Page 125 - DLIS405_INFORMATION_STORAGE_AND_RETRIEVAL

Information Storage and Retrieval Seema Sharma, Lovely Professional University

Notes
Unit 13: Subject Headings

CONTENTS
Objectives

Introduction

13.1 Sears List of Subject Heading
13.2 Library of Congress Subject Headings

13.3 LCSH Policy Issues

13.4 Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
13.5 Summary

13.6 Keywords
13.7 Review Questions

13.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• Define sears list of subject heading
• Explain library of congress subject heading
• Describe medical subject headings.

Introduction

Access problems such as these have, over time, spurred the use of subject headings that indicate the
topics covered by materials in the library. Because consistency is an important issue when providing
access to information in a library catalogue, there have been a small number of very comprehensive
and regularly updated subject lists developed for use in libraries. The two most commonly used
lists for public, academic and school libraries are Sears List of Subject Headings and Library of
Congress Subject Headings. These lists were developed to try to cover most known topics in a
consistent manner, enabling libraries to provide access to materials on similar subjects less than one
consistent term.
Specialized lists have also been developed for the use of libraries that deal only with areas such as
medical or agricultural information. This type of specialized list contains a more detailed breakdown
of the information area, appropriate to the more detailed level of coverage in special libraries. These
specialized lists have usually been developed under the auspices of a knowledgeable, respected
institution, such as the National Library of Medicine or the National Agricultural Library, or by
large organizations or database creators who are dealing with a specific topic.

120 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY