that
your work falls within that larger subject. You may need a ruler to
keep the appropriate term associated with the appropriate number.
Note that DDC has form numbers which may be added to class numbers,
e.g., 09 history. These numbers are further divided in tables, e.g.,
0971 is Canada. If the single 0 numbers have already been given a
number in the schedule, e.g. 301 Sociology, use two 00 for form numbers.
050
Library of Congress call number (LCC). In a MARC record key as
050 2nd indicator 0 (assigned at LC) or 4 (local), e.g.: 050 4
$aAB1234.5$b.D78 1998, or if two Cutters, 050 4 $aAB123.5.C6$bD78
1999. Note period for first Cutter, $b for second, both for one
Cutter, but only one of each.
060
National Library of Medicine call number.
082
Dewey Decimal call number (DDC). 2nd indicator 0 if assigned
by LC, 4 if local. Omit Cutter. Use " ' " to indicate natural
breaks. On OCLC locally assigned DDC numbers plus Cutter are keyed
in 092. Subfield $2 gives the edition number of DDC used.
090
Local call number; MARC tag number varies with system. At SLC
coded with slashes for line breaks, e.g.:
090 0 $aAB/1234.5/C6/D78/1998$bMAIN$c1-2$d1-2 ($b = location,
$ccopies, $dvolumes)
On OCLC keyed like 050 and used for locally assigned LCC numbers.
092
See 082.
Consult the terms used to search the classification index in LCSH. You
may find that the term is established as a subject heading, or is a
cross reference (UF) to another term which has been established as the
subject heading. Under the established term you may find related terms
(RT) and narrower terms (NT). Scan these to see if one better
describes the work than the term you have searched. Try to be as
specific as possible.
In assigning subject headings, follow the same rule of three as for
classification. If a work is about three fruits, assign the name of
each fruit as three subject headings. If about four or more, assign the
subject heading Fruit. This means that you would normally not have
more than three topical (650) subject headings. In addition to that you
might have personal (600), corporate (610), and place (651) names as
subject headings. SLC follows the same rule of three for each type of
subject heading, e.g., up to three names, but if four or more a topical
heading covering them, e.g., Actors. Normally there would be no more
than ten subject headings of all types combined. Most title would have
no more than three.
Subdivisions as established in LCSH (Library of Congress Subject
Headings) may be added to subject headings. In addition, subdivisions
from _Free-Floating Subdivisions_ may be added as directed, e.g., some
may only be added to place names, names of ethnic groups, etc.
In most instances, subdivisions are assigned in the order:
$aTopic$xTopic subdivision$zPlace subdivision$yPeriod subdivision$vForm
subdivision.
There are a few exceptions, e.g., 650 0 $a$vReaders$xEnglish.
Note that the same term can be both a topic and form subdivision, e.g.,
650 0 $aChemistry$xPeriodicals$vBibliography for a work about
periodicals in the field of chemistry, but 650 0
$aChemistry$vPeriodicals for a periodical in the field of chemistry.
Use multiple $x subdivisions after a heading sparingly. Consider
using the heading twice, each with one of the subdivisions, e.g., 650 0
$aDolphins$xEcology, and 650 0$aDolphins$xLaw and legislation, rather
than 650 0$aDolphins$xEcology$aLaw and legislation.
For a city after a topic you will have two $z, the first being state,
province, or country, and the second city. This is known as indirect
geographic subdivision. In place as subject (651) however, you will
have city qualified by place, e.g., 650 0 $aFishing$zBritish
Columbia$zVictoria, but 651 0 $aVictoria (B.C.).
Place names in 651 and 6XX$z are usually given in their most recent
form, even if about the place under an earlier name. Great
Britain for United Kingdom is an exception. Russia is a complex partial
exception. One has the silly heading 651 0 $aSoviet Union$xAntiquities,
used for works published 1923-1991, even though the Soviet Union did not
exist in antiquity; if limited to the antiquities of Russia, the equally
silly 651 0 $aRussia (Federation)$xAntiquities is now used; many other
topics, however, which are limited to Czarist Russia have the 651
Russia; items covering Russia in the Soviet Union have the 651 Russian
S.F.S.R. Check LCSH to see which subdivisions are established under
which form of name.
For 610, use the name in effect at the time the work covers as opposed
to latest form.
Equally silly, in 6XX extinct cities are indirectly subdivided according
to where the site now is, e.g., 650 0 $a$zAlgeria$zHippo
(Extinct city), even though Algeria did not exist when Hippo did.
Name subject assignment is made more difficult for those using the
printed LCSH by the fact that name authorities with their cross
references and helpful scope notes have been moved to the name
authority file. You only have names in LCSH if they have been
established with subdivisions.
The establish the form of names in 600 (as in 100 and 700) consult:
http://authorities.loc.gov/
In all 6XX, 2nd indicator 0 means established according to LCSH
practice. First indicators are as for 1XX, e.g. 600 0 forename, 1
surname; 610 & 611 1 government first, 2 name in direct order; 630
filing indicator (spaces to skip in filing).
600
Person as subject, in same format and indicators as 100. See
Monograph cheat sheet.
610
Corporate body as subject (including governments), in same format
and indicators as 110.
611
Conference as subject, in same indicators and format as 111.
630
Uniform title as subject.
650
Topic as subject.
651
Place as subject (but not governments), e.g.:
651 0 $aCanada$xHistory$y1755-1763,
but 610 10 $aCanada$bDept. of State.
655
Genre as added entry, e.g., 655 0 $aDetective and mystery
stories. (Use 2nd indicator 7 with source of heading in
$2 if from a source other than those covered by 6XX 2nd indicators.)
Not all libraries have begun the use of 655. In older DLC records
LCSH terms are still in 650 0. SLC changes to 655. Other common
genre headings which may be in either 650 or 655 in derived records
are Videocassettes, Feature films, and Symphonies (in each case for
examples of the form, not works about them).
For the last several years, LC's Anglo-American Literature Team
has been assigning non LCSH genre headings (in the 655) to works of
fiction, using 655 7 with a $2 code giving the source, e.g., gsafd.
Field 650 is for what an item is *about*, e.g., 650 0 $aSymphony, for
a book about symphonies. Field 655 is for what an item *is*, e.g 655
0 $aSymphonies, for the score of a symphony. The confusion is caused
by the fact that LC continued to code genre terms as 650 long after
655 was introduced. Added confusion was caused when 600-651 2nd
indicators were not extended to 655 until later, resulting in the now
outdated 655 7 $aSymponies.$2lcsh.
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