1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Library of Congress Subject Heading or known as LCSH is a list of subject

headings originally developed by the Library of Congress for use on its cataloging
record. It is a list of terms authorized by the Library of Congress for use in its own
subject cataloging.1 The Library of Congress subject headings system was originally
designed as a controlled vocabulary for representing the subject and form of the
books and serials in the Library of Congress collection, with the purpose of providing
subject access points to the bibliographic records contained in the Library of
Congress catalogs. These lists are used widely by library in the world. Currently, the
LCSH is available in three formats: prints, machine-readable and microfiche.
However, only the print version of this lists is discuss here.

2.0 TYPES OF HEADING FOUND IN LCSH

2.1 Topical Heading

It is for heading for one or more words whereas a one-word heading

represents a single object or concept while multiple-word heading may represent a
single concept or object. It is also may carry out the subdivision of the heading that
bring out one or more aspects of the main subject. It can be categorized in discipline,
method and procedures, activities, industries, and classes of people.

2.2 Geographic Names:

Geographic names can be divides into two categories which are jurisdictional
and non-jurisdictional geographic names.

2.2.1 Jurisdictional geographic names

A geographic headings that serve as main or added entries in

descriptive cataloging which are established according to AACR2R and stored
in Name Authority File.

For example:
1
Chan, L. M. (1994). Cataloging and classification: an introduction. (2nd ed.). Ney York:
McGraw Hill.

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 Madrid (Spain)

New Jersey

2.2.2 Non-jurisdictional geographic names

Non-jurisdictional geographic names are consists of names of natural
geographic features, in which it can be used as subject heading even though
that are not used as the main or added entries. It is not required of using the
geographic qualifier unless two or more entities bearing the same name.

For example:
San Juan River (Colo. - Utah)
San Juan River (Nicaragua and Costa Rica)

2.3 Names of Person

A work did by same person is been group together by the same form of
personal heading as main or added entry which used as the subject entry. The names
of personal names heading is established according to AACR2R. However, the
personal name heading used only as subject entries are established and included in
the LCSH which includes family name headings, heading for god and goddesses and
heading for legendary and fictitious characters.

The example is shows as below:

Bakewell Family
Kennedy Family

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3.0 FORMAT OF HEADING

LCSH contains main headings which lists of authorized terms, references that
lead-in to the authorized terms: cross references, and some subdivision. All these
items direct user to the appropriate authorized term could be used as the subject of
the materials in hand. The authorized heading is appearing in boldface type and the
authorized subdivision is also printed in the bold type. The entries printed in lightface
roman type are not used as the subject heading in which the lightface roman type
entries is the lead-in terms that followed by the cross references to the authorized
heading.

Example of entries is as follow:

Berries (May Subd Geog)

[SB381-SB386]
BT Fruit
Fruit-culture
RT Cookery (Berries)
SA names of berries, e.g., Strawberries
NT Amelanchier
Blueberries
Canned berries
- Harvesting
- Varieties
From the example above, it is shows that the bold type face Berries is the authorized
term used and the other bold type face –Harvesting and –Varieties is the subdivision
that are authorized terms too. The lightface roman type is the lead-in terms and cross
references to the subject in hand.

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4.0 STRUCTURE OF SUBJECT HEADING

The structure of subject heading can be found in the subject heading are single
words, and phrase heading that includes the inverted heading, free-floating phrase
heading, conjunctive phrase heading, adjectival phrase heading and prepositional
heading. The detail descriptions of these structures are been explained as below:

4.1 Single words

It is the simplest form of main heading consists of noun or substantive.

Some of single words is followed by a qualifier. For instance:

Cats
Poetry

4.2 Inverted Phrase Heading

The inverted form of heading is brings together headings containing the
same initial word for purpose of subject collocation. Usually, a phrase heading
is inverted in order to bring significant word into a prominent position as the
entry element. For example:

Art, Medieval
Maps, Statistical

4.3 Free-floating Phrase Heading

The free-floating component is combined with any existing heading or

with any heading within designated categories to form a new phrase heading.
For instance:

[Topic or place] in literature

e.g.: Mongols empire in literature

4.4 Conjunctive Phrase Heading

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 It is consists of two or more nouns or both with or without modifier that
connected by the word “and”. This form serves two purposes which are: i) to
express a mutual relationship between two general topics discussed both at
broad level from the perspective of both topics for example is Literature and
Science, and ii) to connect subject that are often treated together in work
because of similarities, opposite, or closely associated such as Emigration
and immigration.

