This document provides an overview of the history and principles of subject cataloging. It discusses how subject cataloging emerged in the mid-19th century due to rapid growth of knowledge and information. Key terms like subject headings and subject cataloging are defined. Types of subject heading lists like Sears List of Subject Headings and Library of Congress Subject Headings are described. Principles of subject cataloging like uniform and unique headings are covered.

1. PREPARED BY:
MERALUNA P. TION, RL
ORGANIZATION OF RECORDED
KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION
MLIS 206

2. The concept of subject cataloguing appeared
on the scene in the mid-nineteenth century.
Before then, descriptive cataloging was the
only library cataloging that was practiced.
Libraries were much smaller than they are
today, and scholarly librarians then were able
with the aid of printed bibliographies, to be
familiar with everything available on a given
subject and guide the users to it.

3. With the rapid growth of knowledge in many
fields in the course of the nineteenth century and
the consequential increase in the volume of
books and other library materials, it became
desirable to do a preliminary subject analysis of
such works and then to represent them in the
catalogue in such a way that they would be
retrievable by subject.
This is subject cataloguing (Miller, 2004).

4. OBJECTIVES
 Feature brief history background of subject
cataloging.
 To identify the principles of subject cataloging.
 To identify the types of Subject Headings
 To understand the rules in using Sears list of
Subject Headings and Library of Congress Subject
Headings.

5. OUTLINE
Brief History Background of SC
 Definitions of Terms
 Types of Subject Headings
Principles of Subject Headings
 Sears list of Subject Headings
 Library of Congress Subject Headings

6. 1869: Catalogue of the Library of Congress: Index of Subjects
Since 1888, other libraries have contributed subject headings
to
LCSH as well.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is an accumulation
of
the subject headings that have been established at the Library of
Congress since 1898 and used in its cataloging.
1898: LC decided to switch to a dictionary catalog with subject
headings based on ALA's List of Subject Headings for Use in
Dictionary Catalogs.
BRIEF
HISTORY

7. BRIEF
HISTORY
1975: renamed Library of Congress Subject Headings
1982-1984:
o ALA-sponsored regional institutes on LCSH
o formation of Cooperative Subject Cataloging
Projects
(CSCP) for enriching LCSH
o publication of Subject Headings Manual
1986: LCSH converted to machine-readable form;
weekly tape

8. 1991: Airlie House Subject Subdivisions Conference
convened
1995: Subject Authority Cooperative Program (SACO)
formed
1999: Implementation of MARC subfield code $v for form
subdivisions
2002: Launching of Classification Web: inauguration of
Web

9. SUBJECT CATALOGING
Involves the subject analysis of the
resource and providing corresponding subject
headings from a controlled vocabulary or
subject heading list, such as: Library of
Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Medical
Subject Headings (MESH)
And assignment of classification numbers
using schemes such as:
Library of Congress Classification (LCC) or
Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
DEFINITION

10. 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
Subject heading should be a
synonym and indication of the
specific subject of a book

11. TYPES OF SUBJECT HEADINGS
Sears list of Subject Heading (SLSH)
A.L.A. List of Subject
Headings
for Use in Dictionary
Catalogues.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

12. SEARSLISTOF
SUBJECTHEADING
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
※Developed by Minnie Earl
Sears
※First title : List of Subject
Headings for Small Libraries
※ Has patterns with LCSH with
modifications appropriate for
small libraries

13. SEARSLISTOF
TYPES OF MAIN
HEADINGS
※Topical
※Place or geographic
※Form
※ Name

14. SEARSLISTOF
SUBDIVISIONS
Types:
Topical
Ex.: English language--Grammar
Geographic/Place
Ex.: Flowers--Australia
Chronological/Period
Ex.: Philippines-History-1946-1971
Form
Ex.: Chemistry-Dictionaries
ORDER OF SUBDIVISIONS:
Main Heading-Topical-Geographic-Chronological-
Form

15. SEARSLISTOF
OMITTED SUBJECT HEADINGS
Terms not included in the list but
can be supplied by the cataloger:
※Proper names for persons,
families, places, nationalities,
national languages and
literatures, events, ethnic tribes
and corporate bodies
※Common names of animals,
plants, objects, activities,
diseases, foods, chemicals,
minerals, etc.

16. LIBRARYOFCONGRESS
SUBJECTHEADINGS
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
※ Originally developed by the Library of
Congress for use on its cataloging records.
※ First published in 1914.
※ Purpose of LCSH is providing subject access
points to the bibliographic records contained
in the LC catalogues & LCSH is a tool for
subject indexing of library catalogs in general.

