Guidelines for Subject Authority Control in IO
(rev. 6/22/93)
Prepared by: R. Collee, V. Goodwin, S. Turchyn
This policy applies only to name, geographical and topical
headings assigned to bibliographic records. In these guidelines
the term subject heading refers to all 6XX tag fields, specifically
600 (personal name), 610 (corporate name), 611 (meeting or
conference name), 630 (uniform title heading), 650 (topical
subject) and 651 (geographic name). IO cataloging agencies may
exceed these guidelines for all subject authority work.
I. The IO cataloging agencies will download subject authority
records which are available in the OCLC authority file.
II. The IO cataloging agencies will create subject authority
records for which LC has not yet, but presumably would, add
authority records to the OCLC authority file, unless these records
do not require any references.
GUIDELINES AND EXAMPLES:
1. Cataloging agencies will use Library of Congress
established subject headings whenever possible.
2. Cataloging agencies will establish new subject
headings in accordance with Library of Congress policies and
procedures whenever possible:
A. Special subdivisions, materials, themes, etc.
Hurricane Manuel, 1990 (H1560)
UF (450) Manuel, Hurricane, 1990
BT (550) Hurricanes
Calvin (Fictitious character) (H1430)
BT (550) Comic books, strips, etc.
Azerbaijani Americans (H1587.5)
UF (450) Azerbaijani Americans--United States
BT (550) Ethnology--United States
BT (550) Azerbaijanis--United States
Little 500, Bloomington, Ind. (H1592)
UF (450) Little 5, Bloomington, Ind.
BT (550) Bicycle racing--Indiana--Bloomington
B. Geographic headings
Baldy, Mount (Mich.) (H690, H810)
UF (450) Mount Baldy (Mich.)
BT (550) Mountains--Michigan
Stock Island (Fla.) (H807, H810)
BT (550) Islands--Florida
III. The IO cataloging agencies will create subject authority
records for headings which require references, according to Library
of Congress syndetic structure guidelines. However, the IO
cataloging agencies need only to create authority records if they
require the following types of references:
1. Broader Term (BT) see also references.
Example:
150: 0: |a Dutch language |x Anaphora
550: 0: |w g |a Dutch language |x Reference
2. Related Term (RT) see also references if the corresponding
term is already established in IO.
Example:
100:10: |a Wells, Herman B. |x Books and reading
500:10: |a Wells, Herman B. |x Library
3. Used For (UF) see references if the |a field in the
reference is not the same as in the heading.
Example:
110:20: |a Church of England |x Clergy |x Deposition
450: 0: |a Deposition (Canon law)
But:
110:20: |a Church of England |x Catechisms
450: 0: |a Church of England |x Catechisms and creeds
This is not necessary when the |a field in the reference
is the same as in the heading.
IV. FREE-FLOATING SUBDIVISIONS: "The term free-floating refers to
a form of topical subdivision that may be assigned by [LC's]
subject cataloger under designated subjects without the usage being
established editorially, and, as a consequence, without the usage
appearing in the SUBJECTS file under each individual subject
heading." (Subject Cataloging Manual, H1095, p. 1)
The IO cataloging agencies will establish authority records
for subjects with free-floating subdivisions if the heading meets
the criteria stated in III. Form and topical subdivisions of
general application (H1095); free-floating subdivisions used under
classes of persons, ethnic groups, names of individual corporate
bodies, persons, families, and place names (H1100-H1140); free-
floating subdivision established under pattern headings (H1146-
H1200).
A. Religion (H1185-H1189)
Pattern: 110:20: |a Catholic Church |x Societies, etc.
450: 0: |a Catholic societies
450: 0: |a Catholics |x Societies, etc.
550: 0: |w g |a Christian sects
New heading: 150: 0: |a Mormon Church |x Societies, etc.
450: 0: |a Mormon societies
450: 0: |a Mormons |x Societies, etc.
