5/9/11
Since 2007 the Library of Congress’ Policy and Standards Division (PSD) has been developing genre/form terms, and in June 2010 determined that the new thesaurus, Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT), should be formally separated from Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). In order to accomplish this, on May 24, 2011 the existing genre/form authority records will be deleted and reissued with new coding.
The current coding for the genre/form authority records indicates that the terms are from LCSH, not LCGFT. The LCCNs are prefixed by “sh” and 008/11 is set to “a,” Library of Congress Subject Headings. Therefore, the LCCNs and MARC coding both need to be revised. This will require the deleting and reissuing of the genre/form authority records.
The approximately 800 existing authority records will be deleted and immediately reissued. About 1600 records (deletes plus reissues) will be sent to subscribers as part of the May 24, 2011, Volume 26, Issue 21, distribution of subject authorities via the MARC Distribution Service (MDS).
Authority records for LCGFT terms will be coded as follows:
LCCN prefix: gf
008/11: z (“Other”)
040$f: lcgft
Example:
008/11 z
010 $a gf2011987654 $z sh2009025020
040 $a DLC $b eng $c DLC $f lcgft
155 $a Topographic maps
455 $a Hypsographic maps
455 $a Hypsometric maps
455 $a Relief maps
455 $a Topographical maps
555 $w a $a Maps
[Note that the deprecated LCCN is being retained in field 010$z, to facilitate automatic updates.]
As of May 24, 2011, new coding should be used when assigning LCGFT terms in bibliographic records. That coding is as follows:
655 #7 $a [Term]. $2 lcgft
Example:
Title: Survivor: Thailand.
655 #7 $a Survival television programs. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Nonfiction television programs. $2 lcgft
The FAQ on genre/form headings and the Subject Headings Manual (SHM) will both be updated to reflect this change in policy.
For further information and the rationale for these revisions, please see the January 3, 2011 text below.
Questions or comments on these plans or on the genre/form projects in general may be addressed to Janis L. Young [email protected], LC’s genre/form coordinator.
1/3/11
Since 2007 the Library of Congress Policy and Standards Division (PSD) has been developing genre/form terms, which are distinct from subject headings because they describe what something is as opposed to what it is about. To date, PSD has approved genre/form terms in four areas: moving images, sound recordings, cartographic resources, and law. Terms in three other disciplines, music, literature, and religion, are also in development.
As a first step toward formally separating the genre/form terms from LC subject headings list, PSD titled the new thesaurus the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT) in June 2010.
No earlier than March 1, 2011, PSD will revise the LCCNs and MARC 21 coding of the genre/form authority records. To accomplish this, all existing LCGFT authority records with an sh prefix in the LC Control Number (LCCN) will be cancelled and replacement records for them will be issued.
The new genre/form authority records will have an LCCN prefix of “gf”(e.g., gf2010000015), and the then-deprecated “sh” LCCN (e.g., sh2010025010) will be retained in MARC 21 field 010$z. The new MARC coding in the authority records will be as follows:
008/11: z (“Other”)
040$f: lcgft
After the new authority records are distributed, all LCGFT terms used in bibliographic records should be coded:
655 -7 $a [Term]. $2 lcgft
When the changes to the MARC coding were announced in June 2010, many libraries expressed concern that the ability to control headings in OCLC would be lost. PSD understands this concern and will cancel and reissue the new authority records no earlier than March 1, 2011 so that OCLC and others have time to update their software, thereby ensuring that LCGFT terms will continue to be controlled.
PSD plans to cancel and reissue all of the approximately 700 existing LCGFT authority records in the same week, in order to provide a clear demarcation in coding practices.
The firm date for the reissuing of the records will be announced when it has been determined.
Questions or comments on these plans or on the genre/form projects in general may be addressed to Janis L. Young, LC’s genre/form coordinator.
