Subject+Authority


 * Jeremy Shanly and Cheryl Shaw**

** Table of Contents: **

V. Annotated Bibliography
toc

=
It is the goal of our library at Anytown School District to make our library collection accessible to our patrons. The subject heading consistency in our OPAC can contribute to our goal of accessibility. Clear subject headings based on the Sears List create a consistent language within our library and prepare students for information searching in library settings beyond high school.=====

**Assigning Subject Headings:**
====Decisions for assigning subject headings in the library will follow the prescribed practices of the latest edition of the Sears List of Subject Headings (see Resources and Reference Guides for an online version of the Preface and Principles of the 20th edition of the Sears List). All newly cataloged books in the library will adopt headings from the most current version of the Sears List. We will adhere to the suggestion that no more than 3 subject headings be assigned to any book. In the case that the Sears List does not offer an appropriate heading, the cataloger will follow the steps outlined in the Principles to generate an acceptable description for the book or follow the simpler version outlined in Beginning Cataloging by Jean Weihs and Sheila S. Intner. The updated version of the Sears List book will be purchased for the library office every 4 years.====

**Updates:**
====The cataloger will update the subjects that have changed on a rotating basis following the publication of a new version of the Sears List. The first year the new version is available, the updates will be performed on all books currently in the reference section. The second year after the new version is available, the updates will be performed on all fiction books. The third year after the new version is available, electronic (Playaways, DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs) and professional resources and biographies will be updated. Batches of MARC records can be sent to the Follett vendor for updates or imported into MARC Magician for global updates (see MARC Magician tutorial at http://mitinet.com/Products/Videos/SubjectHeadingUpdates/SubjectHeadingUpdates.aspx). Refer to the update schedule below:====

** Procedures: **

 * 1) ===== All print on non-print (digital, video, and ebooks) items in the Anytown School District will have subject headings assigned to them before entering the collection and OPAC. =====
 * 2) ===== Determine the subject(s) of the item being cataloged by examining its subject-rich elements (title, table of contents or menu, preface, summary, index), considering these from a user’s viewpoint. =====
 * 3) ===== Write the subject(s) down in your own words. =====
 * 4) ===== Match each subject listing with the headings in the Sears list, assigning the heading authorized for use that most closely represents it. =====
 * 5) ===== For Sears, assign up to three subject headings per item. If an item covers more than three subjects, assign a broader heading that includes them. For example: if a book is about cattle, sheep, and pigs on a farm, assign three headings: Cattle; Sheep; Pigs. If it covers cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses, assign Domestic Animals. =====
 * 6) ===== Choose the most specific heading available in Sears, not a broader heading. =====
 * 7) ===== Provide the most specific authorized heading available directly. =====
 * 8) ===== Consider your collection and items in it already and try to catalog to existing holdings. =====
 * 9) ===== Update your holdings when new Sear Lists comes out every 4 years. =====

III. Sample Task Subject Authority:


Sample from Access PA Holes by Louis Sachar

001 zaccp2 b15842794 005 19971121142132.3 008 000519s2000 nyu j 000 1 eng 010 |z00138616 020 0440414806 :|c$11.64 040 IJPBB|cIJPBB|dIJPBB 050 4 PZ7.S1185|bHo 2000 082 14 Fic|221 092 FIC SAC 100 1 Sachar, Louis,|d1954- 245 10 Holes /|cLouis Sachar. 250 1st ed. 260 New York :|bDell Yearling,|cc2000. 300 233 p. ;|c20 cm. 500 "A Yearling book." 520 As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. 650 0 Juvenile delinquency|xFiction 650 0 Homeless persons|xFiction 650 0 Friendship|xFiction 650 0 Buried treasure|xFiction 650 1 Juvenile delinquency|xFiction. 650 1 Homeless persons|xFiction. 650 1 Friendship|xFiction. 650 1 Buried treasure|xFiction

Sample from CatExpress Harley-Davidson memories by Bob Tyson

010 2010049038 040 DLC $c DLC $d IG# $d BDX 020 9781596527676 (pbk.) 020 1596527676 (pbk.) 020 9781596529939 020 1596529938 043 n-us--- 050 00 TL448.H3 $b T97 2010 082 00 629.227/509 $2 22 090 $b 049 MAIN 100 1 Tyson, Bob. 245 10 Harley-Davidson memories : $b the golden age of motorcycling / $c Bob Tyson. 260 New York, NY : $b Trade Paper Press, $c c2010. 300 173 p. : $b ill. ; $c 23 cm. 505 0 Survival of the fittest -- Things to do, places to go! -- Polo anyone? -- The good old days -- Mail order motorcycling. 650 0 Harley-Davidson motorcycle $x History. 610 20 Harley-Davidson Incorporated $x History. 600 30 Davidson family $x History. 938 Ingram $b INGR $n 9781596527676 938 Brodart $b BROD $n 12430455 $c $$19.95

IV. Print and Online Resources:
Library of Congress Authority Headings - Search for authorized headings and download authority records in MARC format

MARC 21 Format for Authority Data - This online publication provides access to both the full and concise versions of the //MARC 21 Format for Authority Data//. The "full" authority format contains detailed descriptions of every data element, along with examples, input conventions, and history sections. The "concise" authority format contains abridged descriptions of every data element, along with examples. The full and concise versions are identified in the header of each field description.

[[file:Becoming Sears Savvy(5).pdf]]






Lowell’s chapter defines authority control and explains the importance of it in, especially in a children’s catalog. Lowell also outlines the decisions that need to be made in order to establish authority control and provides resources for accessing authority files. The chapter ends with suggestions on maintaining the records.
 * Lowell, Kay E. “Authority Control and Kids’ Cataloging.” //Cataloging Correctly for Kids: An Introduction to the Tools//. Eds. Sheila S. Intner, Joanna F. Fountain, and Jean Weihs. 5th ed. Chicago: American Library Assn., 2011. 105 – 113. Print.**

Miller concisely describes the Sears List including the history of it, its benefits for school libraries, and the differences between the Sears list and Library of Congress Subject Headings. This article provides a quick introduction to the Sears list and justifies its use in school libraries.
 * Miller, Joseph. “Sears List of Subject Headings.” //Cataloging Correctly for Kids: An Introduction to the Tools//. Eds. Sheila S. Intner, Joanna F. Fountain, and Jean Weihs. 5th ed. Chicago: American Library Assn., 2011. 129 – 133. Print.**

The article explains some of the important reasons for authority control and some of the errors to check for when maintaining accurate records.
 * Goliff, Nancy. “Authority Control in a School Library.” //Arkansas Libraries// 66.3 (2009): 13-16. //Library Literature & Information Science//. Web. 24 April 2012.**

Piepenburgh writes a MARC manual that summarizes the important tags and subfields for librarians in the elementary and secondary settings.
 * Piepenburg, Scott. //Easy MARC//. 5th ed. San Jose, CA: F&W Associates, 2007.**

Tag of the Month is a online resource for librarians supported by Follett. It provides MARC bibliographic records and provides cataloging insight for librarians.
 * "Tag of the Month." //Follett Software Company//. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .**

Weihs and Intner provides a insightful outline on cataloging in a library and provides detail examples of MARC records using different authorities. The textbook provides an excellent resource for students entering the field of library science.
 * Weihs, Jean, and Sheila Intner. //Beginning Cataloging.// Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited, 2009.**