Character 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.

To provide consistent access to recurring fictional characters in the CCS database, trace in the subject field(s) any characters appearing in adult fiction, primarily in books, large type books, and audiobooks. Not included in these guidelines are children's fiction and movie adaptations of fiction works. Trace characters which recur or will probably recur in fiction works; we are varying from LC's policy of waiting for the third appearance of a character.

Construct the fictitious character heading generally, like a personal name entry (surname, forename) with the parenthetical qualifier (Fictitious character) and subdivision --Fiction; MARC tag is 650 with 2nd indicator 0.

Example:

650  _0  ‡a Renko, Arkady (Fictitious character) ‡v Fiction.

Examples of typical cross references in an authority record:

150  __  ‡a  Renko, Arkady (Fictitious character) [arn93002021]
450  __  ‡a  Arkady Renko (Fictitious character)*
450  __  ‡a  Inspector Arkady Renko (Fictitious character)**
450  __  ‡a  Inspector Renko (Fictitious character)**

* This reference is always made
** These references are requested when a character is commonly known by other names

For juvenile fiction, when the character is encountered within the title, series title, or summary note it is not necessary to create a character heading. There are exceptions under certain circumstances.

1. If there is no other access.
2. If the character appears in both adult and juvenile books, e.g., Fox Mulder & Dana Scully of X-Files. If books are in both collections and character headings are already in use in the adult collection, then the headings can be used in juvenile collection with ‡x Juvenile fiction.

Responsibilities of the libraries

• Decide if a character subject heading is appropriate
• Search the CCS authority database to see if subject heading is authorized; if not, search the OCLC online authority file for the proper form of the heading
• If the heading is found in OCLC, export it to the CCS local authority file (fax or send a printout or substitute to Authorities Librarian )
• If the heading is not found in OCLC, decide the proper form of the heading
• Fax or send an authority form to Authorities Librarian
• Assign a character subject heading to the work being cataloged
• Search the work being cataloged for mention of other works in which the character appears, or search the CCS database for other fiction works by the same author; look for the character’s name in subtitles or notes
• Add the character subject heading to other records already in the CCS database