550: 0: |w g |a Christian sects
B. History and geography (H1149.5, H1152, H1155, H1159,
H1200)
Pattern: 150: 0: |a World War, 1939-1945 |x Refugees
450: 0: |a World War, 1939-1945 |x Displaced persons
550: 0: |a World War, 1939-1945 |x Civilian relief
550: 0: |a World War, 1939-1945 |x Forced
repatriation
New heading: 150: 0: |a Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
|x Refugees
550: 0: |a Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
|x Forced repatriation
(The heading in the first 550 was not yet established in
IO, but the second one was)
C. Recreation (H1188.5)
Pattern: 150: 0: |a Soccer |x Ability testing
450: 0: |a Soccer |x Skill testing
450: 0: |a Soccer players |x Ability testing
New heading: 150: 0: Tennis |x Ability testing
450: 0: Tennis players |x Ability testing
D. Social sciences (H1151, H1151.5, H1153, H1154.5)
Pattern: 110:20: |a Harvard University |x Libraries
550: 0: |w g |a Libraries, University and college
|z Massachusetts
New heading: 110:20: |a University of California at Los
Angeles |x Libraries
550: 0: |w g |a Libraries, University and college
|z California
E. The Arts (H1154, H1155.2, H1155.4, H1155.6, H1155.8, H1156,
H1160-H1161, H1163)
Pattern: 100:10: |a Shakespeare, William, |d 1564-1616 |x
Autographs
400:10: |a Shakespeare, William, |d 1564-1616 |x
Handwriting
500:10: |w g |a Shakespeare, William, |d 1564-1616
|x Name
New heading: 100:10: |a Twain, Mark, |d 1835-1910 |x
Autographs
500:10: |w g |a Twain, Mark, |d 1835-1910 |x
Name
F. Science and technology (H1147-H1149, H1150, H1158, H1164,
H1180, H1195)
Pattern: 150: 0: |a Fishes |x Humor
450: 0: |a Fishes |x Anecdotes, facetiae, satire,
etc.
550: 0: |w g |a Wit and humor
New heading: 150: 0: |a Porcupines |x Humor
550: 0: |w g |a Wit and humor
V. The IO cataloging agencies will create or download all
subject authority records which provide the building blocks of the
authority file, unless these headings do not require any
references. EXCEPTION: Geographic place names that are used as
subdivisions. If the geographic place name is not already present
in IO in a subfield "a", establish the authority record even if it
will not include references. (The Heading Use Codes for these
authority records will be coded "aab" or "bab", depending on
whether the heading is for a jurisdictional name or a geographic
feature).
EXAMPLES: Heading with subdivision(s), but heading alone (or
heading with intermediate subdivisions) has never been used.
A. Topical headings
Art, Israeli--Congresses
Art, Israeli is not in the AF. Congresses is a free-
floater without a UF (450) reference. The cataloger must
download, or create one authority record:
Art, Israeli
Swine--Indiana--Spencer
Swine, Indiana, and Spencer (Ind.) are not in the AF.
Neither Spencer (Ind.), nor Indiana, appear in a |a field
in IO. The cataloger must download or create three
separate authorities:
Swine - headings use codes bcb
Indiana - headings use codes aab
Spencer (Ind.) - headings use codes aab
B. Geographic headings
Brazil--Economic conditions--1945-1964
Brazil and Brazil--Economic conditions are not in the AF,
All three headings are established in OCLC. The cataloger
must download the three separate authorities:
Brazil
Brazil--Economic conditions
Brazil--Economic conditions--1945-1964
English language--South Africa--Kwandelebe
English language and English language--South Africa are
in the AF. Kwandelebe (South Africa) is not in the AF and
does not appear in a bibliographic record in a |a field.
The cataloger must download or create one authority
record:
Kwandelebe (South Africa) with codes aab.
This includes all headings with the terms:
Metropolitan Area, Region, Suburban Area, Watershed,
Estuary, and Valley, which can all be added to geographic
headings. For such headings an authority record needs to
be created for the geographic heading without the term.
EXAMPLE:
Cities and towns--Russia (Federation)--Volga River
Region--History.
Cities and towns is in the AF. Russia (Federation) is in
the AF. Volga River Region and Volga River are not in the
AF. One authority record needs to be downloaded or
created:
Volga River (Russia)
C. Personal name headings
Alford, Steve. Playing for Knight (600 +t)
Alford, Steve is not in the AF. Alford, Steve.
Playing for Knight does not require any references. The
cataloger must download, or create one authority record:
Alford, Steve
D. Corporate name headings
University of Zambia. Institute for African
Studies--Catalogs
University of Zambia and University of Zambia.
Institute for African Studies are not in the AF, or OCLC.
The cataloger determines that both headings require
references. The cataloger must download or create two
separate authorities:
University of Zambia
University of Zambia. Institute of African
Studies
E. Uniform title headings
Bible. O.T. Deuteronomy--Criticism and
interpretation
Bible and Bible. O.T. are in the AF. Bible. O.T.
Deuteronomy is not in the AF and does not need any
references. Criticism and interpretation is a free-
floater without references, so the cataloger does not
need to download or create any authority records.
VI. Cataloging agencies using local thesauri will add a 690 field
and supply their processing unit code to alert other cataloging
agencies that the heading is a non-Library of Congress heading:
A. Archives of Traditional Music
Arullos
690 BT: local heading
For more information on local subject headings refer to Local
Subject Headings (65x:4) in IO.