|v Subdivision Added to All Subject Headings?

Q:  If we use a |v field in the LCSH that we come up with, should it be added to all the subject headings in our record?

A:  Yes, it should be applied because it will be true of all LCSH.  However, you have to read the scope note for the use of that Form Subdivision in the record with the main LCSH.  If you have a topical LCSH and the note reads use with all topical LCSH, then you are okay.  But if it is limited in use, then you have to consider if it applies to your main LCSH.

Read Full Post »

Subdivisions

Q. In general, a subdivision (if not already established) is created in the same way a subject heading is, right? Just searching for terms that describe the work. And can we add subdivisions to any subject heading as long as the scope notes say it’s okay?

A. Right.

Read Full Post »

Scope Notes

Q. About scope notes: In general I’m not seeing scope notes in my searches, am I doing something wrong or is it that there aren’t scope notes for it?

A. Notes are in the 6XX tags in the AF records. They are the 680 tags found in subdivision records.

Read Full Post »

600 Tag & Subdivisions

Q. Just in general, is there ever a time when you could have a subdivision with a 600 tag?

A. 600 tags are tricky. The subd. scope note must state that it can be used with personal names. Or you have to find one established such as the est. subd. found on the pattern headings for literary authors like Shakespeare. It is very important to read the scope notes if you cannot find the subdivision you want to use with the LCSH already assigned. Don’t make the mistake of assigning an LCSH that can only be used as a subdivision and vice versa.

Read Full Post »

LCSH (Hesse, Post 2)

Q. For the Hesse title, I know the| v should be poetry, right? How do I look this up? There are 4000 search results. I can’t figure out what should be the topical term. I also saw you could do a keyword search but I don’t see where you can do that?
Am I doing any of this correctly?

A. You want to use “poetry” as a form subdivision for Dust Bowl Era…. You must search it in the AF as a subdivision and read the scope note very closely.  The scope note for poetry reads as follow:

‡i Use [poetry] as a form subdivision under names of countries, cities, etc., names of individual persons, families, and corporate bodies, and under classes of persons, ethnic groups, and topical headings for collections of poetry and individual poems on those subjects.

Now you have to determine if Dust Bowl Era fits into any of those categories, i.e., is it a city, individual person, corp. body, etc.?  If so, you can use it as a subdivision. for Dust Bowl Era, if not, you cannot use it.

Read Full Post »

LCSH (Hesse)

Q. This is all I have for the LCSH for the Hesse title, is this correct?
650 _0 |y Dust Bowl Era, 1931-1939

A. You are on the right track with this one. The story did take place during the Dust Bowl era. You have to search the AF to find the established heading for Dust Bowl era to see if you can use it as a main LCSH or as the chronological subdivision with some other main LCSH.
It is also a work of fiction so you must provide the form subdivision along those lines, otherwise this work would be considered a factual account of the Dust Bowl Era and it is not a work of Non-fiction.

Read Full Post »

Multiple 650’s or is one okay?

Q. Do you have to have multiple 650’s or is one okay?  For example for the Lavine title I have:

650    _0    Horses |x Indians |v Juvenile fiction.

A. When you search horses, you do not find Indians as an established subdivision.  SO, now you must search Indians as a subdivision.  It is found in the AF as such, but the Scope note reads: (and you must read the scope note to determine its use with the main LCSH) “Use as a topical subdivision under individual wars.”

This will not work with Horses, because horses is not an individual war.

Read Full Post »

LCSH Help & Info

Q. Can you help with LCSH?
A. LCSH are actually pretty simple.

You think of a term or a phrase that a book is about.  You go into the AF with that term or phrase and search it as an LCSH.  If you find it, you use the established heading from the AF as your main LCSH.  The established heading is always the 1XX field in the AF record.  If you don’t find it then you should rethink your term or phrase and redo your search in the AF until you find an established heading that is appropriate.

For subdivisions, first you should check to see if any are established for your main LCSH, such as in the search for American fiction, see below.  Everything following American fiction with a |y or a |x are established subdivisions (if they have a 150 tag next to it.)  You should always go to the record level regardless to find the established LCSH or established subdivision.  Sometime you have to look through several pages to see all of the established subdivisions.

American fiction
	E1.	[150]	1 record
	E2.	[550]	53 records
	E3.	ǂy 18th century [150]	1 record
	E4.	ǂy 19th century [150]	1 record
	E5.	ǂy 19th century ǂx History and criticism [150]	1 record
	E6.	ǂy 20th century [150]	1 record
	E7.	ǂy 20th century ǂv Bibliography [150]	1 record
	E8.	ǂy 20th century ǂx History and criticism [150]	1 record
	E9.	ǂx African American authors [150]	1 record
	E10.	ǂx African American authors ǂx History and criticism [150]	1 record
	E11.	ǂx Afro-American authors [450]	1 record
	E12.	ǂx Armenian American authors [150]	1 record
	E13.	ǂx Asian American authors [150]	1 record
	E14.	ǂv Bibliography [150]	1 record
	E15.	ǂx Cuban American authors [150]	1 record
	E16.	ǂx Filipino American authors [150]	1 record
	E17.	ǂx Film and video adaptations [150]	1 record
	E18.	ǂx Hispanic American authors [150]	1 record
	E19.	ǂx History and criticism [150]	1 record
	E20.	ǂx Indian authors [150]

If you do not find something you would like to use as a subdivision, this is when you have to do a separate search in the AF.  If you search it as an LCSH you must find the term or phrase in a 18X tag for the subdivision.  The better way to search is to search it from the beginning as a subdivision.  Note you can only do this in Connexion.  (IF you are in LC authorities, then you better know your MARC tags).  When you find the subdivision you want to use, and this is the important part, you MUST read the scope note.
Let’s take the Example of a book about English influences on American fiction.
American fiction will be the main LCSH.  English influences will be considered as a subdivision.
When you look at the established subdivisions for American fiction, “English influences” is not one of them.  So now you must search it as a subdivision.  The following is from the record for English influences:

	180				‡x English influences (notice the heading is in the 180 tag for topical subdivisions)
	580				‡x Foreign influences ‡w g
	680				‡i Use as a topical subdivision under individual literatures other than English. (this is the scope note)

Read the scope note in the 680 tag to determine if English influences used as a topical subdivision works with American Fiction.  The answer would be yes.
Now you can create an LCSH that looks like the following:

650 _0 American fiction |x English influences.

Read Full Post »