ART EXHIBITIONS
10/1/08spg, rev. 9/11/09
Publications relating to art exhibitions may or may not be catalogs. “Catalogs” refers to
exhibitions of the artist's works and/or the artist’s works held by a corporate body. Art exhibition
catalogs usually include the term “catalog(ue)” somewhere in the publication. Strictly speaking, a
catalog is a list. While a publication relating to an art exhibition may not appear particularly listlike, it very often functions as one.
See also the several online publications of the Art Libraries Society of America (ARLIS) covering
best practices for cataloging art exhibition catalogs:
http://www.arlisna.org/resources/onlinepubs/onlinepubs_index.html.
Main entry
AACR 21.17. Reproductions of Two or More Art Works
21.17A. Without text
Enter a work consisting of reproductions of the works of an artist without accompanying text
under the heading for the artist.
LCRI 21.17B. With text
Single artist
If a catalog of the works of a single artist also contains reproductions of the artist's works, or
reproductions and texts about the artist or the artist's works, enter it under the heading for the
person who wrote the catalog if he or she is represented as the author of the catalog in the chief
source of information. Otherwise, enter the catalog under the heading for the artist. In case of
doubt, enter under the heading for the artist. If the work is entered under the heading for the
artist, make an added entry under the heading for the person who wrote the text if his or her
name appears in the chief source of information.
In the unlikely event that the catalog of a single artist's works does not contain reproductions of
his or her own works, apply the following in the order listed:
1) If the catalog emanates from the corporate body that holds all the works listed, enter it
under the heading for the body.
2) If the person or persons who wrote the catalog is known, enter it according to 21.4A or
21.6.
3) If neither 1) nor 2) is applicable, enter the catalog under its title.
Two or more artists
21.17B is written in terms of a single artist, but some of its provisions are also needed in the case
of multiple artists. For multiple artists, enter the catalog under the heading for the person who
wrote the catalog if he or she is represented as the author of the catalog in the chief source of
information. Otherwise, enter the catalog under the title (cf. 21.7). But if a corporate body is
involved, refer to 21.1B2. The following is excerpted from guidelines CORPORATE BODIES
INCLUDING CONFERENCES:
21.1B2 Choice of Access Points - General Rule - Corporate Body
Categories A (operations/holdings of a corporate body) and D (events/activities of a corporate
body) include wording that justifies exhibitions as main entry headings, but few exhibitions are
establishable as corporate bodies. If not establishable under the exhibition name, consider entry
Art exhibitions -- p. 2
under the museum or other corporate body. It doesn’t matter if the corporate body is directly
responsible for the exhibition, but it does matter if:

