The document outlines the history and principles of subject headings in library cataloguing, particularly focusing on the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) system. It discusses the objectives of subject cataloguing, types of headings, principles of unique headings, and various forms of subject headings, including the use of subdivisions. LCSH provides a structured and consistent approach to indexing that aids user access to bibliographic records within library collections.

1. INTRODUCTION
PRINCIPLES
FORMS OFHEADING
SUBDIVISION
CROSS REFERENCE
CONCLUSION
Presented by
Mahendra Prasad Adhikari

2. INTRODUCTION
• In 1898, that the Library of Congress (LC) decided that
its card catalogue should be in dictionary form in
which author ,title, and subject entries were interfiled
in alphabetical order.
• For the topical entries in the new catalogue, the
Library began to work on a list of preferred terms to
be used as subject heading.
• In 1914, this was published under the title
Subject Headings Used in the Library of Congress.

3. What is subject heading?
• Subject heading is that specific procedure of
cataloguing by which the cataloguer chooses the
appropriate subject heading for the subject discussed
in the catalogued books
• The main objective of the subject cataloguing is to
fulfill the subject related needs of the readers
• Subject heading gives complete indication of the
subject covered in the book , including all of its
various aspects and forms
• Subject heading should be a synonym and indication
of the specific subject of a book

4. Types of Subject Headings
Some useful Subject Heading aspect all over
words are given below
• Sears list of Subject heading,(SLSH)
• A.L.A. List of Subject Headings for Use in
Dictionary Catalogues
• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

5. Library of Congress Subject Heading
• The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
comprise a thesaurus of subject headings,
maintained by the United States Library of Congress
for use in bibliographic records
• LCSHs are applied to every item within a library’s
• collection, and facilitate a user’s access to items in
the catalogue that pertain to similar subject matter
• Purpose of LCSH is providing subject access points to
the bibliographic records contained in the Library of
Congress catalogues

6. Library of Congress Subject Headings
• LCSH is a tool for subject indexing of library
catalogs in general
• It has also been used as a tool in a number of online
bibliographic databases outside of the Library of
Congress

7. Edition and Version of LCSH
• LCSH is kept up to date by means of LC Subject
Heading Weekly Lists, included in each issue of
Cataloging Service Bulletin and available at the
Library’s web site.
• 1914(Ist Edition) – Included see and see also
references as well as the list itself.
• 1988(11th Edition) – Issued annually from this
edition on.

8. PRINCIPLES
• LITERARYWARRANT
• UNIFORM HEADING
• UNIQUE HEADING
• SPECIFIC ENTRYANDCOEXTENSIVITY
• INTERNAL CONSISTENCY
• STABILITY
• PRECORDINATION
• POSTCOORDINATION

9. LITERARY WARRANT
• The concept first put forward by E. Wyndham
Hulme

10. UNIFORM HEADING
• “A subject catalog must bring together under one
heading all the books which deal principally or
exclusively with the subject.” (Haykin)
• Uniformity of terms was considered a remedy for the
scattering that resulted from the earlier practice of
catchword title entry, in which entry was made under a
term used by the author of the work being cataloged.
• Name:
Form :
Term or term string for the entity orconcept
Gramatical construction
Entity Element

11. UNIQUE HEADING
• When a subject has more than one name, one must be
chosen as the heading to represent all materials on
that subject, regardless or authors’usage.
• Eg: In LCSH, the heading Ethics was chosen from
among Ethics, Deontology, Ethology, Moral
philosophy, Moral science, Morality and Morals

12. Choice of heading in different aspect
• Choice among synonymous Terms
• Choice between Variant Spellings
• Choice between English and Foreign Terms
• Choice between Scientific (or Technical) and
Popular Terms
• Choice between Obsolete and Current Terms

13. Choice among synonymous Terms
• “In choosing between two names not exactly
synonymous, consider whether there is
difference enough to require separate entry;
if not, treat them as synonymous.”
• For example, Theological education is treated
as a synonym of Religious education, and
Freedom is treated as a synonym of Liberty.

14. Choice between Variant Spellings
• If one or more spellings of the same word are
equally current, the one most familiar to the
largest numbers of users, based on reference
sources, is chosen.
• for example, Labor instead of Labour;
Catalog instead of Catalogue.

15. Choice between English and Foreign Terms
• There is not English term of r the concept and the
concept is normally expressed in foreign terms
even in English-language works and reference
sources, Eg:Bonsai; Coups d’etat; Opera
comique
• Based on proper research, no citation to the
concept can be found in any English-language
work or reference sources, and the concept
appears to be unique to the language in
question, Eg: Waqf

16. Choice between Scientific and PopularTerms
• In LCSH popular terms are
generally used if they are in common use and
unambiguous
• Eg: Cockroaches instead of Blattaria; Lizards
instead of Lacertilia.

