Orbis Cataloging Manual: AUTHORITIES

Orbis Cataloging Manual

AUTHORITIES

SUBJECT AUTHORITIES: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS

POLICY

Subjects established in the Orbis database are expected to reflect the forms and patterns established by the Library of Congress. General responsibility for adding subject authority records to the database rests with Database Maintenance. Individual cataloging units may perform this function at their discretion, particularly when the Library of Congress subject term or phrase is given as a pattern.

Locally created subject headings used for special collections may be established; however, all such headings must be identified through the use of the second indicator value 4. They must not be identified as LC headings.

Subject authority records are created in the following situations:

Created for all topical subjects which require references
Created for topical subjects with form and free floating subdivisions whenever references are required
Created for geographic place and feature headings whenever references are required
Created for geographic place names which are also political jurisdictions whenever references are required

NOTE:Subject authority records for name headings used only as subjects follow the policies set forth in the document subtitled : Original Full Records for Names xxxx

PROCEDURES FOR ORIGINAL CATALOGING:

1. Verify all subject headings against the local Orbis database (LTYL).

If an authority record exists for the heading, use that authorized form if the authority record has been created by LC. If the authority record is a non-LC record created by Blackwell North America (identifiable by absence of 040 and presence of 035 with value (CtYAu)), use judgment in proceeding with further searching of the LC resource file in Orbis (LTLC), which is the most reliable source for the latest LC name and subject authorities. If a more authoritative LC authority record is found and cross references are needed, replace the local authority record using the AOVL command.

If no authority record exists in LTYL and one is found in LTLC, always transfer the LTLC record if cross references are needed. The LTLC record may be transferred even if no cross references are needed. Conflicts between LTYL and LTLC forms should be resolved in favor of the LTLC forms. Necessary authority work is done by catalogers; actual correction of headings may be referred to Database Maintenance when a large number of headings is involved (more than five). When LC authority records for topical subjects are transferred, 4xx and 5xx fields need not be routinely searched to discover possible conflicts. If conflicts are discovered, they are resolved.

2. Add free-floating and geographical subdivisions when appropriate according to latest LC practice. In authority records the fixed field D/I (direct/indirect geographic subdivision) indicates if a given subject heading may be subdivided:

_ subject not divided;

n not applicable;

d direct;

i indirect;

? no data yet).

Authority records are not routinely made or transferred for geographical names used solely in indirect subdivision.

3. Create authority records for names used as subjects only if cross references are needed or important information needs to be recorded. This applies to geographic names as well as personal and corporate names. Catalogers are not required to follow LC practice for tracing topical cross references (tagged as 450/550) in authority records made for names used as subjects. If the only cross references traced for an original authority record for a name used as a subject would be 450/550, an authority record need not be made.

4. Create new subject authority records for topical subjects based on LC patterns for which no explicit LC authority exists and for which cross references are needed. Examples of this situation are headings qualified by nationality, ethnic group, language, etc. (section H 320 in the LC Subject cataloging manual), i.e. "Investments, Zimbabwean", for which a cross reference from the direct form "Zimbabwean investments" would be needed.

5. Obsolete topical subjects which have been replaced by multiple subjects: these present special authority problems, as it is often impracticable to change the obsolete headings into the corresponding new headings due to large existing files in Orbis, insufficient information to determine which new heading is appropriate without book in hand, and/or the frequent recurrence of the obsolete headings in records encountered during recon. The obsolete heading in most cases should be allowed to remain in the Orbis data base, but apparent conflicts should be resolved by changing 4xx references from the obsolete heading to 5xx references, adding new 5xx references, and adding 680 (subject scope note) and/or 690 fields when necessary to explain Yale's deviation from LC. Information in 680 fields displays to the public.

In most cases authority records will already exist in Orbis for the obsolete heading. If no authority record exists, one should be created with a 680 and/or 690 explaining that the heading is no longer a valid LC subject, but will continue to be used for records created before the heading became obsolete. An example of an obsolete topical subject that has been split into multiple new subjects is: "Crime and criminals," which has split into "Crime," "Criminals," and "Criminology." See the following modified authority records for these in Orbis and compare them with the corresponding LC records in LTLC for examples of appropriate changes to these records to resolve this problem in the Yale context.

