Library of Congress Subject Headings: Principles and Application / Edition 4

by Lois Mai Chan

Overview

This book is the only comprehensive treatise on the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) system. It offers users a complete and definitive guide to a challenging area of study. Chan presents a brief history of the system, analyzes its principles, and describes its vocabulary and subject authority control. She then discusses the application of LC subject headings to LC MARC records and outlines the Library of Congress's policies on the assignment of subject headings in general and the treatment of certain types of materials in particular. This new edition updates the text according to policies governing current practices in using LCSH, and the highlighted relevance of LCSH in the global electronic environment. Part 3, completely rewritten, includes a chapter on FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology), which is an LCSH-based controlled vocabulary for electronic resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591581567
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/30/2005
Series:	Library and Information Science Text Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	568
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	3 Months

About the Author

Lois Mai Chan is Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Preface
Principles, Form, and Structure
Introduction
Basic Principles
Forms of Main Headings
Subdivisions
Subject Authority Control and Maintenance
Application
Assigning Subject Headings
Subject Cataloging of Special Types of Materials
Subject Areas Requiring Special Treatment
Current and Future Prospects
Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Electronic Environment
Fast: Faceted Application of Subject Terminology
Appendix A: Library of Congress Bibliographic Records with MARC 21 Coding
Appendix B: Free-Floating Subdivisions: Form and Topical
Appendix C: Free Floating Subdivisions: Names of Persons
Appendix D: Free Floating Subdivisions: Names of Places
Appendix E: General Reference Sources Used In Establishing Headings
Appendix F: First-Order Political Divisions of the Exceptional Countries
Appendix G: MARC 21 Coding for Subject Information
Appendix H: Abbreviations
Appendix I: Capitalization
Appendix J: Puntuation
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

The standard guide to the Library of Congress subject headings, revised and updated to reflect changes and developments since the second edition of 1986. Part 1 gives a brief history of the system, analyzes its principles, and describes the vocabulary and subject authority control. Part 2 deals with the application of LC subject headings on LC MARC records. Part 3 discusses the future prospects of the system as an online retrieval tool. Includes 13 appendices and a glossary. Paper edition (unseen), $35. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Lois Mai Chan presents a comprehensive examination of the current practices and policies for use of LCSH, in addition to discussing historical and theoretical context and future directions….Chan does an excellent job of addressing the major discussion points surrounding the Library of Congress Subject Heading system without being apologetic or overly critical….This book combines theoretical discussion and practical explanation. It covers the formation of new subject headings as well as the application of existing ones. As a source for in-depth understanding of LCSH principles and practice, this book is an excellent resource for professional catalogers and advanced cataloging students and is highly recommended.” —Technical Services Quarterly

From the Publisher