Subject Headings/Genre Terms for Fiction

1. Subject Headings/Genre Terms for Fiction

2. Subject/Genre Access for Fiction • The original Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction , Drama, etc. (gsafd) was published in 1990 as a recommendation of a national standard practice in assigning genre headings to fiction. • Before this, subject headings were not added to works of fiction and patrons did not have subject access to fiction. They either had to find it by searching a particular author, or by browsing the shelves.

3. Subject/Genre Access for Fiction • The OCLC/LC Fiction project began in 1991 as a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress, OCLC, and eight academic and public libraries. Their original purpose was to apply the gsafd headings to individual works of fiction. This group also proposed subject headings, particularly for recurring characters in fiction, to be added to Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). • The OCLC/LC Fiction project is no longer active, but assigning subject headings and genre access to fiction is now routine for some libraries.

4. Subject/Genre Access for Fiction • Assigning headings to fiction is more difficult than to nonfiction. With a nonfiction item there is usually a table of contents with illustrative chapter headings, often an index and sometimes other clues as to what the item is about. • Fiction works on the other hand usually do not have these clues. Sometimes there will be a blurb on the cover or book jacket. Fiction often requires skimming the text. • It is usually a good idea to read the first and the last couple of pages. You can usually get an idea of the place and the time period, if not the genre from this.

5. Subject/Genre Access for Fiction • The ALA Subject Analysis Committee recommends 4 types of subject or genre access that should be added to all works of fiction. • Recurring characters • If a character has appeared prominently in 3 or more fiction works, a fictitious character can be established by LC and added to the authority file. • These headings can only be assigned if they are in the LC authority file. • Fictitious characters are always established as topical subject headings and coded as 650s. • 650; 0;a Ryan, Jack (Fictitious character) • 650; 0;a Babar (Fictitious character)

6. Subject/Genre Access for Fiction • Topical headings • Topical headings should be assigned if appropriate. • Place • Many patrons like to read fiction set in a particular place. Geographic headings (651) should only be assigned to real places. Some imaginary places have been established by LC, and are coded as 650s. • Places should also be added to topical headings that can be subdivided geographically. • 650; 0;a Pern (Imaginary place) • 650; 0;a Mitford (N.C. : Imaginary place) • Genre headings • Genre headings should be assigned if appropriate.

7. Genre Headings • LCSH are assigned to tell what something is about, not the type of material the item is. This can make it difficult in locating a specific type of material such as love stories, historical fiction, etc. • Genre terms can be used to give the item a broad subject area based on the type of material the item is. Genre access is not true subject access. • Subject – what it’s about • Genre – what it is • Gsafd definition of genre – A kind or category of imaginative work that is readily identifiable by some of the following characteristics: style, plot device, mood or tone, character type, and theme. • Genre headings indicate what the work is rather than what it is about.

8. Genre Headings • The current thesaurus used by LC and many libraries for fiction is Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc. (gsafd), 2nd ed., 2000. • These genre headings should only be applied to adult materials. • Genre terms should be coded as a 655. • Apply genre terms to adult fiction materials using Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc., 2nd ed., 2000. • If there is a gsafd term, and an LCSH, and they are the same, use the gsafd term. • LCSH – Love stories • Gsafd – Love stories • 655; 7;a Love stories.

9. Genre Headings • If there is a gsafd term, and an LCSH, and they are different, use the gsafd term. • LCSH – Detective and mystery stories • Gsafd – Mystery fiction • 655; 7;a Mystery fiction. $2 gsafd • If there is not a gsafd term, and there is an LCSH, use the LCSH. • 655; 7;a Domestic fiction. $2 lcsh • 655; 7;a Political fiction. $2 lcsh • (There will be an authority record for these coded as a 150)

10. How to code the 655 field • The use of the 655 field is complicated by the fact that it is used for two different type of headings: • Genre • Form • Per MARC guidelines: • Genre terms designate specific kinds of materials distinguished by the style or technique of their intellectual content. • Form terms designate specific kinds of materials. Distinguish form terms by examination of the physical character of the item. • Another complication in coding 655 fields is the fact that there are not currently authority records coded as 155s. • All authority records for genre or form terms are coded as 150. The cataloger must make the determination whether it should be coded as a 650 or 655.

