How are Cookbooks Classified in Libraries? An Examination of LCSH and LCC

Abstract

There is growing interest in food and cooking in the United States, and cookbooks are published on every topic. Library standards for subject analysis must accurately represent and organize cookbooks and materials on cooking. This paper describes a research project that examined the subject of cooking in the Library of Congress Subject Headings and the Library of Congress Classification using the work of Hope Olson as a framework. It examined how the subject headings and classification numbers are constructed, how they changed over time, and how national and ethnic cuisines are treated in each standard.