17. LIBRARYOFCONGRESS
SUBJECTHEADINGS
TYPES OF MAIN
HEADINGS
※ Topical
※ Form
※ Headings for named
entities
HEADINGS FOR NAMED
ENTITIES
※ Personal names
※ Corporate names
※ Geographic names
◇ Jurisdictional
◇ Non-jurisdictional

18. LIBRARYOFCONGRESS
SUBJECTHEADINGS
PERSONAL NAMES
Follow AACR2R rules as regards format.
※ Person
Ex.: Defoe, Daniel, 1661-
1771
※ Families
Ex.: Aquino family
※ Gods/goddesses
Ex.: Zeus (Greek deity)
※ Legendary character
Ex.: Merlin (Legendary
character)
CORPORATE NAMES
Follow AACR2R format of headings
for corporate bodies.
If used as main entry, its form of
form of heading should be similar
similar with the subject entry.

19. LIBRARYOFCONGRESS
SUBJECTHEADINGS
JURISDICTIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Names
◆Established according to AACR2R
Examples:
Philippines
Vigan (Ilocos Sur, Philippines)
◆ Regardless of the changes in geographic
jurisdictions, the current name of the place should
be used.
NON-JURISDICTIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
Names
◆ Names of natural
geographic features
may be used as subject
entries but not used as
main entries.
Examples:
Amazon River
Ohio River Valley
GEOGRAPHIC NAMES

20. LIBRARYOFCONGRESS
SUBJECTHEADINGS
SUBDIVISIONS
※ Topical
※ Form
※ Geographic
※ Chronological
※ Free floating
(form or topical)
FREEFLOATING SUBDIVISIONS
※ Free floating subdivisions of general application
Ex. Mathematics-Study and teaching
※ Free floating subdivisions under specific types of headings
Ex. Actors-Political activity
※ Free floating subdivisions indicated by "multiples"
Ex. Birth control-Religious aspects-
Buddhism-Christianity, etc.
※ Free floating subdivisions controlled by pattern headings

21. PRINCIPLES OF SUBJECT CATALOGING
USE & USAGE
Birds instead of Ornithology (for a public library catalog)
UNIFORM HEADINGS
Each subject should be represented in the catalog under only one
heading and under only one form and format.
Synonymous terms Variant spellings
Foreign terms vs. local terms Technical vs. popular terms
Obsolete vs. current terms

22. UNIFORM HEADINGS
Synonymous Terms
 Adventure fiction
UF Adventure and adventures Fiction
Adventure stories
Suspense novels
Variant Spellings
 Aesthetics
UF Esthetics
 Archeology
UF Archaeology
Foreign Terms Vs. Local Terms
 Dung-aw- Crying for the dead
 Pinakbet instead of Vegetable in tomato sauce
 Bagnetinstead of Deep fried pork
Technical vs. Popular Terms
Cryogenics
 USE Coldtemperatures
Gynecology
 USE WomenHealth and hygiene
Obsoletevs. Current Terms
Computing machines
 USE Computers
Blacks
 USE African American

23. UNIQUE
HEADINGS
The same term should
not be used in more
than one sense.
Example:
 Cold (Disease)
 Cold (Temperature)

24. SPECIFIC
ENTRY
Chose the most specific
subject heading available.
Example:
Cats - instead of Animals
(if the book is about cats
only)

25. Terminology
the terminology of system users who are searching for material on a subject should be the same
as the vocabulary used to index materials in the collection on this subject.
When differences can be predicted before retrieval, the catalog can give users direction in the
form of see references to established subject
SEEREFERENCEShave been given the designation "USE" REFERENCES. Chan (1986, 94–101)
CROSS REFERENCES
See or USE - unauthorized to
authorized
See also – related headings
BT – broader term
NT - narrower term
RT - related term
General reference - covers an entire
category or class of
headings

26. PHASE RELATIONS
Influence phase
Ex.: Role of sociology in education
Bias phase
Ex.: Biology for Philippine schools
Tool or application phase
Ex.: Use of mathematics in art •
Comparison phase
Ex.: Asian literature

27. CONCLUSION
IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECT CATALOGING
 It helps in determining subject
Content, When the title of the work does
not completely indicate what the material is
all about.
 It provides access to all relevant
materials by subject.
 It brings together all references to
materials on the same subject.
 It shows subject fields affiliations.
 It provides a formal description of
subject content.

28. REFERENCES
 Mabisa, Liezel A. (2021). Subject Cataloging. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKwGMD7XZt8&t=1808s.
 Mortel, Ime Amor. (2012). Subject Cataloging: a review. Retrieved from