LMED 316

SEARS OVERVIEW

Subject headings indicated in bold in this handout are actual Sears headings. It will be helpful as you read this handout to look in the
20th edition of Sears at those subject headings.
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Read about & learn these essential concepts: Headings to be added by the cataloger, p. xlii;
Key Headings, p. xliii;
Symbols used, p. liii

1.

What are subject headings?

A subject heading is a uniform word or phrase used in the library catalog to express a topic.
The purpose of a librarys subject catalog is to use one uniform word or phrase all for the materials on a given
subject that a library has in its collection.
Subject is the topic treated in book or item.
Subject headings are specific access points or search terms (along with main and added entries and classification
numbers) which library patrons can use to locate materials.
Standard subject heading lists like Sears and LCSH are used to assure consistency in both the level of specificity
and the form of the headings.

2.

How do you, the cataloger, decide the subject (information content) of a book or other item?
Determining the subject of a work. Subjects can only be determined by examining a work as a whole:
read the title page
examine the table of contents
skim the preface and introduction
examine the text, skim and read parts of it if necessary

3.

How do you determine how many subject headings to assign?

Tradition says that its rarely necessary to assign more than three subject headings to an item. Catalogers
followed the rule of three. If more than 3 headings were needed for a book, select the broader term.
cattle pigs

poultry
(3 is okay) But, if the book is about cattle, pigs, poultry, and sheep choose
Domestic animals
Current practice now allows more than three if the major emphases of a work requires it, but only then.
Assigning subject headings is not indexing.

4.

Specific and direct entry

Sears says to enter the subject of a work under the most specific term that accurately describes its subject
that is under Penguins NOT Birds
Bridges NOT Engineering
Then do not add another entry for the broader general term.
Its more helpful for patrons to make see and/or see also references.

5. Types of Sears subject headings

Topical heading: most commonthe subject or topic.

Form headings: physical form Almanacs; literary form Fiction; musical form Symphony;
genre Science fiction; In literature, singular indicates topic Short story; plural is form Short stories
Geographic headings: Many geographic places are included in Sears. Geographic Key Headings for
locations are to be used as an example to establish headings.
Names: Some commonly found names are included in Sears. According to Sears rules, proper names of
persons, places, families, literary works, corporations, etc. are added when necessary using the Key Heading
for that type.

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6. Grammar of subject headings

Four forms of headings are found in Sears: 1) single noun or plural noun (used most often); 2) compound
heading; 3) adjective with noun; 4) phrase headings
Subdivisions make a subject heading more precise. They are placed after the topical heading and are preceded
by dash History ; they come from the Sears headings. DO NOT create OR ADD subdivisions unless Sears
gives permission. For an example look in Sears at AbilityTesting and also Testing

Types of subdivisions (those words added after the dash) :

1. Topical subdivisions: show special aspects of topics African Americans History
2. Geographic subdivisions: Subjects subdivided by place. In Sears subjects are sometimes are followed by a
statement giving permission to divide geographically. Do it only if it gives permission. Art and music
subjects may be subdivided by any place (in any unit i.e. city, state, country) if a library has enough books about
that place: Art France
3. Chronological subdivisions: Sears has established chronological breakdowns of periods of history and you must
use them as they are written. Libraries with a large amount of historical material can create their own
chronologies but must use the same form established by Sears and LCSH. Computer needs dictate the order that
places the date before the name of the event. United States History 1861-1865, Civil War
4. Form subdivisions: Subdivisions by physical form show the form of the material in addition to the subject
Birds Statistics
Technology Dictionary
Order of subdivisions :
Subdivisions will almost always follow this order: TopicGeographicChronologicalForm
However, geographic headings subdivided by topic:
In history, geography and government/ politics the place is the significant factor and place names come first.

United States Census

Wisconsin Geography
Eau Claire (Wis.)Elections
Local materials are the exception: Collections of local materials may be entered under the name of the location
as the topical heading. Eau Claire (Wis.)Historic buildings

7. Complex areas
Biography: Sears says for individual biography--do not add Biography as a subdivision (that would be
redundant).
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Babe Ruth not Babe Ruth--Biography

Sometimes its appropriate to add a 2nd subject heading and subdivision for biographies. For a
biography of Babe Ruth with lots of information about baseball history also use:
Baseball--History
Collective biography (about more than one person) if 3 or less assign individual names (rule of 3).
If about more than three it is a collective biography so use:
Biography
Local biography (about an area): Wisconsin Biography
Classes of persons: Poets Biography
Scientists Biography
Nationalities: Usually national aspects of a subject are expressed as a topical term with a geographic
subdivision.
Sewage disposal--France