17. Choice between Obsolete and Current Terms
• A new invention or concept is sometimes called
different names by different people, and the
cataloger is in the position of having to choose
among several possible names without much help
or guidance from outside sources
• One example was the choice of Electronic-
calculating-machines as the heading for
computers when they first appeared, a heading
that was later replaced by Computers.

18. UNIQUE HEADING
• The principle of unique headings, that is, the idea that
each heading should represent only one subject
• Cutter’s rule states: “Carefully separate the entries on
different subjects bearing the same name, or take some
other heading in place of one of the homonyms.”
• E.g. Cold: Cold (Disease) and Rings (Algebra); Rings
(Gymnastics), so that each heading represents only one
subject or concept.

19. SPECIFIC ENTRYAND
COEXTENSIVITY
• Each subject in LCSH is represented by the most
specific, or precise, term that names the
subject, rather than a broader or generic term that
encompasses the subject
• The term used to represent a subject is
coextensive with the subject.
• In rare cases, a broader term may be used when
the most specific term is considered too narrow
and therefore not likely to be sought by catalog
users.

20. INTERNAL
CONSISTENCY
• a subject catalog should be internally
consistent.
• The consistency as well as stability is a factor
in end-user ease of consultation

21. STABILITY
• Stability is one principle underlyingLCSH that
receives little attention in the literature but
still must be kept in mind by anyone studying
the system with an eye to the future
• That principle calls for maintaining asmuch
stability in the system as is compatible with
the need to keep it responsive to changing
conditions.

22. PRECORDINATION
• The combination of multiple topics or facets may take place
either when the heading enters the vocabulary or when it is
assigned to a document
• In the former approach, called enumeration, complex
headings are listed in full; in the latter,
synthesis, individual terms are listed separately
called
to be
combined by the cataloger or indexer as needed
Adjectival Phrases:
•
•
•
•
Chuck wagon racing
Energy labeling
Plant inspection
Wildlife recovery

23. POST COORDINATION
• In Cataloging, a work on a complex subject for
which there is no coextensive heading in LCSH and
for which one cannot be synthesized, the subject
cataloger at the Library of Congress may either
propose a new heading as required for the work
being cataloged (a procedure currently preferred) or
choose to use several existing headings, that is take
the post coordinate approach, if the topic in question
appears to be new but is judged to be not yet discrete
and identifiable

24. POST COORDINATION
Example:
Title: Intercultural competence : interpersonal
communication across cultures
SUBJECTS:
Intercultural communication;
Interpersonal communication-United States
Communicative competence – United States.

25. FORMS OF MAIN HEADINGS
• Main headings used in the Library of Congress (LC)
subject headings system fall into two main categories:
topical/form headings and name headings
• Most headings in the first category represent objects
or concepts; a small number of them represent forms
or genres
• Headings containing proper names, on the other hand,
may also be assigned as subject headings to works
discussing individual persons, cooperate bodies,
places and other entities bearing proper names

26. FORMS OF MAIN HEADINGS
Different forms of main headings are:
• SINGLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
• MULTIPLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS

27. SINGLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
• Single – concept headings appear in the form of single-word
terms or multiple-word terms
SINGLE WORD HEADINGS
• The simplest form of main heading is a noun or
substantive, which represents a single object or concept, for
example:
Catalogs
Bioinformatics
MULTIPLE-WORD HEADINGS
• When a single object or concept cannot be properly expressed
by a single noun, a phrase in used
• Multiword terms appear in the form of adjectival or
prepositional phrases
• Chemistry

28. SINGLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
ADJACETIVE PHRASE HEADINGS
• The most common phrase headings consist of a noun or noun
phrase with an adjectival modifier
• The modifier takes one of the following forms:
Common Adjective
Automotive computers
Digital art
Financial writers
Universal design

29. MULTIPLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
COMPOUND PHRASES
• Compound phrase headings, consisting or two or more
nouns, nouns phrases, or both, with or without
modifiers, connected by the word and, the word or, or
the word etc., serve various purposes
• To express a reciprocal relationship between two general
topics discussed at a broad level form the perspectives of
both topics, for example :
Art and technology
Education and state
Internet and teenagers
Library and labor unions

30. MULTIPLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE HEADINGS
• Consisting of nouns, noun phrases, or both with or without
modifiers, and connected by one or more propositions, are used
to express complex relationships between topics
example:
Care of sick animals
Counseling in elementary education
Federal aid to youth services
SEMANTICS
• The principle of unique headings requires that each headings
represent only one subject
• A qualifier is a word or phrase enclosed withinparentheses
following the heading.
Heliosphere (Astrophysics)
Heliosphere (Ionosphere)

31. MULTIPLE – CONCEPT HEADINGS
INVERTED HEADINGS
• In the past, many phrase headings were established
in the inverted from in order to bring a significant
word into a prominent position as the entry
element, a practice that resulted in better collection
of related topics
Calendar, Celtic
Chemistry, Organic
Education, higher
Philosophy, Modern

