Guidelines on Subject Thesauri
Updated
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The subject vocabularies indicated here are intended for use as a supplement to, not in lieu of, the Library of Congress Subject headings. The vocabularies are designed to provide additional access points relevant to specific communities, cultural identities, and areas of practice.
Non-LCSH subject terms from another controlled vocabulary receive a MARC 650 tag with a second indicator 7. A ‡2 should be added with the source code for the vocabulary, i.e. ‡2 homoit
A comprehensive list of codes can be found at the Library of Congress' Subject Headings and Term Source Codes page.
The Homosaurus
Vocabulary Name | Maintained by | ‡2 code | List of Terms | Background Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Homosaurus | The Homosaurus Editorial Board | ‡2 homoit |
About the Homosaurus
The Homosaurus is a specialized vocabulary for describing LGBTQIA+ materials in libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions. The Homosaurus vocabulary uses the current language of the LGBTQIA+ community, and is congruent with best practices for its description. It also includes a number of historical LGBTQIA+ terms with instructions on the subjects and periods to which these terms can be applied. It includes both narrower terms and more culturally-appropriate terms than are available in the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Using the Homosaurus
When cataloging materials with LGBTQIA+ content, terms from the Homosaurus may be added to the record in addition to relevant LCSH terms. Catalogers should use their best judgment in applying Homosaurus terms, taking into account:
The language used by the creator and/or community described by the material
The cultural and historical context of the resource you’re cataloging
Terminology that may be relevant to researchers but is not available in LCSH
Whether the LCSH or Homosaurus term may be considered offensive to some users
The Homosaurus Board has produced an extensive documentation/training resource which provides further instruction. If you are unsure about whether or not to add Homosaurus term(s), ask a colleague or omit the terms.
MARC Coding
Most Homosaurus terms are subject terms, and are coded as follows:
650 _7 ‡a Queer women. ‡2 homoit
However some headings can be used as genre/form terms in the 655 field:
655_7 ‡a LGBTQ+ mystery and detective fiction. ‡2 homoit
Example: Supplementing an LCSH term with a more culturally-appropriate term from the Homosaurus
650 _0 ‡a Sexual minorities.
650 _7 ‡a LGBTQ+ people. ‡2 homoit
Rationale: "LGBTQ+ people" is more commonly used than "Sexual minorities" in contemporary discourse, colloquial and scholarly, by members of this community and those writing about them.
Example: Supplementing an LCSH term with a narrower term from the Homosaurus
650 _0 ‡a Gay men.
650 _7 ‡a Macho men. ‡2 homoit
Rationale: "Macho men" describes a specific sub-community within the broader gay community, reflecting a specific way of presenting one's gender and sexuality.
Note: If LCSH and the Homosaurus use identical terms to express the same concept, such as Bears (Gay culture), use the LCSH term in a 650 _0 field. If the terms are similar but not exactly identical, use cataloger's judgment to determine if adding a Homosaurus term is necessary.
Homosaurus Terms: Description and Scope
The record for each Homosaurus term includes a Description field with the definition and scope of the term:
In some cases, a Homosaurus term will be noted in the description as a Reclaimed term, Slur, or Historical term. Broader terms “Reclaimed terms,” “Slurs,” or “LGBTQ+ historical terms” may also be Catalogers should use additional caution in determining whether to apply these terms, paying attention to the guidelines in the Description field. Do not use unless the creator self-identifies with the term. Some examples:
Additional Resources on LGBTQ+ Metadata
Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources
Marika Cifor and KJ Rawson, “Mediating Queer and Trans Pasts: The Homosaurus as Queer Information Activism.”
Subject Headings for Chinese Rare Books
Vocabulary Name | Romanized title | ‡2 code | List of Terms | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
中國古籍善本書總目分類表 | Zhongguo gu ji shan ben shu zong mu fen lei biao | ‡2 sk | Chinese language vocabulary (rare materials) | pre-1795 publications |
中國古籍總目 | Zhongguo gu ji zong mu | ‡2 skbb | Chinese language vocabulary (rare materials) | post-1795 publications |
The bibliographic description of Chinese rare books requires the addition of more detailed, specialized Chinese subject headings to be integrated with the application of more general Library of Congress subject headings. The two resources above are used exclusively for Chinese subjects of rare materials, and are added with parallel fields in vernacular and in Romanized form. Ex.:
650_7 ‡a Zi bu ‡x Zhu jia lei ‡x Jidu jiao zhi shu ‡2 skbb
650_7 ‡a 子部 ‡x 諸家類 ‡x 基督教之屬 ‡2 skbb
and
650_7 ‡a Zi bu ‡x Tian wen suan fa lei ‡x Li fa. ‡2 sk
650_7 ‡a 子部 ‡x 天文算法類 ‡x 曆法. ‡2 sk
The second indicator of MARC field 650 must be 7, paired with subfield 2 with the appropriate vocabulary's approved code. Both vocabularies can be applied together.