11. How to code the 655 field • LC made the following statement on July 27, 2000: “Creation of authority records for form/genre headings in 155 fields and more widespread assignment of form/genre terms in 655 fields of bibliographic records will occur in future stages of the form/genre implementation plan and may be phased in by format or discipline. The Library is not yet projecting any specific dates for these future stages of implementation.”

12. How to code the 655 field • If the subject heading applies to what the item is rather than what it is about, it should be coded as a 655. • A book about how to do closed-captioning for the hearing impaired: • 650; 0;a Video recordings for the hearing impaired. • A video that is closed-captioned: • 655; 7;a Video recordings for the hearing impaired. $2 lcsh • A book on how to select audiobooks for your children’s library: • 650; 0;a Children’s audiobooks. • A children’s audiobook on a CD: • 655; 7;a Children’s audiobooks. $2 lcsh • 655; 7;a Compact discs. $2 lcsh

13. Form/Genre Headings • Used extensively in rare books and special collections cataloging • Binding Terms • Genre Terms • Paper Terms • Printing & Publishing Evidence • Provenance Evidence • Type Evidence

14. Form/Genre Headings • Increased interest for all types of materials, especially moving images and spoken sound recordings • Future development of form/genre headings for law, music, literature, cartography and religion • Dissatisfaction with form subdivisions

15. Genre/Form Projects at the Library of Congress • Moving Image Project • Records: Approximately 200 records have been approved and released since September 2007 • Policy: H 1913, Moving Image Genre/Form Headings, has been drafted, revised, and published

16. Resolved issues:Moving images • Moving image works for the hearing and sight impaired • Reinstatement of headings Video recordings for the hearing impaired and Video recordings for people with visual disabilities

17. Resolved issues:Moving images • Geographic subdivision • Arguments against: not part of the genre or the form; country of production elsewhere in record; possible misinterpretation of meaning • Arguments for: system limitations; co-produced works may be hard to find; evidence that users utilize geographic subdivision

18. Resolved issues:Moving images • Geographic subdivision • Proposed change in policy: Geographic subdivision of moving image genre/form headings will be permitted, to denote the country of production • LC may not apply geographic subdivisions • Should not be interpreted as a precedent for genre/form headings for other disciplines

19. Resolved issues:Moving images • Headings for language (e.g., Spanish language films; [. . .] films—Spanish) • Arguments against: not part of the genre or the form of a work; language(s) of work available elsewhere in record • Arguments for: system limitations; users may find it easier to find works in a specific language by using a heading, rather than limiting a search • Recommended Policy: There will be no provision for the language of a work

20. Moving image issues to be resolved • “Crossover” terms • The projects are incremental, and LCSH is very interconnected • When should headings that belong to more than one discipline be created (e.g.,Opera films)? • How far should the BT/NT/RT chains be followed (e.g., Television adaptations: BT is Television scripts, a literary heading)?

21. Moving image issues to be resolved • Should topical form headings, coded 150, continue to be subdivided in all cases? Current practice: 650 Horror films—History and criticism. 655 Horror films. Future practice? 650 Horror films. 655 Horror films. • If change is made, huge database maintenance and training issues will result

22. Future directions • Moving images • More headings will be submitted and approved • Revision to H 1913, Moving Image Genre/Form complete • Non-musical sound recordings • SCM memo for radio programs is being drafted and will be posted for comment • Headings based on the Radio Form/Genre Terms Guide (RADFG) are being created • H1969.5 Radio Program Genre/Form Headings • Proposed Changes to Structure of LCSH Subdivisions Used for Cartographic Materials discussion paper issued in June 2009 • Next: Law, Literature, Religion, Music