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TIPS FOR MAKING SUCCESSFUL SUBJECT PROPOSALS A Mini Workshop for the SACO-At-Large Meeting January 27, 2013. Janis L. Young Policy and Standards Division Library of Congress. Why?. No one likes to have work returned to them We need your help You may have expertise that we do not
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TIPS FOR MAKING SUCCESSFULSUBJECT PROPOSALSA Mini Workshop for theSACO-At-Large MeetingJanuary 27, 2013 Janis L. Young Policy and Standards Division Library of Congress
Why? • No one likes to have work returned to them • We need your help • You may have expertise that we do not • Projects to do • Constituents to help
Proposal Statistics • March-November 2012 • 5,352 total proposals • 3,958 approved • 1,294 (26%) not accepted • Not approved • Resubmit • Not necessary
Summaries from 2012 • Six broad categories of unaccepted proposals • SHM instructions were not followed • Concept was already represented in LCSH • Proposed heading was vague or not well researched • More proposals were necessary • There was no precedent for the heading, references, etc. • Other
What revisions does PSD make? • Technical corrections • Qualifiers • Reference/syndetic structure • Scope notes • Research corrections of five minutes or less
What does PSD ask of catalogers? • Proposals that • Are considered • Does LCSH already contain a way to express the concept? • Is the proposed heading unambiguous? • Are well-researched • Were the standard reference sources in the field consulted? • Follow the guidelines as presented in SHM H 187, H 202, H 203, H 306, H 370-373, H 1285, etc.
Record examples • Actual proposals from LC and SACO catalogers • Not intended to point fingers • Distinguishing information has been removed • Not a forum to debate policy
Record examples • What went wrong, what went right, and how could the proposal have been improved?