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.