EXAMPLES:

LTYL MORE ACP2810
ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

YL# ACP2810 FMT A RT z DT 05/05/89 R/DT 03/12/91 STAT mc E/L n
SRC LANG ROM MOD UNIQUE n GOVT S/SYS a D/I i SUBD NUM n S/TYP n
NAME b SUBJ c SER b KIND a H/ESTAB a T/EVAL b IP a RULES n

LTYL DONE ACP2810

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

680/1: : |i This heading is no longer a valid Library of Congress subject

heading. It has been split into the three headings: |a Crime. |a Criminals. |a

Criminology. The obsolete heading is still used at Yale for records cataloged

before the heading change occurred.

690/1: : |a 680, 550/6 added; 2 former LC 450's changed to 550/7- 8.

LTYL MORE AEN7498

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

YL# AEN7498 FMT A RT z DT 07/31/90 R/DT 03/12/91 STAT ff E/L n

SRC LANG ??? ROM ? MOD UNIQUE n GOVT ? S/SYS a D/I i SUBD ? NUM n S/TYP n

NAME b SUBJ c SER b KIND a H/ESTAB a T/EVAL a IP a RULES n

010: : |a sh 85033993

035/1: : |9 (LC)AAD3409

040: : |a DLC |c DLC |d DLC |d CtY- BR

053/1: : |a HV6001 |b HV7220.5

150: 0: |a Crime

360/1: : |i headings beginning with the word |a Criminal

450/1: 0: |a City crime

450/2: 0: |a Crimes

450/3: 0: |a Delinquency

450/4: 0: |a Urban crime

550/1: 0: |w g |a Social problems

550/2: 0: |a Criminal justice, Administration of

550/3: 0: |a Criminal law

550/4: 0: |a Criminals

550/5: 0: |a Criminology

550/6: 0: |a Crime and criminals

LTYL DONE AEN7498

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

680/1: : |i Here are entered works on the occurrence of crime. Works on the

discipline that studies the causes, detection and prevention of crime, and the

treatment or punishment of criminals, are entered under |a Criminology. |i

Works on the criminal justice system are entered under |a Criminal justice,

Administration of.

681/1: : |i Notes under |a Criminal justice, Administration of; Criminology

690/1: : |a LC 450 changed to 550/6 to link up with obsolete heading still

used at Yale.

LTYL DONE AEN7501

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

YL# AEN7501 FMT A RT z DT 07/31/90 R/DT 03/12/91 STAT ff E/L n

SRC LANG ??? ROM ? MOD UNIQUE n GOVT ? S/SYS a D/I i SUBD ? NUM n S/TYP n

NAME b SUBJ c SER b KIND a H/ESTAB a T/EVAL a IP a RULES n

010: : |a sh 85036577

035/1: : |9 (LC)AAD5964

040: : |a DLC |c DLC |d DLC |d CtY- BR

053/1: : |a GT6550 |b GT6710 |c Manners and customs

053/2: : |a HV6001 |b HV7220.5 |c Criminology

150: 0: |a Criminals

450/1: 0: |w nne |a Delinquents

450/2: 0: |a Offenders

550/1: 0: |w g |a Persons

550/2: 0: |a Crime

550/3: 0: |a Criminal justice, Administration of

550/4: 0: |a Criminology

550/5: 0: |a Crime and criminals

690/1: : |a LC 450 changed to 550/5 to link up with obsolete heading still

used at Yale.

LTYL MORE AER9397

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

YL# AER9397 FMT A RT z DT 02/25/91 R/DT 02/25/91 STAT ff E/L n

SRC LANG ??? ROM ? MOD UNIQUE n GOVT ? S/SYS a D/I i SUBD ? NUM n S/TYP n

NAME b SUBJ c SER b KIND a H/ESTAB a T/EVAL a IP a RULES n

010: : |a sh 89002994

035/1: : |9 (LC)AAT6047

040: : |a DLC |c DLC |d CtY- BR

053/1: : |a HV6001 |b HV6030

150: 0: |a Criminology

450/1: 0: |a Crime |x Study and teaching

550/1: 0: |w g |a Social sciences

550/2: 0: |a Crime

550/3: 0: |a Criminals

550/4: 0: |a Crime and criminals.

