Page 203 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes 10.4 Types of Subject Headings

Following are the types of subject headings:
1. Topical Headings: Topical subject heading is simply the words or phrase for common
things to represent the content of various works. The word commonly used in a literary
work should represent the item catalogued. Common usage is one criterion for subject
heading. Abiding Cutter’s rule of specificity and choosing a single word or phrase from
among its synonyms and near-synonyms are necessary to maintain uniformity in a library
catalogue. Subject headings should be clear and unambiguous.

In choosing one term as a subject heading from among several possibilities the cataloguer
must also think of the spelling, number and connotations of the various forms.
2. Form of Headings: Form headings mean the intellectual form of the materials. Some form
headings describe the general arrangement of the material and the purpose of the work
such as Almanacs, Directories, Gazetteers, Encyclopaedias and Dictionaries.
Other form headings are literary forms and genres. Headings for major literary forms are
used for collections only; for example Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Essays.

Notes Minor literary forms (genres) are much more numerous and assigned to individual
literary works.
The distinction between form headings and topical headings in literature can sometimes
be made by using the singular form for the topical heading and the plural for the form
heading the peculiarities of language, however, do not always permit the distinction.
3. Geographic Headings: The appropriate subject heading for geographic areas, countries,
cities, etc. are the names of the place in question. The List does not attempt to provide
geographic headings, which are numerous and far beyond the scope of a single volume.
The cataloguer must establish geographic headings as needed with the aid of standard
reference sources. There are two categories, with various complicating factors:
(a) Places that have or had jurisdictional status on some level: Such places – e.g., countries,
cities, and provinces – have governments that could issue works and thus could
function as corporate authors.

Example: Argentina
Louisiana
Jefferson Parish (La.)
North Yorkshire (England)
LC might set up a jurisdiction in its name authority file or its subject authority
file – depending on the situation and, historically, who got to it first. The form of
access point should be the same whether its function in the record is to represent a
responsible body or subject. The rules for construction are covered in AACR2 revised
(chapter 23) and the associated LCRI. Additional relevant rules show up in the
Subject Cataloguing Manual: Subject Headings.

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