Children's subject headings

The rules on this page have been approved in concept by the SCRAP committee, but the exact wording is still being adjusted. Please use these rules. Please send any feedback to SCRAP.

Primary source

The primary source for subject headings for children's material is the most recent edition of the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). The Annotated Card Program (AC) subject heading list for children's material, including a description of how those headings are used, is located at the beginning of the first LCSH volume.

All standard LCSH terms may also be used and coded as AC headings as long as the LCSH term does not conflict with an AC heading, so before using an LCSH heading as an AC heading, be sure to check it against the list of AC headings to verify whether or not the heading has been changed or simplified for children.

Please delete any Sears subject headings. They are normally coded as 655, second indicator 7, with ‡2 sears.

Tagging

Headings from the AC list, headings from LCSH used without the subheading Juvenile literature, and headings used with the subheading Fiction are tagged 650 with a second indicator of 1. (for children)

Examples:

651 _1  Solar system.
650 _1  Friendship ‡v Fiction.

Headings from the main body of LCSH used with the subheading Juvenile literature and LCSH juvenile form headings are tagged 650 with a second indicator of 0. (for adults)

Examples:

651 _0  Solar system ‡v Juvenile literature.
650 _0  Friendship ‡v Juvenile fiction.

Other 6XX headings are tagged in a similar manner.

Policies

CCS follows LC subject heading practice and construction. Everything cataloged should have at least one subject heading, regardless of format. Supply subject headings for both fiction and nonfiction. When choosing subject headings, catalogers should think about how children will access the item being cataloged. The following specific guidelines are provided with examples.

1. Assign both general and specific subject headings to the same work if both are useful access points.
   Example:

    650 _0  Birds of prey ‡z North America ‡v Juvenile literature.
    650 _1  Birds of prey.
    650 _1  Predatory animals.

2. Use form headings whenever access by form is useful.
   Example:

    655 _0  Riddles, Juvenile.
    650 _0  Schools ‡v Juvenile humor.
    650 _1  Schools ‡v Wit and humor.
    655 _1  Jokes.
    655 _1  Riddles.

3. Assign both popular and scientific terms when useful.
   Example:

    650 _0  Canidae ‡z North America ‡v Juvenile literature.
    650 _1  Canidae.
    650 _1  Dogs.

4. Assign subject headings for readily identifiable topics as well as abstract concepts.
   Example:

    650 _1  Fear of the dark ‡v Fiction.

5. Retain duplicate LC and AC headings.
   Example:

    650 _0  Medicine ‡x History ‡y 17th century.
    650 _1  Medicine ‡x History ‡y 17th century.

6. Use the subheading --Juvenile fiction as well as --Fiction when a heading is likely to also be used for adult materials.
   Example:

    651 _0  California ‡x History ‡y 1846-1850 ‡v Juvenile fiction.
    651 _1  California ‡x History ‡y 1846-1850 ‡v Fiction.

7. Use the subheadings --Juvenile films, --Juvenile sound recordings, and --Juvenile software under topical headings to distinguish between adult and juvenile materials. These subheadings are not used with AC headings. See Subject Cataloging Manual H 1690 for more information.
   Examples:

    650 _0  Rain and rainfall ‡v Juvenile films.
    650 _0  English language ‡x Alphabet ‡v Juvenile sound recordings.
    650 _0  Learning by discovery ‡v Juvenile software.

8. For juvenile belles lettres, assign juvenile form headings and subdivisions. Do not use the subdivision—Juvenile literature under any form or genre headings, whether adult or juvenile. See Subject Cataloging Manual H 1690 for more information.
   Examples:

    655 _0  Children's poetry.
    655 _0  Fairy tales.
    655 _1  Fairy tales.

   INCORRECT:

    655 _0  Fairy tales ‡v Juvenile literature.
    655 _0  Ghost stories ‡v Juvenile literature.

9. Restrict use of the subdivision ‡z United States and the qualifying term, American, in AC headings. Most materials ordered reflect an American orientation.
   Examples:

    650 _0  Dogs ‡z United States ‡v Juvenile literature.			 
    650 _1  Dogs.
    655 _0  Children's poetry, American. 
    655 _1  Poetry.

10. Submit to the Authority Control librarian any additional cross references to lead patrons from terms that are not in the catalog to those that are.
    Example:

     Genies see Jinn

11. The heading Children's stories should only be used for collections of stories (tagged as 655) or items about children's stories (tagged as 650).
12. Pictorial works should not be used as a heading or subdivision for picture books, it is actually for non-fiction works that are mostly photographs.

Helpful subject headings and subdivisions

650 _0  [topic] ‡v Sound recordings for foreign speakers.
650 _0  [topic] ‡v Sound recordings for Chinese speakers.
 
655 _0  Toy and movable books. (For manipulative books, movable books.)
 
655 _0  Pop-up books.
 
655 _0  Lift-the-flap books.
 
655 _0  Board books.
 
655 _0  Oversize books. (For books too large to be shelved in normal shelf sequence.)
 
655 _0  Big books. (For enlarged, poster-size books designed to be read aloud in a group setting.)
 
655 _0  Miniature books. (For books 10 cm. or less in both height and width.)
 
655 _0 Picture books for children.

These headings should be used to distinguish adult and juvenile books on cassette, books on CD, or online audiobooks:

655 _0  Audiobooks.
655 _0  Children's audiobooks.

Examples of headings for films and video recordings:

655 _0  Children's films. (For individual fiction films)
650 _0  [Topical heading] ‡v Juvenile films. (Under subjects)

These example headings are recommended for foreign language materials:

650 _1  Spanish language ‡v Readers. (For instruction and practice in reading that language)
650 _1  French language materials. (For general information or recreational reading)
650 _1  Russian language materials ‡x Bilingual. (For materials written in two languages)

LOCAL EXCEPTION: To display the foreign language associated with a bilingual work, CCS recommends changing the language fixed field element to reflect the foreign language rather than English, even though English may be the predominant language. This practice is for CCS only. Original records or updates done in OCLC should follow standard rules.