LCSH and Other Thesauri

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LCSH and Other Thesauri

• April 6, 2005

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Overview

• Geographic subdivisions in LCSH
• Wrap-up exercise on LCSH
• Other thesauri
• Sears
• Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) next week
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus next week

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Form of the geographic name

• Use the form of the geographic name as
  established in the authority file
• When the name of a place has changed over the
  course of its existence, LC policy is to use the
  latest name
• Tea trade z Sri Lanka
• not
• Tea trade z Ceylon

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One subfield z or two?direct and indirect
subdivision

• Direct the geographic subdivision is assigned in
  a single subfield z, without interposing the
  name of a larger place.
• General rule for places at the country level or
  above, subdivide directly
• Biological diversity z Nepal
• Economic stabilization z Middle East

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One subfield z or two?direct and indirect
subdivision (2)

• Indirect the name of a larger place is given in
  one subfield z, followed by the name of a more
  specific local place in a separate subfield z.
• General rule for places within a country,
  subdivide indirectly, with the name of the
  country in the first subfield z
• Housing z India z New Delhi

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Exceptional countries

• The first-order political divisions of
• Canada (provinces)
• Great Britain (constituent countries)
• United States (states)
• follow the topical element directly
• Education, Bilingual z Ontario
• Dance music z Scotland
• Energy conservation z California

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Exceptional countries (2)

• When subdividing these entities further by a
  local place (e.g., city or county), the name of
  the first-order political division is interposed
• Arts z British Columbia z Vancouver
• Shipping z England z Thames River
• Plants z California z Los Angeles

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Inverted headings for regions

• Inverted headings for specific regions of
  countries (or first-order political divisions
  above), such as
• Scotland, Central
• China, Southeast
• are assigned directly after topics
• Bicycle touring z Scotland, Central
• Temples z China, Southeast

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Regions larger than countries

• Jurisdictions or regions larger than a single
  country (or first-order political divisions
  above) are assigned directly after topics.
• These may include historical kingdoms, regions of
  the U.S., and geographic features
• Criminal law z Holy Roman Empire
• Hurricane protection z South Atlantic States
• Animal behavior z Rocky Mountains

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Exceptional cities

• Two cities, Jerusalem and Washington (D.C.), are
  assigned directly after topics
• Manuscripts, Hebrew z Jerusalem
• Architecture z Washington (D.C.)
• New York (N.Y.) was formerly assigned directly,
  but is now treated the same as other cities
• Baseball z New York (State) z New York

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Islands

• Islands present a number of complex issues in
  subject cataloging! See H 807 for details.
• Names of islands or island groups generally
  follow standard geographic subdivision
  procedures
• Indirectly through country that has jurisdiction
• Or directly, if island is autonomous
• Exceptions apply, relating to distance from a
  controlling jurisdiction, to islands in a group,
  to islands of the Caribbean, etc. See H 807!

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Antarctica

• Entities on the continent of Antarctica or within
  the Antarctic regions are divided through
  Antarctica
• Emperor penguin z Antarctica z Antarctic
  Peninsula
• Oceanography z Antarctica z Weddell Sea

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Levels of geographic subdivision

• No more than two levels of geographic subdivision
  may be used in a heading
• Education z New York (State) z Buffalo
• not
• Education z New York (State) z Erie County z
  Buffalo

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Levels of geographic subdivision (2)

• Do not divide topics geographically below the
  level of a city or town.
• Assign additional headings to bring out city
  sections, parks, streets, etc.
• Title Going Hollywood an insiders look at
  power and pretense in the movie business
• Motion picture industry z California z Los
  Angeles
• Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)
• not Motion picture industry z California z Los
  Angeles z Hollywood
• not Motion picture industry z California z
  Hollywood (Los Angeles)

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Subdivisions further subdivided by place H 860,
H 870

• When a subject heading includes a topical
  subdivision, where is the geographic subdivision
  placed?
• Preferred, when possible
• Main heading x Topic z Place y Time v
  Form
• Sometimes necessary
• Main heading z Place x Topic y Time v
  Form

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Subdivisions further subdividedby place (2)

• Determine whether the topical subdivision may be
  subdivided geographically
• x Labeling (May Subd Geog)
• Use under types of products.
• Farm produce x Labeling z United States
• The subdivision x Citizen participation may NOT
  be subdivided by place
• Crime prevention z Ohio x Citizen participation

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More than one topicalsubdivision

• SCM H 860 When combining a main heading with a
  place name and more than one topical subdivision,
  place any needed geographic subdivisions
  following the last subdivision that is authorized
  for further subdivision by place.

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Example multiple topicalsubdivisions

• Heading
• Roads x Design and construction x Environmental
  aspects
• Where would the geographic subdivision z
  Illinois be placed?

