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‡vFiction.

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‡vJuvenile literature.
650 _0 Friendship‡vJuvenile 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‡zNorth America‡vJuvenile 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‡vJuvenile humor.
   650 _1 Schools‡vWit and humor.
   655 _1 Jokes.
   655 _1 Riddles.

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

   650 _0 Canidae‡zNorth America‡vJuvenile 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‡vFiction.

5. Retain duplicate LC and AC headings.
   Example:

   650 _0 Medicine‡xHistory‡y17th century.
   650 _1 Medicine‡xHistory‡y17th century.

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

   651 _0 California‡xHistory‡y1846-1850‡vJuvenile fiction.
   651 _1 California‡xHistory‡y1846-1850‡vFiction.

7. Use the subdivisions 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‡vJuvenile films.
   650 _0 English language‡xAlphabet‡vJuvenile sound recordings.
   650 _0 Learning by discovery‡vJuvenile 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‡vJuvenile literature.
   655 _0  Ghost stories‡vJuvenile literature.

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

   650 _0 Dogs‡zUnited States‡vJuvenile 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]‡vSound recordings for foreign speakers.
650 _0 [topic]‡vSound recordings for Chinese speakers.

655 _0 Toy and movable books. (For manipulative books, movable books not covered by the following three headings.)

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]‡vJuvenile films. (Under subjects)

These example headings are recommended for foreign language materials:

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