LC Subject Headings

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What it covers

If you do a subject search in the card or online catalog and don't find anything on your topic, you may be using the wrong words to describe what you're looking for. To give you some better terms, you'll need to use the Library of Congress Subject Headings, or LCSH.

LCSH uses what we call "controlled vocabulary." This is in contrast to keyword searching. Controlled vocabulary means that there are certain terms used consistently for a subject. If, for example, all the people who catalog books chose their own term for the people born between 1945 and 1955, some would say "Baby Boomers" and some would say "Boomers." We would have to guess what each one thought. With LCSH, we can look up "Baby boom generation" and see that it is the correct heading. We know that it is, because it is in bold type.

How It's Arranged

The subject headings in LCSH are arranged alphabetically. The official subject heading is given in bold type. The headings NOT used are in regular type. All the headings are preceded by code letters.

Each code describes a different term. Here is a list of them:

USE

USE means that this is the authorized term.

Example: Use "Rare Animals"

UF

UF means Used For and tells you which heading is not used.

Example: "Rare animals" is Used For:

Animals, Rare
Vanishing Animals

NT

NT means Narrower Term, or a more specific aspect of the standard heading.

Example::

Rare breeds
Rare insects
Rare invertebrates
Rare vertebrates

BT

BT means Broad Term. It is the reverse of "NT." It is the main subject heading expanded.

Example: Broad Term="Animals"

RT

RT means Related Term. It is like a "See also" reference.

Example: Related Term="Endangered Species"

The subject headings in LCSH may be further broken down into one or more "subdivisions" describing the form, period, or geographic area treated.

One of the most common ways of subdividing is geographically. Here is a typical example:

Lakes: --Africa, East; NT Tanganyika, Lake; --Africa, West; NT Chad, Lake; --Alabama; NT Gainesville Lake

More Examples from Library of Congress Subject Headings

happycat.gif (1432 bytes) The layout of these entries from LCSH approximates the print version as closely as possible.

The notes below call some headings "valid" and some "invalid."

Valid headings are headings that may be used in the library catalog.
Invalid headings are not used in the library catalog.

After studying the examples, test your understanding of LCSH entries.

Entries from LCSH:			Notes about the Entries:
Animal Psychology (May Subd Geog)			Valid Headings in LCSH are in boldface.
		[QL785]	Browse the shelves under the call number(s) in [brackets].
	BT	Psychology	These terms are also valid. BT = Broader Terms RT = Related Terms NT = Narrower Terms
	RT	Animal Behavior Animal Intelligence Psychology, Comparative
	SA	subdivision Psychology under individual animals and groups of animals, e.g. Cattle--Psychology; Fishes--Psychology	SA = See Also
	NT	Animal Memory Animal psychopathology Consciousness in animals Extrasensory perception in animals Time perception in animals
Animal Rescue
	UF	Rescue of animals
	BT	Animal Welfare
	NT	Dog rescue Wildlife rescue
Animal respiration			"Animal respiration" is not a valid heading. It is not in boldface type. USE the term Respiration instead.
	USE	Respiration
Animal restraint
	USE	Restraint
Animal rights (May Subd Geog)			Geographical subdivisions may be used with Animal rights, e.g., Animal rights -- United States
		[HV4701-HV4959]
	Here are entered works on the inherent rights attributed to animals. Works on the protection and treatment of animals are entered under Animal welfare.		Some headings have a Scope Note that clarifies its use.
	UF	Animal liberation Animals' rights Rights of animals	Animal rights is USED FOR (instead of) Animal liberation, Animals' rights, and Rights of animals, which are *invalid terms*.
	BT	Animal welfare--Moral and ethical aspects
--	Law and legislation		An invalid subheading
	USE	Animal welfare--Law and legislation
--	Religious aspects		A valid subheading
-- --	-- Baptists, [Catholic Church, etc.] -- Buddhism, [Christianity, etc.]		Valid sub-subheadings
Animal rights activists (May Subd Geog)
	UF	Activists, Animal rights Advocates, Animal rights Animal rights advocates
	BT	Reformers
Animal rights advocates
	USE	Animal rights activists
Animal Welfare (May Subd Geog)
		[HV4701-HV4959]
	Here are entered works on the protection and treatment of animals. Works on the inherent rights attributed to animals are entered under Animal rights.		The scope note clarifies the usage of the term Animal welfare and the term Animal rights.
	UF	Abuse of animals Animals--Abuse of Animals--Cruelty to Animals, Protection of Animals, Treatment of Cruelty to animals Humane treatment of animals Kindness to animals Mistreatment of animals Neglect of animals Prevention of cruelty to animals Protection of animals Treatment of animals Welfare, animal	This is a long list of UF (Used For) terms. Remember any term listed after UF is not a valid term. Animal welfare is used for (instead of) any of these terms.
	BT	Animals--Social Aspects
	NT	Animal rescue Vivisection
--	Law and legislation (May Subd Geog)
	UF	Animal rights--Law and legislation Humane laws
--	Moral and ethical aspects
	NT	Animal rights
-- -- -- --	Religious aspects -- Baptists, [Catholic Church, etc.] -- Buddhism, [Christianity, etc.] Societies, etc.
	UF	Humane societies
--	Study and teaching
	USE	Humane education

So, what do you do with this information? You can look up the words you were trying unsuccessfully to find; LCSH should give you the correct words to type into the computer!

Now, take a Self-Test on LCSH. This link will open a new window so you can use the information on this page to help you with the self-test.