Subject and genre headings

Follow these guidelines for subject and genre headings (6XX fields) in the CCS database. See also Children's subject headings and Foreign language materials for those types of resources.

Subject headings (600, 610, 611, 630, 650, 651)

• Every record must have at least one subject heading, or at least one 655 heading if no 600-651 headings apply.
• Every record for a single work of fiction must have at least one subject heading, and applicable 655 headings.
• Use subdivision ‡vSpecimens only for realia (e.g. Telescopes‡vSpecimens).

The following thesauri are acceptable. Delete all other subject headings for resources in English:

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• Library of Congress Children’s Subject Headings (CSH; formerly LCAC)
• Local subject headings (690, 691)

Optionally, any of the following may be added for resources in languages other than English:

• Bilindex (Spanish, ‡2bidex)
• QLSP (Spanish, ‡2qlsp)
• Autoridades de la Biblioteca Nacional de España (Spanish Subject Headings, ‡2embne)
• Autoridades de la Biblioteca Nacional de España (Spanish Genre Headings, ‡2tgfbne)

Genre/Form headings (655)

• Always add any applicable genre/form headings, in a 655 field.
• Be as specific as possible (e.g. Textured books, instead of the more general Toy and movable books)
• Do not subdivide, or qualify by nationality, any heading in a 655 field.

The following thesauri are acceptable. Delete all other genre/form headings:

• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (‡2lcgft)
• OLAC Video Game Genre Vocabulary (‡2olacvggt)
• Homosaurus (‡2homoit)
• Local genre headings (655)

INCORRECT:
655 _0 Operas‡vExcerpts.
655 _0 Science fiction‡xWomen authors.
655 _0 Science fiction, American.
655 _0 Christmas stories.
655 _7 Feature films‡zFrance.
655 _0 Motion pictures, French.
655 _0 Urdu fiction.
655 _7 Suspense fiction.‡2gsafd
655 _7 Mystery fiction.‡2gsafd
650 _1 Fantasy.
655 _1 Fantasy.