670/1: : |a LC data base, 6/24/88.

670/2: : |a Britannica Micro.

670/3: : |a Web. 3.

670/4: : |a Americana |b (Crime and criminology)

670/5: : |a Nat. crim. just. thes.

670/6: : |a Black's law dict.

LTYL DONE AER9397

ORBIS CATALOGING YLB8

670/7: : |a Beckman, E. Criminal justice dict., 1983.

670/8: : |a Walsh, D. Dict. of criminology, 1983.

670/9: : |a Reid, S. Crime and criminology, 1988.

675: : |a Hennepin

680/1: : |i Here are entered works on the discipline that studies the causes,

detection and prevention of crime, and the treatment or punishment of

criminals. Works on the occurrence of crime are entered under |a Crime. |i

Works on the criminal justice system are entered under |a Criminal justice,

Administration of.

681/1: : |i Notes under |a Criminal justice, Administration of; Crime

690/1: : |a 550/4 added to link up with obsolete heading still used at Yale.

6. Obsolete subdivisions which have been replaced by multiple subdivisions: these are allowed to remain in the database and to be used in records encountered in retrospective conversion. Explanatory notes and references are not required in authority records for these subdivisions, but may be added at the discretion of catalogers. An example of an obsolete subject subdivision which has split into two new subdivisions is the subdivision "Doctrinal and controversial works" under names of religious denominations which has been replaced by the subdivisions "Doctrines" and "Controversial literature."

PROCEDURES FOR COPY CATALOGING:

1. Accept as is, without authority checking, subject headings in current LC copy and full standard RLIN member copy. Database Maintenance is responsible for correcting any heading conflicts.

PROCEDURES FOR RETROSPECTIVE CONVERSION:

1. Verify all subject headings against the local Orbis database (LTYL).

2. Subject subdivisions do not require routine verification.

Exception: routinely convert direct form geographic subdivisions to indirect form geographic subdivisions; routinely convert all abbreviations not authorized by LC to unabbreviated forms.

3. If no subject authority record is found in LTYL but a subject heading is found to be used on a bibliographic record and does not conflict, follow the bibliographic record; reverification against the LC resource file is not required. An authority record is not required.

4. If a subject heading on a record to be converted is not found in LTYL, use as is. An authority record does not have to be created.

SUBJECT AUTHORITIES FOR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Local Yale subject headings (second indicator 4) assigned for special collections are present in the Orbis database from downloaded RLIN records and in records directly created in Orbis. Special subjects are input in RLIN using 69x tags and % codes. Orbis does not support 69x fields or % codes. RLIN to Orbis conversion changes 69x fields to corresponding 6xx fields and moves the % codes to the end of the subjects in delimiter 2 subfields.

EXAMPLES:

RLIN: 696 14 |%pro|aFass, Ekbert,|d1938- |xAutograph.

ORBIS: 600 14 |aFass, Ekbert,|d1938- |xAutograph.|2696 % pro

Local subjects for records newly created in Orbis must be input with 6xx fields (second indicator 4), but need not retain the delimiter 2 subfield at the end unless required for retrieval purposes for the particular special collections. Each unit responsible for special collections cataloging will develop its own policy for special tracings in consultation with appropriate curators and the Head of Database Management. Other units finding apparent conflicts in the database involving local subjects should refer the resolution of these conflicts to the cataloging unit responsible for the particular special collection.

MEDICAL SUBJECT HEADINGS

Medical subject headings (MESH, second indicator 2) are left in derived records and may be added by medical catalogers at their discretion. No attempt is made to resolve apparent conflicts with LC subject headings.

Yale University Library
Last Revised: 13 July 1995
Contact: Matthew Beacom

AUTHORITIES

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