Glossary
Adjectival qualifier. A word or phrase used to modify, clarify, or limit the meaning of the
noun portion of a subject heading. In a straight heading, the word or phrase appears before the
noun in natural English-language word order; in an inverted heading, the word or phrase appears
after the noun and is separated from the noun by a comma. An adjectival qualifier is most
commonly used to modify a topic by the name of a specific language, nationality, or ethnic
group, as in the headings English poetry; Diplomatic and consular service, Egyptian;
Mexican American cooking.
Authority file. A file containing individual authority records for established name headings or
subject headings and subdivisions.
Authority record. A record that contains the established form of a name heading, a subject
heading, or a subdivision, a list of cross-references made to the heading or subdivision from
alternative or related forms, and a list of sources that justify the established and alternative
forms.
Biography, Collective, see Collective biography
Biography, Individual, see Individual biography
Broader term reference. A reference from one subject heading to another subject heading
that is at a higher level in a hierarchy and is therefore a more inclusive term. Broader term
references appear in 5XX fields in subject authority records, and are identifiable by the presence
of the value g in the first character position of the $w control subfield.
BT, see Broader term reference
Chronological subdivision. A subject heading subdivision in a $y subfield of a 6XX field that
designates a period of time, such as B1945-1990, B20th century, etc.
Collective biography. A biography of two or more individuals.
Direct subdivision, see Geographic subdivision
Form. The physical, bibliographical, artistic, or literary nature of a work.
Form heading. A type of subject heading that expresses what a work is (in contrast to what it
is about), such as American poetry, Law reports, digests, etc., Large type books, etc.
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Glossary
Form subdivision. A type of subject heading subdivision that appears in a $v subfield of a 6XX
field and that expresses what a work is, such as BPeriodicals, BJuvenile films, etc.
Free-floating subdivision. A subject heading subdivision that may be assigned under
designated subjects without the usage being established editorially, that is, without a subject
authority record for the particular string being created in the subject authority file.
General see also reference. A narrower term reference made not to specific individual
subject headings but to a category of subject headings or subdivisions, frequently listing one or
more individual headings or subdivisions by way of example. General see also references
appear in 360 fields in subject authority records.
General see reference. A use reference made not to specific individual headings but to a
category of subject headings or subdivisions, frequently listing one or more individual headings
or subdivisions by way of example. General see references appear in 260 fields in subject
authority records.
Geographic qualifier. The name of a larger geographic entity added in parentheses after the
name of a more specific locality or other entity to designate its location, as in the subject
headings Whitney, Mount (Calif.); Gobi Desert (Mongolia and China); Colorado River
(Colo.-Mexico); Empire State Building (New York, N.Y.).
Geographic subdivision. A type of subject heading subdivision that appears in a $z subfield of
a 6XX field and that expresses the name of the place to which the subject or form of the work,
designated in the main part of the heading, is limited. Geographic subdivision may be indirect,
in which the name of a larger geographic entity is placed in a separate $z subfield before the
name of a more specific locality, or direct, in which a place name is assigned without the
interposition of the name of a larger geographic entity.
Indirect subdivision, see Geographic subdivision
Individual biography. A biography of one person.
Inverted heading. A heading that consists of a noun modified by an adjective, formulated to
place the noun in the initial position followed by a comma and the adjective. See also Straight
heading.
LCSH, see Library of Congress Subject Headings
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Glossary
Library of Congress Subject Headings. The printed list of headings produced from the subject
authority file maintained by the Library of Congress and published annually. The term is
frequently abbreviated as LCSH and is sometimes used interchangeably with the term subject
authority file.
Local subdivision, see Geographic subdivision
Main entry. The name or title by which a work is chiefly identified. An AACR2 concept, the
term is not used in RDA cataloging.
Name authority file. A file containing individual name authority records. As used in this
manual, this term refers specifically to the name authority file created and maintained by the
Library of Congress with contributions from participating libraries.
Name authority record. An authority record for a name heading.
Name heading. A heading that is a personal name, corporate name, meeting name, uniform
title, or jurisdictional name.
Narrower term reference. A reference to a subject heading at a lower level in a hierarchy
than the term referred from. Narrower term references do not appear in subject authority
records, but are generated by automated systems as the reciprocals of broader term references.
