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The Library of Congress > Cataloging, Acquisitions > PCC > SACO > Summary of Decisions > Editorial Meeting Number 20

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May 18, 2011

PSD policy specialist responsible for this weekly list: K. James

Classification

PG3328.Z7T73

The Classification and Shelflisting Manual (CSM) F 350, sec. 3, says to formulate the caption for new topical Cutter numbers to match the authorized subject heading unless the nature and content of the list dictates otherwise. Tradition in literature is a UF for the heading Ancients and moderns, Quarrel of. This proposed number was changed to PG3328.Z7A53.

QH545.A42; QH545.M65

When a subject heading matching an existing classification caption is changed, the new terminology is often added to the old caption, and the existing number is retained with appropriate see references. This ensures that books on the same topic remain classified together. The proposal to cancel the existing number QH545.A42 and add a new number for “Mountain biking” at QH545.M65 was not approved. Instead, “Mountain biking” will be added to the caption “All terrain bicycles” and a see reference will be made.

Subject Headings

Bilingualism in animals

The work being cataloged discusses a chimpanzee who replied in American Sign Language to questions asked of him in English. Several works similar to this have been cataloged by post-coordinating the existing subject headings Human-animal communication and Sign language. This practice seems to be sufficient. The proposal was not approved.

Gabonese

There is currently a general see reference from Gabonese . . . referring users to headings beginning with or qualified by the word Gabon. This proposal may be resubmitted, along with proposals to 1) cancel this reference, 2) revise all of the subject headings and UF references using the adjectival qualifier Gabon, and 3) update all the subject headings with a BT or RT that uses the adjectival qualifier Gabon.

Karen (Southeast Asian people)

This proposal to add several UFs to the current heading Karen (Southeast Asian people) is supported only by Wikipedia, and contained some problematic references. The proposed UF Kanyaw (Southeast Asian people), is already a UF for Sgaw Karen (Southeast Asian people). More authoritative reference sources should be consulted to determine if the variants listed in Wikipedia are appropriate as UFs for the Karen people. The proposed BT Mountain people—Southeast Asia does not the follow well-established pattern for ethnic groups in LCSH. A proposal for the UFs, along with a proposed update to Sgaw Karen (Southeast Asian people), if needed, may be resubmitted.

Hui (Chinese people); Dungans

These proposals were made to cancel the existing heading Dungans and make it a UF for Hui (Chinese people), add several UFs to Hui (Chinese people), cancel the existing BTs, and add the BTs Ethnology—Asia, Central and Muslims—Asia, Central. The geographic qualifier in the heading and UFs should match the geographic subdivision of the BTs unless there is a conflict. This proposal did not include changing the qualifier in the heading and UFs to Central Asian people. However, only part of China is generally considered to be in the geographic region known as Central Asia, and the Hui are also associated with other areas of China. These proposed updates were supported only by citations from Wikipedia, and some of them contradicted information found in Ethnologue, 16th edition. For example, Ethnologue lists the Dungans as a distinct ethnic group, and not a variant name for the Hui. The relationship between the Dungans and the Hui should be further investigated to determine whether separate headings should be retained and if their relationship should be expressed in the reference structures of the headings. The proposed UF Zhongyuan ren (Chinese people) is not appropriate because the term Zhongyuan ren has often been used to refer to all Chinese peoples. The proposal may be resubmitted.