Book Review: Library of Congress Subject Headings: Principles and Application

Abstract

Fourth edition. This book is the only comprehensive treatise on the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) system. It offers a complete and definitive guide to a challenging area of study. Chan presents a brief history of the system, analyzes its principles, and describes its vocabulary and subject authority control. She then discusses the application of LC subject headings to LC MARC records and outlines the Library of Congress's policies on the assignment of subject headings in general and the treatment of certain types of materials in particular. This new edition updates the text according to policies governing current practices in using LCSH, and the highlighted relevance of LCSH in the global electronic environment. Part 3, completely rewritten, includes a chapter on FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology), which is an LCSH-based controlled vocabulary for electronic resources. Basic principles -- Form of main headings -- Proper name headings -- Subdivisions -- Cross references -- Subject authority control and maintenance -- Assigning subject headings -- Subject cataloging of special types of materials -- Subject areas requiring special treatment. -- Library of Congress Subject Headings in the electronic environment -- FAST : Faceted Application of Subject Terminology.