IML555 Subject Cataloguing

and Classification
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF
SUBJECT CATALOGING

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Introduction

 Rules for subject headings in a

dictionary catalog was proposed by
Charles Ammi Cutter in his “Rules for a
Dictionary Catalog”
 the basis of subject headings

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Objectives

 Two objectives
 to enable a person to find a book of which
the subject is known
 to show what the library has on a given
subject

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Basic Principles:

1. Convenience of the public

(User and Usage)
2. Uniform and Unique Headings
3. Specific and Direct Entry
4. Consistent and Current Terminology
5. Provision for Cross-references

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1.Convenience of the Public
(The User and Usage )
 most important consideration in the
cataloging of library materials is
 the best interest of the user
 “the public’s habitual way of looking at
things”.
 habits should not be ignored even
sometime it is out of logic and simplicity.

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…Convenience of the public
(The User and Usage )

 User’s need
 an important determining factor in selecting the
terms and the forms of subject headings.
 difficult to define “user and usage”because no
such thing as one “typical library user”.

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Patron habits
 come to the library
 different backgrounds, different purposes
 No one objective way to determine
 how they approach the catalog and what is their purposes.
 Catalogers formed subject headings on the basis of
 what they assume to be the needs and habits of users

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Effective subject access
 to attempt to develop a system
 that adheres to strictly formed principles,
 assuming that a logical and consistent
system can be learned by its users.
 Cutter’s rules
 lay the groundwork
 for a logical and consistent
 subject access apparatus.

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2.Uniform and unique Headings

 to
show what a collection or a
database has on a given subject
headings
 must bring under one heading
 all the material dealing with a
particular subject.

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…Principle of uniform headings

 Subject with more than one name

 e.g. Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C
 one must be chosen for the heading.
 Variant spelling of the same term
 e.g. Marihuana and Marijuana

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…Principle of uniform headings

 Different
possible forms of the
same heading
 E.g.

Air – Quality or Quality of air

 One must be chosen
 with the other as lead-in terms

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…Principle of uniform headings
 Duplicate entries
 sometimes may be used
 to provide access under both
 especially in the manual catalogs.
 E.g.
 United States – Foreign relations – Japan
 Japan – Foreign relations – United States

 In online catalogs,
 duplicate entries have little value.

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Principle of Unique Headings
 same term should not be used
 for more than one subject.
 For different disciplines or fields of
knowledge,
 qualification or clarification must be added
 to make clear the meaning,
 e.g.
 Cold
 Cold (Disease)

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3. Specific / Direct Entry

 required a heading
 to be as specific
 as the topic intended to cover

 that represent its subject content.

 coextensive with the subject content of

the work.
 major characteristics of the headings
entries

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Principle of Specific Entry

 governs on how subject headings;

 are formed
 thesaurus construction and maintenance
 are assigned to documents through
 indexing or
 subject cataloging

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4. Consistent / Current
Terminology
 for uniform headings,
 terminology in headings must be consistent
and current.
 related to “synonymy and changing usage”.

 Synonymous terms
 require difficult decisions to choose.

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…Consistent / Current Terminology
 Common usage prevails
 when it can be determined
 E.g.,
 a popular term is preferred to a scientific
one in a
 general library
 standard lists of headings
 designed for general collections.

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…Consistent / Current
Terminology
 more specialized a library’s collection
and users,
 more specialized its indexing terminology
should be.
 Special libraries often develop
 their own thesauri
 modifications of standard lists.

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Changes in Usage
 may also bring practical difficulties.
 term may be chosen
 of common usage at the time it is established
 literary warrant
 but become obsolete later.
 new subjects,
 takes time to establish.
 E.g.
 earlier headings for Computers,
 Electronic calculating machines
 later change to
 Computers

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…Changes in usage
 revising of thesauri or subject heading
lists
 keep pace with the updating work
 updating obsolete vocabulary
 still a problem in cataloging workload
because
 a large number of items listed under the existing
subject headings.
 the changes slower in implementation

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…Changes in usage

 online catalogs and databases

 are linked to bibliographic and authority
files,
 updating work can be effectively done.
 record linked to the old headings
 can be linked to the new ones.

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5. Principle of Provision for Cross-
references
 Three types in the subject heading
structure:
 See
 or USE references
 See also
 including BT, NT, and RT references
 General reference

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See (or USE) references
 To help users
 consult the catalog and
 able to locate material on it under
 different names for,
 different forms of the name of a given subject,
 see or USE references
 lead users
 from the terms looked under
 to the authorized heading for the subject requested.
 guide users from terms
 that are not used as headings
 to the authorized headings.

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See also /
(BT, NT, and RT) references
 connect headings that are related either
 hierarchically or
 relates headings that are all used in the
catalog
 which is different from the See reference.

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See also /
(BT, NT, and RT) references
 headings may overlap in meaning but are not
fully synonymous.
 for synonymous,
 would not be used in the catalog,
 E.g. UF.
 By connecting related headings,
 See also
 RT, for related term references
 call the user’s attention to material
 related to their interest.

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See also /
(BT, NT, and RT) references
 By linking hierarchically related headings,
 See also (BT, Broader term and NT, narrower term)
references
 restore some of the advantages of the classed catalog in an
alphabetical specific catalog.
 user is guided
 to specific branches or aspects of a subject.
 By linking headings related non-hierarchically,
 See also reference
 provide users with additional access points for the subject look
after.

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General reference

 Specific reference directs user

 from the term being consulted
 to another individual heading,

 General reference directs user

 to a group or category of headings
 not to individual members of the group or
category.
 a.k.a. blanket reference.

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…General reference

 E.g.,
 Exhibitions – Awards
 see also the subdivision Awards under names of
individual exhibitions.
 An advantage of using general
references is
 economy of space;
 avoid the need to make a long lists of
specific references.

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