Update on GenreForm Projects at the Library of Congress

1
Update on Genre/Form Projects at the Library of
Congress

• Janis L. Young
• Cataloging Policy and Support Office
• Library of Congress
• January 2008

2
Agenda

• Achievements of the moving image project
• Issues and problems encountered
• Future steps

3
Achievements

• Records Approximately 200 records have been
  approved and released since September 2007
• Policy H 1913, Moving Image Genre/Form
  Headings, has been drafted, revised, and
  published
• Positive feedback about the amount and quality of
  information dissemination and opportunities for
  comment

4
Resolved issuesMoving images

• Moving image works for the hearing and sight
  impaired
• Reinstatement of headings Video recordings for
  the hearing impaired and Video recordings for
  people with visual disabilities

5
Resolved issues Moving images

• Geographic subdivision
• Arguments against not part of the genre or the
  form country of production elsewhere in record
  possible misinterpretation of meaning
• Arguments for system limitations co-produced
  works may be hard to find evidence that users
  utilize geographic subdivision

6
Resolved issues Moving images

• Geographic subdivision
• Proposed change in policy Geographic
  subdivision of moving image genre/form headings
  will be permitted, to denote the country of
  production
• LC may not apply geographic subdivisions
• Should not be interpreted as a precedent for
  genre/form headings for other disciplines

7
Resolved issues Moving images

• Headings for language
• (e.g., Spanish language films . . .
  filmsSpanish)
• Arguments against not part of the genre or the
  form of a work language(s) of work available
  elsewhere in record
• Arguments for system limitations users may find
  it easier to find works in a specific language by
  using a heading, rather than limiting a search
• Recommended Policy There will be no provision
  for the language of a work

8
Moving image issues to be resolved

• Crossover terms
• The projects are incremental, and LCSH is very
  interconnected
• When should headings that belong to more than one
  discipline be created (e.g., Opera films)?
• How far should the BT/NT/RT chains be followed
  (e.g., Television adaptations BT is Television
  scripts, a literary heading)?

9
Moving image issues to be resolved

• Should topical form headings, coded 150, continue
  to be subdivided in all cases?
• Current practice
• 650 Horror filmsHistory and criticism.
• 655 Horror films.
• Future practice?
• 650 Horror films.
• 655 Horror films.
• If change is made, huge database maintenance and
  training issues will result

10
Overarching issue

• Development being done in a live database
• Policies may appear to be more stable than they
  in fact are, and changes sometimes lead to
  confusion
• But, allows for community involvement and
  provides many opportunities for feedback and
  collaboration, two goals of the project
• Thank you for your patience!

11
Future directions

• Moving images
• More headings will be submitted and approved
• Revision to H 1913, Moving Image Genre/Form
  headings, will be released in Update package 1,
  2008
• Non-musical sound recordings
• SCM memo for radio programs is being drafted and
  will be posted for comment
• Headings based on the Radio Form/Genre Terms
  Guide (RADFG) are being created
• Future projects?

12
Future directions

• SACO genre/form proposals are not being accepted
  yet
• 100 additional headings being prepared in CPSO
• SACO libraries may continue to submit headings
  coded 150, and CPSO will create additional
  genre/form authority records as appropriate