BCC2007/SAS/4

MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
SUBJECT ACCESS SUBCOMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT
July 2006-June 2007

Members: Beth Flood, Chair, Stacey Allison-Cassin, Keith Chapman, Patty Falk, Neil Hughes, Lynne Jaffe, Geraldine Ostrove (LC Representative), Jenn Riley, Jon Stroop, and John Wagstaff.

Genre/Form Terms for Music

Beginning in September 2007, LC began using new moving image genre/form terms and distributing authority records for them.

LC is currently identifying music headings for testing as genre/form germs. in conjunction with other policy revisions, LC will be creating more subject authority records for pattern headings in music and for headings with free-floating subdivisions. This will help in automatic validation of subjects and with the implementation of genre/form headings for music.

A new subcommittee of ALA's Subject Analysis Committee has been formed to aid in communication between LC and various constituencies regarding the implementation of genre/form terms. MLA representative Beth Flood is a member of this committee, and music is one of the target areas for upcoming work.

Developing a SACO Music Funnel to assist with genre/form implementation for music, as well as to contribute new headings, is a distinct possibility which the subcommittee is investigating. 

As for actual implementation of genre/form terms in music records, there was agreement during the SAS business meeting in February 2007 that the music library community needs to agree to convert to 655 form/genre coding as a group, and we will need to make sure that library systems can function the same way with form/genre headings coded as topical (650) and as form (655).

Music Vocabularies and Subject Access

The SAS is planning a program for MLA in February 2008. This program will address current developments with genre/form terms for music, status of the SACO Music Funnel project, as well as possibilities of using various thesauri for music subject access. Speakers will include Gerry Ostrove, Jenn Riley, Stacy Allison-Cassin, Beth Flood and possibly a speaker from the Ethnographic Thesaurus project.

Respectfully submitted,

Beth Flood, Chair
Subject Access Subcommittee

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Last updated April 24, 2008