Library Of Congress Subject Headings » (4th Edition)

LOIS MAI CHAN is Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky.

Chan (library and information science, U. of Kentucky) explains the current practices and uses of the Library of Congress Subject Heading system, updating the material to reflect changes since the last edition of the text appeared in 1995. He first gives a brief history of the system, analyzes its principles, and describes its provisions for vocabulary and subject authority control. He then delves into the Library of Congress's subject cataloging policies and the theoretical assumptions behind them, using subject headings extracted from the Library's MARC records as examples and discussing both assignment of subject headings in general and how to handle particular types of material, including various types of electronic resources and interactive media. Finally, he places the system in the context of the networked environment and explains Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST), the LCSH-based controlled vocabulary designed for electronic resources that is currently under development at the Online Computer Library Center. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Booknews

The standard guide to the Library of Congress subject headings, revised and updated to reflect changes and developments since the second edition of 1986. Part 1 gives a brief history of the system, analyzes its principles, and describes the vocabulary and subject authority control. Part 2 deals with the application of LC subject headings on LC MARC records. Part 3 discusses the future prospects of the system as an online retrieval tool. Includes 13 appendices and a glossary. Paper edition (unseen), $35. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)