4.5 Adjectival Phrase Heading

These are the most common type of phrase heading that consists of
noun or noun phrase with an adjectival modifier. This adjectival modifier is
present in several forms which are: common adjectives, proper adjectives,
geographic name, a noun modification or noun in possessive case.

4.6 Prepositional Phrase Heading

Prepositional phrase heading is heading that consists of nouns, nouns

phrases or both, with or without modifier that connected by preposition. The
phrase heading purposely is to express complex relationship between topic
which cannot be represented by single noun and also is to represent concept
or object that cannot be stated in English in other way than by using a
prepositional phrase. For example are:

Father of Church
Boards of trades

5.0 SUBDIVISION IN LCSH

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 Subdivisions are used extensively in LCSH. It allows a number of different
concepts to be combined in single subject heading. It is narrowing the scope of
heading to be specific. Furthermore, subdivision may also be divided themselves.
Subdivisions serve two functions in LCSH which are:

• To make subject more specific

• May be used to sub-arrange a large number of items under one heading in a

catalogue.

There are an authority to use the subdivision under a particular heading

whereas can be found in four places: (i) under the subject heading in its alphabetical
place in the list, (ii) under the general subject heading which represents the
subdivision user want, (iii) under the list of “free-floating subdivision” which is not
imply uncontrolled use and (iv) under a pattern heading.

5.1 Types of Subdivision

5.1.1 Topical

Topical subdivision is limiting the concept of a heading to a specific

subtopic. It have many represents of actions, attributes or aspects. Also,
topical heading may b specified to a single concept or applicable to numerous
heading.

For example:

Helicopters – Flight testing

-Psychological aspects

Sometimes, it is used to bring out part of the whole such as Eye –

Muscles. In the topical subdivision, more than one topical subdivision may be
used to refined the concept such as:

Fruit – Postharvest losses

Fruit – Postharvest losses-Prevention
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5.1.2 Form

This division indicates the form which the material on a subject is

organized and presented. Meaning, a different work may deal with the same
subject but not be the same kind of work. Also, they are added as the last
element in the string of terms. It is indicated what an item is rather than what it
is about. The most common form subdivision used under all types of main
heading and subdivisions are as follows:

-Periodocals e.g: Engineering-Periodicals

-Indexes e.g: Engineering-Indexes

5.1.3 Chronological

Chronological subdivisions indicate the time period covered in the work

which often associated with historical treatment of a topic. Also, it is used with
literary, music, and art headings whereas lend themselves particularly to
historical or chronological treatment. It is not used with headings that begin
with the name of region and country such as America-History-19th century (this
is not the valid heading to be used).

The examples of Chronological Heading are as follows:

American literature–Revolutionary period, 1775-1783

Printing- History -19th century
Russia-Social conditions-1801-1917

5.1.4 Geographic

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 A geographic subdivision indicates the origin or locality of the main
subject and may be used after a subject that lends themselves to the
geographic treatment. Heading that maybe subdivided by place carry the
designation (May Subd Geo) immediately after their listing in LCSH. At the
meantime, the designation (Not Subd Geo) after a heading or subdivision
indicates that the Library of Congress has made a decision not to subdivide by
place. The examples of geographic subdivision are as follows:

Remainders (Bookselling)-Illinois-Chicago
Farm buildings–Specifications-Kentucky-Fayette Country

5.1.5 Free-floating Subdivision

The term “free-floating subdivision” refers to a form or topical subdivision

that the cataloguer may assign as required to particular subject heading.
Some subdivision can be used with specified categories of headings whenever
appropriate without having been explicitly established with those heading.
There are four categories of free-floating subdivisions: general application,
specific categories of headings, controlled by pattern headings, and “multiples”.

5.1.5.1 Free-floating subdivisions of general application

It is applicable to a large number of headings. Under each subdivision,

instruction is given s to the types of headings to which the particular
subdivision is applicable.

For instance:

Structures-Lighting

5.1.5.2 Free-floating subdivisions under specific types of headings

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 The subdivision is only be used for appropriate main heading which fall
under some categories: classes of person, ethnic groups, names of
corporate bodies, names of person, names of body or waters and etc.
Even it is not authorized, but the used of free-floating allow the heading to
be valid. Some examples are as follows:

Actors-Political Activities
American Library Association-Employee

5.1.5.3 Free-floating controlled by Pattern Headings

It is mean of to chose one heading in categories of heading rather than

to authorizing them heading by heading. The heading that been chosen
among the categories of heading in particular subject then is serves as
pattern heading of subdivisions for heading in that category. The examples
of pattern heading are:

United States. Congress (for legislative bodies)

English language-Pronoun

5.1.5.4 Free-floating subdivisions indicated by “multiples”

The subject heading that carry multiple subdivision is arrange by the

used of square brackets that serves as examples of similar subdivisions
that may be used without prior authorization.

For example:

Vietnamese Conflict,1961-1975-Foreign public opinion-

British [German, Russian, etc.]

6.0 CROSS REFERENCES

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 Cross-reference is an instance within a document which refers to related or
synonymous information elsewhere, usually within the same work. It is a direction
from one heading or entry to another. Three types of cross-references are used in the
subject heading structure such as the see (or USE) references, the see also (BT or
broad term, NT or narrower term, RT or related term) and lastly is general reference.
Cross-references are provided in the catalog for two purposes, to guide users from
their search terms to valid headings and to link related headings.

6.1 Use For

Terms referenced by the Use For designation are non-preferred terms.
They include synonyms and variants of the Main Term and specific terms
indexed under a more generic descriptor. Often they include discontinued
terms from the Descriptor Authority File; these appear with a qualifying range
of years indicating their period of active use in indexing. For every Use For
term, a reciprocal Use reference is generated, pointing to the preferred Main
Term.

Academic Achievement

UF (Use For)

Academic Performance
Educational Achievement
Scholastic Achievement
School Performance
Student Achievemen

Films

UF (Use For)

Cinema (1963-1985)
Motion Pictures
Movie/Movies (1963-1985)

Reference Materials

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 UF (Use For)

Atlas/Atlases (1972-1985)
Dictionary/Dictionaries (1963-1985)
Encyclopedia/Encyclopedias (1963-1985)
Guide/Guiding (1963-1985)

6.2 Use
"Use" references direct the user from synonyms and other non-preferred
expressions to the preferred Main Term. USE terms include synonyms in direct
and inverted word order, alternative endings, changed or canceled headings,
abbreviation and acronyms and more. Using the see or USE is to make sure
that users catalog under different names, not only that it also provided to lead
the users and guide the users from terms that’s are not used as headings to
the headings.

For example of USE references are:

Emancipation
USE Liberty
Illiteracy
USE Literacy

6.3 Broader Terms & Narrower Terms

Broader Terms indicate the more general class or classes to which the
Main Term logically belongs. Narrower Terms indicate the more specific sub-
classes of the Main Term. The Broader Term/Narrower Term relationship is
reciprocal: for every Broader Term reference there is a corresponding
reciprocal Narrower Term reference. Broader Term/Narrower Term
relationships create thesaurus hierarchies, i.e., sequences of class
relationships that may extend upward more generally or downward more
specifically through several levels. At any point in the hierarchy, Broader
Term/Narrower Term designations refer upward or downward only to the next
most general or specific level.

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 For example:

Poetry
BT Literature
NT Children’s poetry
Classical poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
BT Poetry
NT Ballads
Dithyramb

6.3 Related Terms

Terms referenced by the Related Term designation bear a close

conceptual relationship to the Main Term, but they do not share the direct
class/sub-class relationship described by the Broader Term/Narrower Term
relationship. Related Terms are always entered reciprocally. They should be
considered for use as other appropriate search terms.

Class Politics

RT Class Relations
Labor Relations
Social Class
Syndicalism
Worker Consciousness

Working Class

6.4 General References

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 There is a type of general or blanket reference, represented by symbol
SA (see also), which refer from one heading to a group of headings or to
subdivisions used under other headings. For example:

Courts of last resort

SA names of individual supreme courts

Cranberries

-Diseases and pests

SA names of pests, e.g., Cranberry root-worm

Atlases

SA subdivision Maps under names of countries, cities, etc., and

under topics