General Resources from LC and PCC
- SACO Participants' Manual (2nd ed., 2007) [PDF: 3.87 MB]
- SACO Proposal Workflow
- Subject Heading Proposal Menu (Classification Web)
- Classification Proposal Menu (Classification Web)
- Making a New SACO Proposal [PDF : 121 KB]
- Making a SACO Proposed Change [PDF : 133 KB]
- Searching and Editing a SACO Proposal [PDF : 103 KB]
- LC Subject Headings Manual H 405: Establishing Certain Entities in the Name or Subject File [PDF: 55 KB]
- LC Classification and Shelflisting Manual F 50: Classification Proposals [PDF: 1.36 MB]
- FAQs on SACO Subject Heading Proposals
- Web Resources for SACO Proposals
- Classification Web Plus subscription information (from CDS)
Library of Congress Manuals
- LC Subject Headings Manual (free PDF files)
- LC Classification and Shelflisting Manual (free PDF files)
- LC Demographic Group Terms Manual (free PDF files)
- LC Genre/Form Terms Manual (free PDF files)
- LC Medium of Performance Thesaurus for Music Manual (free PDF files)
- LC Children's and Young Adults' Cataloging Manual (free PDF files)
Authority Records
- Search Library of Congress Subject Authorities
- ID.LOC.GOV Web Service
- Canadian Subject Headings (external link)
Proposal Checklists
The SACO Volunteer Trainers Group is developing a series of checklists to assist with creating proposals. New checklists will be added to this space as they are created.
Do you need a checklist for a proposal type not listed here? Please send your suggestions for new checklists to [email protected].
Topical Heading Proposals
These headings use the Topical Heading proposal form in ClassWeb Plus:
- Topical Heading Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Topical Heading Proposal Checklist [PDF: 192 KB], updated March 2024
Geographic Heading Proposals
These headings use the Geographic Heading proposal form in ClassWeb Plus:
- Archaeological Sites Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Archaeological Sites Proposal Checklist [PDF: 145 KB], updated October 2024 - Geographic Names Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Geographic Names Proposal Checklist [PDF: 155 KB], updated October 2024 - Parks, Reserves, National Monuments, etc. Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Parks, Reserves, National Monuments, etc. Proposal Checklist [PDF: 160 KB], updated October 2024 - Rivers, Valleys, Watersheds, etc. Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Rivers, Valleys, Watersheds, etc. Proposal Checklist [PDF: 199 KB], updated April 2025
Corporate Body Heading (Buildings, etc.) Proposals
These headings the Corporate Body Heading (Buildings, etc.) proposal form in ClassWeb Plus:
- Buildings Proposal Checklist
Download PDF version: Buildings Proposal Checklist [PDF: 148 KB], updated October 2024
SACO Shorts
SACO Shorts are quick tips that cover common proposal problems or frequently asked questions. SACO Shorts are published to SACOLIST on the first and third Mondays of the month and are collected at SACO Shorts.
This new initiative for 2025 is led by the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs (PTCP) Division and the SACO Volunteer Trainers Group.
SACO Projects
Please visit the SACO Projects page for information on how to initiate a SACO project. You can also view current projects at the SACO Projects Signboard and past projects at the SACO Projects Archive.
Headings for Indigenous Peoples
- Subject Headings for Indigenous Peoples
This is a separate suite of pages maintained by LC that includes interim guidelines for proposals; FAQs; and recommended resources. - Best Practices in Authority Work Relating to Indigenous Nations in the U.S. (May 2023 version)(external link)
(published by the Latin American and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (LAIPA) Funnel)
Resources from SACO Community Members
- Sources for Genre/Form Terms (version 4.0, Nov. 15, 2017) [PDF: 233 KB]
(compiled by members of the ALCTS CaMMS SAC Subcommittee on Genre/Form Implementation) - How to Propose a New Topical LCSH (external link)
(prepared by Beck Schaefer, Cataloguing Assistant, Osgoode Hall Law School Library, York University)
Recorded Presentations
- Faceted Subject Headings: Exploring the Topic (July 18-19, 2022): Agenda (with links to presentations and recordings) [PDF; 147 KB]