Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help

Skip First Level Navigation | Skip All Navigation

Home > Minerva > Cataloging > How To's > Handle Subject Headings

How To Handle Subject Headings

Subject headings are among the most important access points for users seeking information about your collection.  OPAC searches rely on the heading and keyword indexes, whose content is in turn controlled by the proper use of MARC field tags, subfield tags and indicators.  It is imperative that Minerva libraries follow standard practices in working with subject headings, as set forth below.

What follows are the highlights of good practice within the system.  Further details are available from the Library of Congress MARC cataloging site

MARC tags

Topical subject headings are placed in 650, geographical in 651, personal name in 600, corporate name in 610.

Examples:

650 0Lobsters|zMaine.
651 0Maine|xDescription and travel.
60010Clinton, Bill, 1946-
61020American Library Association.

MARC Subfields

  1. Subject subdivisions should always be entered into appropriate subfields. It is not acceptable to enter them in a single subfield divided by dashes.
  2. The vertical bar character, "|", is used with a lowercase letter, or occasionally a one-digit number, to designate a MARC subfield.
  3. Innovative's convention is not to enter an explicit subfield "a" at the beginning of a MARC field.  Where many automated library systems would show "S650 0|aLobsters|zMaine.", Innovative omits the "|a".
  4. Common subfields are:
    • |v Form subdivision, e.g. "Handbooks"
    • |x General subdivision, e.g. "Description and Travel"
    • |y Chronological subdivision, e.g. "World War, 1914-1918"
    • |z Geographical subdivision, e.g. Falkland Islands
    • |2 Source of heading or term, e.g. Sears.  (Used with 2nd indicator of "7".)

Indicators

The second indicator position in a 6xx field refers to the thesaurus from which the subject heading is drawn. The value entered here determines whether the subject heading is indexed for a regular subject search or a medical subject search.  The most common values and important values here are:

0 Library of Congress Subject Heading
1 LC Subject Heading for Children's Literature
2 Medical Subject Heading
4 Source Not Specified
7 Source Specified in subfield |2

Updates

This document is updated as required, and in response to user suggestions and questions.  If you have comments in this regard, send us feedback.