The catalog emanates from the corporate body

The work of two or more artists is included

All the works listed are held by the corporate body
The presence of reproductions of the artists' works or reproductions and text about the artists or
the artists' works is not a factor in choosing the main entry for either type of catalog.
If 21.1B2 cannot be applied, enter the catalog under the heading for the person who prepared it,
or under title, as appropriate.
Subject subdivisions “Exhibitions” and “Catalogs”
Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings — Special Topics, Materials, Subdivisions,
Etc. — H 1593 Exhibitions.
Exhibitions are public displays of the work of artists, the skills of performers, products of farms or
factories, objects of general or special interest, etc. This instruction sheet provides guidelines for
assigning the heading Exhibitions and the free-floating subdivision –Exhibitions.
1. General.
Assign the main heading Exhibitions (May Subd Geog) to general works on exhibitions and to
works that discuss exhibitions collectively in a particular region, country, city, etc. Do not assign
the heading to works about an individual exhibition.
2. Exhibitions on special subjects.
a. General. Use the free-floating subdivision –Exhibitions under any type of heading, including
names of persons, classes of persons, ethnic groups, corporate bodies, literary works, place
names, disciplines, types of objects, etc., for works on exhibitions about these topics and for
individual exhibition catalogs containing descriptions of the exhibition and/or lists of the objects
exhibited. For works on exhibitions of objects representing a discipline, use the heading for the
objects rather than the discipline, if both headings exist. For works on exhibition techniques and
methodology in a specific type of institution, use –Exhibitions under the heading for the type of
institution, e.g. Art museums–Exhibitions , unless a phrase heading has been established (see
sec. 2.b., below)
► Do not subdivide –Exhibitions further by –Catalogs.
b. Phrase headings for exhibitions . If a phrase heading exists for a special type of exhibition,
assign it rather than using a heading of the type [topic]–Exhibitions . Example:
650 _0 |a Museum exhibits.
(not 650 _0 |a Museum |x Exhibitions.)
3. Exhibitions held in institutions.
Assign the heading [name of institution]–Exhibitions if the objects exhibited are part of the
institution's permanent collections. In addition, assign the appropriate headings, as described in
sec. 2, for the special subject matter of the exhibition.
Do not assign the heading [name of institution]–Exhibitions if the items displayed are not part of
the institution's permanent collections.
Art exhibitions -- p. 3
4. Individual named exhibitions .
a. General. Assign the name heading for the exhibition to works on individual named exhibitions
treated as historical events and to all works on exhibitions without a topical focus to which
headings of the type [topic]–Exhibitions cannot be assigned, such as world's fairs.
Subdivide headings for named exhibitions in accordance with H 1105 (subdivisions under
corporate bodies) if appropriate, including the subdivision –Catalogs (see below).
For historical works on exhibitions with a topical focus, assign additional headings for the subject
matter of the exhibition.
For works on the contributions of one country to an international exhibition, assign an additional
heading of the type [place]–Exhibitions. If the exhibition has a topical focus, assign appropriate
additional headings for the subject matter of the exhibition.
b. Named exhibitions on special subjects. For guidebooks, catalogs, etc., to individual named
exhibitions on special subjects, assign only headings of the type [topic]–Exhibitions .
Do not assign the name heading for the exhibition.
5. Examples.
Title: Chagall : a comprehensive retrospective.
600 10 |a Chagall, Marc, |d 1887-1985 |v Exhibitions.
Title: The age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent.
600 00 |a Süleyman |b I, |c Sultan of the Turks, |d 1494 or 5-1566 |x Art patronage |v Exhibitions .
650 _0 |a Art , Ottoman |v Exhibitions .
651 _0 |a Turkey |x Civilization |y 16th century |v Exhibitions.
Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings — Special Topics, Materials, Subdivisions,
Etc. — H 1360 Catalogs.
1. General rule.
Use the subdivision –Catalogs as a free-floating form subdivision under types of objects,
including types of merchandise, art objects, collectors' items, technical equipment, etc., for
listings of those objects that have been produced, that are available or are located at particular
places, or that occur on a particular market, often systematically arranged with descriptive details,
prices, etc., accompanying each entry. Use –Catalogs under artists or craftspersons and families
of artists or craftspersons for works listing their art works or crafts that are located in, or available
for purchase at, particular institutions or places. Also use –Catalogs under types of organizations
and names of individual corporate bodies for works listing objects, art works, products, etc.,
located in or available from those organizations. Examples:
650 _0 |a Automobiles |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a Art objects |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a Painting, French |z France |z Paris |v Catalogs.
600 10 |a Munch, Edvard, |d 1863-1944 |v Catalogs.
2. Companion headings.
The subdivision –Catalogs is assigned to works that list objects located in particular places or
collections. In accordance with H 1427, assign additional headings when possible to bring out
where the objects are located and in what collection, if any.
Art exhibitions -- p. 4
a. Objects in particular kinds of institutions. Assign a heading for the type of institution in which
the objects are located with the subdivision –Catalogs, unless other provisions have been made,
such as the use of Catalogs, Union–[place] (see H 1361, sec. 1).
650 _0 |a [objects] |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a [kind of institution] |v Catalogs.
Examples:
650 _0 |a Stone implements |z Africa |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a Sculpture |z Maryland |z Baltimore |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a Art museums |z Maryland |z Baltimore |v Catalogs.
Do not assign a heading of this type if the objects are located in an individual institution, society,
or collection.
b. Objects in a particular institution or society and/or collection. Assign additional headings for
the name of the institution (or society) and the name of the collection, if any, using the subdivision
–Catalogs under each heading.
650 _0 |a [objects] |v Catalogs.
610 X0 |a [the name of the institution or society] |v Catalogs.
6XX X0 |a [name of the collection] |v Catalogs.
If the named collection is a private collection, use a heading of the type [objects]–Private
collections–[place]–Catalogs as the first heading (except for collections of library materials, which
are discussed in H 1361). For the specific private collection subdivisions used under names of
persons, see H 1427.
650 _0 |a [objects] |x Private collections |v Catalogs.
610 X0 |a [the name of the institution or society] |v Catalogs.
6XX X0 |a [name of the private collection] |v Catalogs.
Examples:
650 _0 |a Stone implements |z Africa |v Catalogs.
610 20 |a John Smith Museum |v Catalogs.
610 20 |a African Early Man Collection (John Smith Museum) |v Catalogs.
650 _0 |a Stone implements |x Private collections |z Maryland |z Baltimore |v
Catalogs.
610 20 |a John Smith Museum |v Catalogs.
Call number
Determine if you are dealing with an exhibition or simply a book about the artist(s).
Exhibition examples:
Painting--History--Special regions or countries--Europe.
ND201-1114 Special regions or countries TABLE N5 modified.
Add country number in table to ND200.
Table of regions or countries (1000 numbers)--America--North America--United States-19th century--General works.
37.A-Z Special artists, A-Z.
Subarrange individual artists by Table N6.
Art exhibitions -- p. 5
Table of Cutters for artists (first Cutter).
.xA4 Reproductions (Collections). By date.
Including exhibition catalogs.
Pollock, Jackson = ND237.P73 A4 <pub year>
Photography--Applied photography--Artistic photography--Exhibitions--Works of
individual photographers. By name of photographer, A-Z
TR647.A-Z Works of individual photographers. By name of photographer, A-Z
Under each photographer, arrange by date of exhibition
Ewald, Wendy = TR647 .E935 <exhibition year>
If there are multiple exhibition years, choose the earliest.
Why the N table specifies the pub year and the TR class the exhibition year, I don’t know.
Take care when assigning cutters as we (and even LC) have been inconsistent. See CALL
NUMBER SHELFLISTING (CUTTER NUMBERS, DATES, ETC.).