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Multiple topical subdivisions (2)

• Authorized for geographic subdivision?
• Main heading Roads YES
• Free-floating subdivision
• Design and construction NO
• Environmental aspects YES
• Roads x Design and construction x Environmental
  aspects z Illinois
• but Roads z Illinois x Design and construction

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Authority records field 781

• 781 field conveys the same information in the
  form in which it will appear as a subdivision in
  bibliographic records
• The field can be found in nearly all subject
  authority records for geographic headings that
  may be used as geographic subdivisions
• The field is also being added to name authority
  records for geographic headings

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Examples 781 field

• 151 a Belgrade (Serbia)
• 781 _0 z Serbia and Montenegro z Belgrade
  (Serbia)
• 151 a Johnson Creek (Whatcom County, Wash.)
• 781 _0 z Washington (State) z Johnson Creek
  (Whatcom County)

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Golden Arches East

• society in East Asia
• consumers behaviors
• cultural anthropology research
• global influence of culture
• societal/social change
• McDonald's
• cultural differences
• ethnography
• American culture

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Golden Arches East

• Consumer behavior--East Asia.  
• Ethnology--East Asia.
• United StatesCivilization.  
• Culture and globalizationEast Asia.
• McDonalds Corporation.

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LCs subject headings for Golden arches east

• McDonald's Corporation.
• Fast food restaurants--Social aspects--East Asia.
• East Asia--Social life and customs.

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The Professor and the Madman

• Oxford English dictionary
• James Murray
• W. C. Minor
• Volunteer contributions
• Literary history
• 2nd half of 19th century
• Lexicography (LCSH Lexicography)
• United Kingdom
• Insanity (LCSH Insanity but legal aspects
  only)
• American Civil War (LCSH United
  States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865)

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LCs subject headings for The Professor and the
Madman

• Oxford English dictionary.
• New English dictionary on historical principles.
• English languageLexicographyHistory19th
  century.
• Murray, James Augustus Henry, Sir, 1837-1915.
• LexicographersGreat BritainBiography.
• Minor, William Chester.
• Psychiatric hospital patientsGreat Britain
  Biography.
• United StatesHistoryCivil War,
  1861-1865VeteransBiography.
• English languageEtymology.

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Other Thesauri and Subject Heading Lists

• Sears
• MeSH
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus

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Sears List of Subject Headings

• Created by Minnie Earl Sears (1923) List of
  Subject Headings for Small Libraries
• Based on subject headings in 9 small libraries
• 2004 18th edition, H.W. Wilson Co.
• Used by many small public and school libraries in
  the U.S.

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Sears List (cont.)

• Created as a simpler alternative to LCSH
• Headings tend to be shorter than LCSH
• Has syndetic structure
• One volume significantly fewer subject headings
• Includes instructions, with examples, for
  creating further headings as needed

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Sears List (cont.)

• If the name of a specific subject is not found in
  the List, the name of the larger group to which
  it belongs should be consulted, e.g., 
• Trees        Names of all trees are not included
  in this List but are to be added as needed, in
  the singular form, e.g., Oak etc.

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Sears List (cont.)

• Sears uses popular or common names, rather than a
  scientific or technical ones, where there is a
  choice, e.g., 
• Birds not Ornithology 
• Fishes not Ichthyology

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Sears List subdivisions

• Sears typically does not employ as many
  subdivisions as LCSH.  Usually one subdivision is
  used rarely more than two subdivisions.

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Sears Examples

• Bible 220     The subject subdivision under
  Bible may be used also for any part of the
  Bible... e.g. Bible. O.T. -- Biography.     x
  Holy Scriptures Scriptures, Holy.     xx Hebrew
  literature          History, Ancient         
  Jewish literature          Sacred books
• Bible -- Antiquities 220.9     see also
  Christian antiquities

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Bible entry in LCSH

• Bible  R S D
• Works that discuss the Bible in a particular
  language are entered under the heading Bible with
  the name of the language as subheading, e.g.
  Bible. English.
• SA headings of the type topic in the Bible,
  e.g. Animals in the Bible
•  
• Bible--Abridgments  R S D
• BS405-408  B L S D
• UF Abridgments of the Bible
• NT Bible--Thumb Bibles  R
•  
• Bible--Abstracting and indexing   (May Subd
  Geog)  R S D

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Sears Examples (cont.)

• LCSH
• Cookery.
• Handbooks, vade-mecums, etc. 
• Pictorial works 
• USE subdivision Pictorial works under names of
  countries, cities, etc., individual persons,
  families, corporate bodies, and under classes of
  persons, ethnic groups, and topical headings
• Sears
• Cooking.
• Handbooks, manuals, etc.   
• Pictorial works