NT, see Narrower term reference
Parenthetical qualifier. A word or phrase placed in parentheses after a heading either to
distinguish between two different meanings of an identical term or to clarify the meaning of the
heading, as in the subject headings Plates (Engineering); Plates (Tableware); BASIC
(Computer program language); Adonis (Greek deity).
Period subdivision, see Chronological subdivision
Place subdivision, see Geographic subdivision
Proposal. A suggested new subject heading or a suggested change to an existing heading,
submitted by a cataloger in the form of a subject authority proposal record; or, a printout of an
existing subject authority record marked up with proposed changes, for consideration through
the editorial process in the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division, which is
responsible for overall development of the Library of Congress subject authority file.
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Glossary
Qualifier, Adjectival, see Adjectival qualifier
Qualifier, Geographic, see Geographic qualifier
Qualifier, Parenthetical, see Parenthetical qualifier
Reference source. An authoritative published work or other source of information consulted to
determine the appropriate terminology to be used in establishing a subject heading and creating
an appropriate structure of cross-references to and from the heading.
Related term reference. A reference from one subject heading to another subject heading that
is in a different hierarchy. Related term references appear in 5XX fields in subject authority
records, and are identifiable by the presence of the value n in the first character position of the
$w control subfield.
RT, see Related term reference
Scope note. A note associated with a subject heading that provides information about the
heading such as its definition, application, or relationship to other headings, in order to enable
catalogers to use the heading consistently and users to determine what type of material may be
found under the heading. Scope notes appear in 680 fields in subject authority records.
See also reference. A cross-reference leading from one valid heading to another. In the
Library of Congress subject authority file, a see also reference is in the form of a broader term
reference (which can generate a narrower term reference as its reciprocal), or a general see also
reference.
See reference, see Use reference
Straight heading. A heading established in direct, natural language word order. See also
Inverted heading.
String. A term used to refer to the combination of a subject heading and one or more
subdivisions. In the context of the MARC 21 format, a string is a 6XX field that has at least one
$v, $x, $y, or $z subfield in addition to the $a subfield.
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Glossary
Subdivision. The portion of a subject heading string that appears in a $v, $x, $y, or $z subfield
of the 6XX field and that is used to identify a specific aspect of the main subject heading, such as
form, subtopic, time period, or place, in connection with the bibliographic work to which it is
assigned. See also Chronological subdivision, Form subdivision, Geographic subdivision, and
Topical subdivision.
Subdivision record. An authority record for a subdivision with the authorized form of the
subdivision appearing in a 18X field. The Library of Congress uses subdivision records to
control free-floating subdivisions.
Subheading. The portion of a corporate body name heading that is subordinate to the main
heading. In printed or in nontagged displays, subheadings are conventionally separated from
main headings by a period and two spaces. In the heading United States. Congress. House,
for example, Congress and House are subheadings. In the MARC 21 format, subheadings appear
in $b subfields of X10 fields.
Subject. The topic treated or matter discussed in a work. What a work is about.
Subject authority file. A file containing individual authority records for subject headings and
subdivisions. As used in this manual, the term refers specifically to the subject authority file
created and maintained by the Library of Congress and used to produce the publication Library
of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). The term is frequently used interchangeably with the
terms Library of Congress Subject Headings or LCSH.
Subject authority record. An authority record for a subject heading.
Subject heading. A heading in a 6XX field in a MARC bibliographic record, consisting of either
a single element in an $a subfield or of an $a subfield followed by subdivisions in $v, $x, $y,
and/or $z subfields, that designates what a work is or what it is about.
Topical heading. A type of subject heading that expresses what a work is about.
Topical subdivision. A type of subject heading subdivision that appears in an $x subfield of a
6XX field and that designates a specific aspect, or subtopic, of the main heading other than period,
place, or form.
UF, see Use reference
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Glossary
Uniform title. The title by which a work is identified for cataloging purposes. It distinguishes
one work from others, often in conjunction with the main entry. It may also collocate the works
of a person, corporate body, etc. An AACR2 concept, the term is not used in RDA cataloging.
Use reference. A reference from a term that is not a valid for use as a subject heading to an
equivalent term that is a valid heading. Use references are traced in 4XX fields in subject
authority records.
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