Report to ALA ALCTS CCS Subject Cataloging Committee (SAC)
Subcommittee on Form Headings/Subdivision Implementation
Tom Yee
LC Cataloging Policy and Support Office
June 25, 1999
Implementation of $v subfield. On February 17, 1999, LC implemented the previously announced authority data element changes in the subject authority file, and LC monographic, serials, moving image, and sound recording catalogers began to code form subdivisions functioning as forms in subject headings in bibliographic records as $v rather than $x. Staff from the Cataloging Policy and Support Office (CPSO) held customized orientation sessions with catalogers from the various cataloging divisions during February and March.
Geography and Map Division staff worked with CPSO to implement the use of subfield $v. Implementation was scheduled for May 1, but technical problems have resulted in a delay until August 16th when cataloging in the integrated library system begins. In the interim, changes are being made to the subject authority file for form/genre headings and subdivisions applied to cartographic materials.
Guidelines on applying subfield $v and revised coding in examples were included in the 1998 Update No. 2 to the Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings last fall. The 1999 Update No. 1, which was published this spring, featured explicit subfield coding on the free-floating subdivision lists to replace the diamonds in the margins that had previously identified form subdivisions. Explicit subfield coding is also included in the 11th edition of the Free-Floating Subdivisions: An Alphabetical Index, which just became available.
Subject subdivision records. Using the new 18X fields, staff in the Subject Headings Editorial team began to create subdivision authority records to control the more than 3,100 free-floating subdivisions, beginning with form subdivisions. In mid-March distribution of subdivision authority records had to be suspended due to the discovery of a programming oversight regarding the 008/17 field. The problem was recently resolved and distribution of these records is resuming.
Recoding of form subdivisions in existing authority records. Subject Headings Editorial staff continue a project to recode instances of form subdivisions in existing subject authority records from $x to $v.
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