Library of Congress
Subject Headings
LCSH
LCSH
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A major standard in library subject description
- essentially a subject authority list for subject of the book
- translates the subject into one word or a group of words
representing the subject
A vocabulary that provides a common thread or a set of
controlled access points across disciplines
- controlled vocabulary list for subject indexing (approved
subject access to bib records)
Based on LC’s collection
Used by library catalogs in general and found in:
- bibliographic utilities such as OCLC (Online Computer
Library Center) and RLIN (Research Libraries Information
Network)
- commercial retrieval services such as Wilson and DIALOG
- other commercial databases use controlled vocabularies
adapted from LCSH for subject indexing.
LCSH Formats
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Print
Library of Congress Subject
Headings
Sometimes called the Red Books
29th ed., 2006, (5 volumes
annually), $295.00 (current
edition)
LCSH Formats
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Online
LC Authorities
LC Headings
No Subdivisions
Connexion's Authority File
LC Heading
Subdivisions
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Web access via Connexion costs:
1 User $375 for 20 hrs/month
1-4 Users $575 for unlimited access any time
Up to 9 Users $700
LCSH Formats: Online
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Advantages to Web Version:
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Full text schedule display
Access to data anywhere
Hypertext links between classes
Ability to link to local OPAC
Search and navigation tools
LC/Dewey correlations
Other LCSH Tools
In Print
 Free-floating Subdivisions: An Alphabetical
Index. 18th ed. 2006. ($35.00 approx. 200 pages
- Copy on reserve)
-list of all the words that can be used as a
subdivision
 LC's Subject Cataloging Manual. 2004
Cumulation, 5th ed. 1996 ed. 3 volume set with
updates. ($120.00, 4 volumes)
-provides all you need to know about subject
headings
Online
 LC Subject Headings Weekly Lists on CPSO Web
Page (Cataloging Policy and Support Office)
-changes, new headings, deletions
-good idea to assign a staff person to monitor
these lists to help with maintenance of your
catalog
LCSH History
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1898 marked the advent of the new Library of Congress
dictionary catalog with the integration of alphabetically
arranged author, title and subject entries now known as
LCSH.
First published in 1909 as the Subject Headings Used in
the Dictionary Catalogues of the Library of Congress
(later to be titled Library of Congress Subject Headings)
originally issued in parts, and was completed in March
1914.
Throughout its history, LCSH has been a dynamic system,
growing with each edition, prompt in accommodating
new topics.
Since the mid-1980s, in order to ensure the usefulness of
LCSH to the library community at large, LC invited
outside libraries to contribute headings to the system;
more than 125 libraries worldwide now do this through
SACO, the Subject Authority Cooperative Program.
Currently contains slightly more than a quarter-million
terms.
LCSH Principles
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User-centered
Based on literary warrant and LC's
collections
- Catalogers examine what is written, the
terminology in use and the context in which
the terms appear, and expect to
demonstrate that a word or term is in
general use in order to establish literary
warrant.
Contains uniform and unique headings
Provides direct access to specific subjects
Assures stability and consistency, subject
headings need to be consistent
Use the most specific subject heading that
can be found
LCSH Terminology
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Scope Notes (680 on authority
record) - defines the subject heading
scope & limit the scope of the
heading. (Not every heading has a
scope note.)
UF used for
(450 AF tag
number)
SA see also
(550)
BT broader term
(550)
NT narrower term (550)
RT related term
(550)
Example Print LCSH and Online
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Click here for example.
Forms of Subject Headings
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Topical/form headings: most
represent objects or concepts; a few
represent forms or genres. These
headings can be in several different
grammatical forms. (see examples)
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Name headings: represent
individual persons, corporate bodies,
places and other proper names. (see
examples)
Examples: Topical/Form Headings
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Single-concept headings (can be
single nouns)
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Law
Poetry
Budget
Pre-coordinated Multiple-concept
Headings
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Commercial law
Biology--Scholarships, fellowships, etc.
Examples: Topical/form headings,
cont’d
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Adjectival headings
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Conjunctive-Phrase Headings or Compound Headings (joins
together two or more nouns for two topics from both
perspectives)
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Juvenile literature
Library science
Law, Ancient (Inverted adjectival)
Art, French (Inverted adjectival)
Literature and science
Public relations and law
Church and social problems
Phrase Headings (concepts for which there no one word)
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Figures of speech
Freedom of information
Justice, Administration of (Inverted phrases)
(Note: Inverted headings are subordinately specific descriptions
under a broad generic category.)
Examples: Name headings
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Personal names
Grisham, John
Athena (Greek deity)
Ching family
• Corporate names
Southern Baptist Convention
Disney
Harvard University
• Geographic names
Canada
Louisville (Ky.)
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (Alaska)
Masada Site (Israel)
• Other proper names
Kayan (Bornean people)
Boston Tea Party, 1773
MARC Tags for LCSH
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600
610
611
630
650
651
Subject
Subject
Subject
Subject
Subject
Subject
Name
Added
Added
Added
Added
Added
Added
Entry–Personal Name
Entry–Corporate Name
Entry–Meeting Name
Entry–Uniform Title
Entry–Topical Term
Entry–Geographic
Indicators for LCSH
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1st indicator - depends on the
tag (See MARC Bibliographic
Records
Variable Fields Summary)
2nd indicator - 0 (for LCSH)
LCSH Subdivisions
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Definition
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Used when what the book is about
or its form/genre is not completely
conveyed in the main subject
heading.
4 Types of Subdivisions
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Topical |x
Geographic |z
Chronological |y
Form |v
Examples of LCSH Subdivisions
Used in Bibliographic Records
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Use of topical subdivisions:
650 _0 Roses |x Breeding.
650 _0 Roses |x Identification.
Examples of LCSH Subdivisions
Used in Bibliographic Records
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Use of geographical
subdivisions:
650 _0 Roses |z United States.
650 _0 Roses |z Indiana.
650 _0 Roses |z Indiana |z
Indianapolis.
Examples of LCSH Subdivisions
Used in Bibliographic Records
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Use of chronological subdivisions:
Chronological subdivisions under
topical headings should relate to the
coverage of the content of the item
and not to its date of issue.
651 _0 United States |x History
|y Civil War, 1861-1865.
651 _0 France |x History |y German
occupation, 1914-1918.
650 _0 Poetry, Modern |y 20th
century.
Examples of LCSH Subdivisions
Used in Bibliographic Records
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Use of form subdivisions:
650 _0 Roses |v Bibliography.
(book about roses but in the form of a
bibliography)
650 _0 Roses |v Dictionaries.
650 _0 Roses |v Periodicals.
651 _0 United States |x History |y Civil War,
1861-1865 |v Fiction.
(SH used for the title Gone With the Wind)
650 _0 Corn |z Indiana |v Statistics
|v Periodicals.
Form subdivisions
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Click here for a complete list of
form subdivisions.
NOTE: Subdivisions are
generally added to a heading in
this order |x, |z, |y, |v but there
are exceptions.
The End