PCC Resources for
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 here.
This new initiative for 2025 is led by the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs (PTCP) Division and the SACO Volunteer Trainers Group.
- No work cat (common problem)
- Need definition and relationship (common problem)
- No English in work cat (common problem)
- Alphabetize it (common problem)
- Subject Headings Manual search (frequently asked question)
- When to use Wikipedia (frequently asked question)
- Summary of Decisions search (frequently asked question)
No work cat (common problem)
When you propose a new subject heading, make sure you cite the work being cataloged, or work cat, and provide a short statement in English that clearly connects the work cat to the proposed heading. This should be the first citation listed in your proposal.* You should indicate the work being cataloged by including work cat in the 670 subfield a ($a).
When entering a proposal in ClassWeb Plus, a Work cat 670 is automatically supplied as the first 670 field.
Examples
Birds with disabilities
670 $a Work cat: Brave birds, 2024: $b CIP summary (This book includes inspiring stories about birds with disabilities; disabled animal) galley (Disabled birds; Disabilities can affect chickens like Granite and other birds. Some disabilities are present from birth. Others can result from an illness or injury) $w (DLC)2024011149Mark Tanner Sculpture Award
670 $a Work cat: Thinking is making: objects in a space, the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award, 2023: $b cover (20th anniversary of the Mark Tanner Sculpture award. Showcases contemporary British sculpture) $w (UkOxU)991025530935807026To read more about the research required for subject proposals, please see H 202 Authority Research for Subject Heading Proposals.
*If you’re proposing a new heading needed for a reference hierarchy, you do not need to include a work cat. As an example: Pretend you’re proposing a new heading for the Kota Batu archeological site in Brunei. The heading Brunei--Antiquities would also be needed, since it does not already exist in the subject authority file, and it will be used as a broader term for the archeological site. You would not need a work cat citation for Brunei--Antiquities in this instance, since the heading is simply needed for the reference hierarchy. (We will discuss broader terms and reference hierarchies in more detail in future SACO Shorts!)
Need definition and relationship (common problem)
When you propose new subject heading, it’s important to define your terms (in the case of conceptual headings) or give a clear description of your terms (for headings like places, families, or people groups). You also need to show the relationship between the thing you’re proposing and the work you’re cataloging: Why is the heading needed for the material in hand?
General practice at the Library of Congress is to assign subject headings that best summarize the overall contents of the material. This roughly translates to topics needing to comprise at least 20% of the work. Make sure you consider this when making a proposal! Even if you can define a term, there may not be a strong enough relationship between the term and the work being cataloged to justify creating a heading.
Examples
Naning War, Malaysia, 1831-1832
670 $a Work cat: Adam, S. Acts of resistance, 2021: $b t.p. (Dol Said and the Naning War) p. 4 of cover (the Naning War began when the British embarked on a military campaign to seize the village of Naning about 30 miles from Malacca in present-day Malaysia and arrest its chief, Dol Said, in 1831; the infamous Naning War sparked off a history of unjust conquest and resistance) $w (OCoLC)1284921524PTCP would consider: What is this thing (a war that began when the British embarked on a military campaign to seize the village of Naning about 30 miles from Malacca in present-day Malaysia and arrest its chief, Dol Said, in 1831) and why is it needed for this book (the title page indicates that the Naning War is a central topic of the work cat and it is actually the subtitle of the book). Result: Approved!
Rivendell (Imaginary place)*
670 $a Work cat: Atlas of Tolkien, 2024: $b page 85 (Rivendell was a refuge of the elves located in eastern Eriador, Middle Earth, and founded in the Second Age)PTCP would consider: What is this thing (an imaginary place created by Tolkien) and why is it needed for this book (unclear—it seems to be an atlas entry, but there’s no indication that this is a central topic of the work cat). Result: Not necessary.
Additional citations can be useful for refining definitions; demonstrating usage of the term; and providing alternate spellings. However, the relationship between the proposed term and the work being cataloged must be clear from your work cat citation.
To read more about the research required for subject proposals, please see H 202 Authority Research for Subject Heading Proposals. Section 1, Citation of sources consulted, part a., General Principles, point (6) Listing sources in 670 or 675 fields, specifically covers providing the definition and the relationship to the work being cataloged. To read more about the principles governing assigning headings, please see H 180 Assigning and Constructing Subject Headings.
*Note: All examples of poorly formed proposals are completely fictional.
No English in work cat (common problem)
When the work being cataloged is in a foreign language, please make sure to provide information in English in the work cat citation. This can be a cataloger supplied translation or summary.
Examples
Hate in art
670 $a Work cat: Popović, Dimitrije, 1951-. Slikarstvo i mržnja, 2022 (translation of title: Painting and hatred): $b page 7 ("Hatred was and remains a particularly inspiring source for the creation of artistic works"), page 10 (Popović was inspired to examine how "hatred was the initial core of the themes that were the subject of artistic works") $w (DLC)2022442728Kinta River (Perak, Malaysia)*
670 $a Work cat: Syazreen Syafiqa Azmi. Jatuhan batuan, 2020: $b summary (Kinta River is the main river that flows through the Kinta Valley area, starting from Mount Korbu in Ulu Kinta, Tanjung Rambutan to Kampung Gajah in the south. The Kinta River meets the Perak River near the Inderasakti Island area which located in the southern part of Kinta area) $w (DLC)2021314357Providing information in English helps the PTCP Division when evaluating proposals. Translating or summarizing your citations in English also means that there is a common language of understanding across subject authority records.
