1 Shelflisting and Filing Rules and Subject Authority Control May 11, 2005

2 Overview Shelflisting Basic definitions Filing rules Dates Editions Translations Corporate bodies Biography Supplementary materials Subject authority control

3 Basic definitions Call number: A number consisting of a class number, a book number, and additional information that uniquely identifies the item. Class number: A number that represents what the item being cataloged is about, selected from the schedules. Book number: An alpha-numeric device appended to a class number to arrange material on the same subject in a specified order, usually alphabetically by author. Also called author number.

4 Basic definitions (cont.) Title: Treasures of the Library of Congress Call number: Z733.U58 G Class number: Z733.U58 Book number or author number: G66

5 Basic definitions (cont.) Cutter number: An alpha-numeric device for representing words or names by using one or more letters followed by one or more arabic numerals used decimally. Examples: Book numbers Some subdivisions in the classification schedules (e.g., geographic subdivisions)

6 Shelflisting The activity of arranging materials within an existing collection, normally by author OR The activity of determining the book or author number and necessary additions to the call number for a unique number.

7 Filing rules Since the goal of shelflisting is to organize materials within a class by main entry (either title or author), rules are needed to resolve conflicts The primary source for filing is: Library of Congress Filing Rules (Washington : Library of Congress, 1980). SCM: Shelflisting has additional rules

8 Order of fields with identical leading elements Person Place Corporate body Title

9 Order of fields with identical leading elements (cont.) George, Alan George (Ariz.) George (Motor boat) George is lost

10 Identical filing entries Consider the title to extend only to the first significant mark of punctuation which will be either a period (. ) or a slash ( / ). If two identical but unrelated title entries appear in the same class, arrange the entries by imprint date using successive Cutters, in order of receipt.

11 Identical filing entries (cont.) Education today / 1966 Education today Education today / by John Smith Education today Education today (Boston) Education today--and how it works Education today : language teaching. 1966

12 Abbreviations File abbreviations exactly as written Mister Doctor Blo Mme. Begue and her recipes Mr. Drackle and his dragons Mrs. Appleyard's family kitchen

13 Dates 1976? use 1976 ca use , cl980 use , cl972 use [i.e.1978] use or 1963 use (1973 printing) use use 1979 between 1977 and 1980 use use 1970z 197-? use 1970z 19-- use 1900z 19--? use 1900z

14 Editions If subsequent editions of a work have the same author, title, and classification, retain the same cutter and distinguish by the date of publication If the title is changed but the classification is the same, retain the same cutter and distinguish by the date of publication If the author and/or title changes, but the classification is the same, retain the same cutter and distinguish by the date

15 Translations.xOriginal work.x12Polyglot.x13English.x14French.x15German.x16Italian.x17Russian.x18Spanish

16 Corporate bodies For materials entered under a corporate body heading, Cutter for the name of the corporate body. Add the imprint date to the call number to make each call number unique. Assign the same Cutter to all publications with the same corporate body heading, including translations, selections, editions, etc. Ignore all subheadings in establishing the Cutter number

17 Biography Biography classes exist in some parts of LC schedules Within these classes, biographical materials are organized according to a special table Biography table Biography The effect is to organize all works by and about an individual

18 Supplementary materials Supplementary materials are separately issued subordinate works that continue or complement a previously issued work. Examples: Supplements Appendices Indexes Addenda

19 Supplementary materials (cont.) 3 situations: 1. Cataloged separately add Suppl. to call number for original work 2. Covered by a note in the physical description or note area add appropriate term (tables, maps) to the call number for the original work 3. Indexes add Index to the call number for the original work

20 Subject Authority Control Purpose and use of subject authority records MARC format for authority records Creation of new subject headings

21 Purpose and use of subject authority records Subject authority file: authorized forms of headings Each term appears in a particular form designated to represent one concept or topic Each authority record gives information about the heading and its relation to other terms

22 Purpose and use of subject authority records (cont.) Purposes of authority records: To maintain consistency in the choice and form of a heading for a given concept To relate that concept to others in the database Controlled vocabularies = authority files

23 Purpose and use of subject authority records (cont.) In online systems, authority records are used to guide users to authorized forms of headings Some systems will report unmatched headings or unauthorized forms Other systems require catalogers to search authority records for verification

24 MARC Authority Format Variable fields X00Personal name X10Corporate name X11Meeting name X30Uniform title X50Topical heading X51Geographic name

25 MARC Authority Format (cont.) Variable fields (cont.) 1XXAuthorized form 4XXSynonyms and other unauthorized forms 5XXBroader, narrower, and related forms

26 MARC Authority Format (cont.) 5XX uses $w $w g is a broader heading $w h is a narrower heading $w n is a related heading

27 MARC Authority Format Example 010 $a sh $a DLC $c DLC $d DLC $d AuSU $d DLC 053 0$a D731 $b D $a World War, $a European War, $a Second World War, $a World War 2, $a World War II, $a WW II (World War, ) 550 $w g $a History, Modern $y 20th century 670 $a Women's fiction of the Second World War, $a LC database, May 7, 2004 $b (titles: World War Two; World War 2; WW II) 670 $a Am. heritage dict. $b (WWII: abbr. World War II)

28 Creation of New Subject Headings When to establish a new heading Authority research Citation of sources Formulating the subject heading

29 When to establish a new heading “ Establish a subject heading for a topic that represents a discrete, identifiable concept when it is first encountered in a work being cataloged, rather than after several works on the topic have been published and cataloged. ” (SCM:SH)

30 When to establish a new heading New topics that are not discrete or identifiable – assign existing headings New topics where American usage is still undetermined – research and use judgment in selecting best terminology

31 Authority research Proposed subject headings and UF references must: reflect usage in current literature reflect construction, language, and style of LCSH Purpose of authority research: To document the form used in current literature OR To show that no such form can be found except in the work being cataloged

32 Citation of sources 670 – citation of sources consulted and found 675 – citation of sources consulted but not found 952 – citation of an LC pattern Example: to justify the form of a new heading Art, German, cite the LC heading Art, French

33 Formulating the subject heading H285-H365 cover the form of the headings, including: Singular vs. plural forms Articles in initial positions Foreign terms Natural language Ethnic qualifiers