32. PROPER NAME HEADING
• In the LCSH system, proper names may be assigned
as main headings, as part of subject strings, or as
subdivision
• The term proper names includes personal
names, names of corporate bodies, names of
conference and meetings, geographical names, names
of works established as uniform titles, and names of
individual entities

33. PERSONALNAMES
• Name of individual persons are used as subject headings for
biographies, eulogies, festschriften, criticisms, bibliographies, a
nd literary works in which the persons figure
• At the Library of Congress, to ensure that the same form of a
personal name is used for both author and subject, headings
consisting of names of persons are established according to
AACR2R
E.g.
Alexander, the Great, 356-323 B.C
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824

34. NAMES OF FAMILIES, DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC
• The heading for a family appears in the form of (Proper name)
family, for example, Bush family
• The older form with a qualifier, for example, smith family
(William smith, 1669-1743) has been discontinued
• No effort is made to distinguish between families with the same
surname
• The heading Kennedy family, for eg, is used for works about
any family with the surname Kennedy.
Adams family
Bailly family
Cook family

35. NAME OF THE MYTHOLOGICAL, LEGENDARY, OR
FICTITIOUS CHARACTERS
• They are often required as subject headings
• Headings for mythological characters that are not gods or
goddesses are established in the form of (Names of character)
([Ethnic adjective] mythology)
example:
Draupadi (Hindu Mythology)
Lilith (Semitic mythology
• The qualifier (Legendary character) is use with headings for
legendary characters
Aeneas (Legendary character)
Anansi (Legendary Character)
Brer Rabbit (Legendary Character)

36. NAMES OF GODS ANDGODDESSES
• Name of gods and goddesses are established in the form of [Names
example:of god or goddess] ([Ethnic adjective] deity), for
Amon (Egyptian deity)
Apollo (Greek deity)
NAMES OF CORPORATE BODIES
• Works related to the original development, activities, and functions
of individual corporate bodies are assigned subject headings under
their names
• Corporate bodies include public and private
organizations, societies, associations, institutions, government
agencies, commercial firms, churches, and other groups identified by
a name, such as conferences and exploring expeditions
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (Smithsonian Institution)
Cleveland Browns (football team : 1999)

37. OTHER INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES BEARING PROPER NAMES
• In addition to the proper names , many other
individual entities that bear proper names also serve
as subject headings
Animals
Historical Events
Prizes, Awards, Scholarships
Holidays, Festivals
Ethnic Groups, Nationalities, Tribes etc

38. GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
• Geographic names are used widely in both subject
and descriptive cataloging
• As subject headings, they may be the main heading or
part of a heading phrase, they may be used as sub
divisions or they may figure as qualifiers
E.g.
Norway – Description and travel
Paris (France) in motion pictures

39. Jurisdictional Headings
• Entities that can be called jurisdictions include
countries, principalities, territories, states, provinces, counties
, administrative districts, cities, archdioceses, and dioceses
E.g.
Bavaria (Germany)
Berlin (Germany)
Non-Jurisdictional Headings
• Many headings for geographic areas or entities are not
jurisdictional units
• These headings are established in LCSH, with the exception of
those formed by using free-floating terms
E.g.
Archaeological sites, historical cities etc
Areas and regions

40. SUBDIVISIONS
• In the Library of Congress subject headings
system, a main heading may be subdivided by
one or more elements called subdivisions
• There are four types of subdivisions in the
Library of Congress subject headingssystem
1) Geographical Subdivision 2) Form Subdivision
3) Chronological Subdivision 4) Topical Subdivision

41. Geographical
Subdivision
• When a geographic aspect of the subject is of
significance, geographic(also called place or
local) subdivisions are oftenused.
• There are two forms of geographic
subdivision: Direct andIndirect
• E.g. Catholic Church –Belgium

42. Form
Subdivision
• Form subdivisions may be defined as the
extension of a subject heading based on the
form or arrangement of the subject matter in
the book
• Form subdivision include those that indicate
either the physical or the bibliographical form
of a work
• E.g. India-map

43. Chronological
Subdivision
• A chronological subdivision brings out the
time period of the subject represented by the
main headings.
• Chronological Subdivision may follow the
main heading directly or appear after another
subdivision
• E.g.Public libraries- Kerala-1970

44. Topical
Subdivision
• A topical subdivision represents an aspect of
the main heading other than space, time,or
form.
• E.g.
Auditions-Standards
Cats-Behavior therapy

45. CROSS REFERENCE
• Three types of relationships arerepresented
in the cross-reference structure of LCSH :
equivalence, hierarchical, and associative.
• These relationships are expressed in terms of
USE and UF (Used for), BT(Broader term) and
NT (Narrower term), RT(Related term), andSA
(See also) references

46. Conclusio
n
• LCSH is comparatively simple touse.
• The rules and principles are fairly explicit in
their directions, containing scope notes and
specific instructions for theiruse.
• If followed consistently, LCSH will provide
useful reference guide for the user and also to
the library referencestaff.

47. THANKU