To read more about the research required for subject proposals, please see H 202 Authority Research for Subject Heading Proposals. Section 1, Citation of sources consulted, part a., General Principles, point (6) Listing sources in 670 or 675 fields, specifically mentions the importance of providing information quoted or paraphrased in English.
Alphabetize it (common problem)
When proposing new or changed headings, you may include used for terms (UFs); broader terms (BTs); and related terms (RTs). All of these terms should be alphabetized within their group.
UFs are in 4XX fields and are listed first.
Example
Cyrene (Extinct city)
451 $a Cirene (Extinct city)
451 $w nne $a Cyrene (Ancient city)
451 $a Kyrene (Extinct city)
451 $a Shīrīnī (Extinct city)BTs are in 5XX fields with $w g and should be grouped together and alphabetized next. If you have a mix of MARC tags, you should alphabetize the BTs rather than keeping the tags in numerical order.
Examples
Cyrene (Extinct city)
451 $a Cirene (Extinct city)
451 $w nne $a Cyrene (Ancient city)
451 $a Kyrene (Extinct city)
451 $a Shīrīnī (Extinct city)
550 $w g $a Extinct cities $z Libya
551 $w g $a Libya $x AntiquitiesMonnikerede (Extinct city)
551 $w g $a Belgium $x Antiquities
550 $w g $a Extinct cities $z BelgiumIf you have RTs in your record, they should be alphabetized as a group after any BTs. RTs are also in 5XX fields, but do not have a $w.
Example
Social stability
450 $a Stability, Social 550 $w g $a Social history 550 $w g $a Sociology 550 $a ProgressIf you forget to alphabetize, PTCP will make those corrections for you during our review. However, when you remember to alphabetize, it makes our work easier!
To read more about alphabetization rules in subject proposals, please see H 200 Preparation of Subject Heading Proposals.
Subject Headings Manual search (frequently asked question)
Did you know that you can easily search across Subject Headings Manual (SHM) instruction sheets in ClassWeb Plus? In the ClassWeb Plus Main Menu, scroll down until you see Cataloging Policy Documentation. Click “Menu,” and you’ll be taken to an alphabetical listing of all the documentation available through ClassWeb Plus.
Scroll down until you see Subject Headings Manual. If you know what category of instruction sheet you’d like to search, you can select the category and go directly to the individual document. If you would like to keyword search across all SHM instruction sheets, click “Subject Headings Manual” and enter your query in the “Find” box. You can use quotes to search phrases and Boolean searches. The system will search across the entire manual by default, but you can narrow your focus using the dropdown menu (to the right of the search bar).
Searching across instruction sheets is a great way to ensure that you've found all of the instructions relevant to your particular proposal.
When to use Wikipedia (frequently asked question)
Cataloging Policy Specialists frequently receive questions on whether Wikipedia should be used as a source in 670 notes. It’s difficult to make blanket decisions on Wikipedia–some entries are clearly better than others–but we can provide some general advice:
Wikipedia should never be your only source. Your first source should be your work cat (not Wikipedia), and you should provide evidence from other subject-specific authoritative sources (like Ethnologue for languages or GNS/GNIS for place names) or from general knowledge authoritative sources (like Webster’s online or Encyclopedia Britannica).
If you’ve already cited information from those authoritative sources and the Wikipedia entry adds nothing new to your proposal, don’t include it.
However, if the Wikipedia entry provides an alternative spelling of a name or contains important information that was not listed in any other source, you can include the Wikipedia entry to support your proposal. Again, generally speaking, the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division has found that Wikipedia entries usually add the most value as sources of alternative names and spellings.
To read more about the research required for subject proposals, please see H 202 Authority Research for Subject Heading Proposals. Section 1, Citation of sources consulted, part b., Where to search for authoritative information, specifically mentions Wikipedia and other crowdsourced websites.
Summary of Decisions search (frequently asked question)
Did you know that you easily search across multiple Summaries of Decisions (SODs) in ClassWeb Plus? In the ClassWeb Plus Main Menu, scroll down until you see Cataloging Policy Documentation. Click “Menu,” and you’ll be taken to an alphabetical listing of all the documentation available through ClassWeb Plus.
Scroll down until you see Summaries of Decisions from Subject Editorial Meetings. If you know the SOD you’d like to search, you can select the year and go directly to the individual document. If you would like to keyword search across all SODs, click “Summaries of Decisions from Subject Editorial Meetings” and enter your query in the “Find” box. You can use quotes to search phrases and Boolean searches. The system will search across all summaries by default, but you can select an individual year using the dropdown menu (to the right of the search bar).
Searching previous SODs is a great way to see if a term you’re interested in proposing has been considered before and why the term was not approved at the time.
