BCC99/SAS/3
1999 ALA ANNUAL
MEETING
ALCTS CCS SUBJECT ANALYSIS COMMITTEE REPORT
June 27 and 28, 1999
The following report represents selected coverage of topics from the
SAC meetings in New Orleans on June 27and 28, 1999.
1. Sears List of Subject
Headings
The second update to the 16th edition of Sears List of Subject Headings was made available
on tape in USMARC Authority format. These changes will all appear in the 17th
edition, which is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2000. The 6th
edition of Sears List of Subject Headings: Canadian
Companion will be published in 2000 following the publication of the 17th
edition, mentioned above. Comments or questions may be directed to Joseph Miller, editor
at jmiller@hwwilson.com
2. LC report (Lynn El-Hoshy)
The Library of Congress continues to prepare for its
Bicentennial, which will be celebrated on April 24, 2000. Some activities related to the
LC Bicentennial include the mailing of “toolkits” to 16,000 public libraries,
the Local Legacies project and the reconstruction of the Thomas Jefferson Collection at
LC. For more information on the LC Bicentennial, look at http://lcweb.loc.gov/bicentennial
LC has formed the Digital Futures Group to work on the
integration of digital resources into the Library’s core collections. This group has
chartered three teams to look at issues of content and collection development,
infrastructure development, and access tools. At this point, there are 44 collections
online and an additional 53 in development.
New publications offered at the LC booth included editions of
LC Classification schedules released this year (including class M), the Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop, and the new MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data.
LC is on schedule for implementation of its new Voyager
integrated library system (ILS). Cataloging, circulation and the OPAC are scheduled to go
“live” in August, with acquistions and serials check-in to begin in October. LC
will have three RFPs out for bid this year related to the conversion of manual inventory
information into the ILS.
The PREMARC file of about 4.7 million bibliographic records
will loaded in the ILS. Most of these records were created prior to the adoption of AACR2
and may contain headings that differ from current practice. LC is planning a project to
bring just the headings on these records into conformity with current descriptive and
subject cataloging practice. It is anticipated that the project will take five years for
completion. Many of the headings were established some time back and are considered
offensive by contemporary standards (e.g. Children, Abnormal and backward). Until each
heading has been evaluated and brought into alignment with current practice, it will be
identified by the character string [from old catalog]. Revised PREMARC records will not be
redistributed to the utilities.
Changes anticipated with implementation of the Voyager ILS
include 1) improvement of system availability to seven days a week, 24 hours a day; 2) all
LC records will be in a single database, and 3) search access to LC’s authority files
will no longer be possible.
Other cataloging projects in process at LC include the
conversion of Chinese bibliographic records from the Wade-Giles to pinyin system of
romanization and the implementation of the Electronic Cataloging in Publication (ECIP)
program.
The Special Materials Cataloging Division continues to offer
the Music Cataloging Sabbatical. This provides an opportunity for qualified music
catalogers to for a three to six month period. For more information, contact Susan Vita
(svit@loc.gov) or Phillip De Sellem (pdes@loc.gov).
On February 17, 1999, LC began implementation of subfield v in
subject headings to code subject subdivisions functioning as forms, in bibliographic
records for monographs, serials, moving image and sound recordings. Application in map
records was delayed until the implementation of the ILS. Information of the new subfield
can be found in the 1998 Update No. 2 and 1999 Update No. 1 to the Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings and in
the 11th edition of Free-Floating
Subdivisions: An Alphabetical Index. Subdivision authority records are being created
using the new 18X field.
In the preparation for the transition to the ILS, publication
of the Subject Heading Weekly Lists will be
suspended, between July 14th and September 8, 1999. LC catalogers and SACO
participants will continue to propose headings during that period; all proposals submitted
during that period will appear on WL99-36 and subsequent lists.
In a major change, the heading combinations Reference books—[any subject] will be
replaced with a new free-floating subdivision –Reference
books for use under subjects. This will eliminate the assignment of the set of
headings Reference books—[subject] and [subject]—Bibliography; a listing will be
assigned only [subject]—Reference
books—Bibliography.
3. Dewey Decimal
Classification
Dewey for Windows Version 1.20 is now available.
Forest Press has published Dewey Decimal Classification: Francophone
Perspectives/Classification décimale Dewey: Perspectives francophones, proceedings
from a workshop held at IFLA 1998.
Decimal Classification
Additions, Notes and Decisions (DC&), vol. 6, no. 2, was published on the Dewey
Web site early in 1999. Beginning with this issue, DC&
has changed to electronic publication only. New and changed entries appear monthly on the
Dewey Web site. http://www.oclc.org/fp/
Editorial work continues on unabridged Edition 22, scheduled
for publication in 2003. Revision of Table 2’s Area 44 (France) is being undertaken
in collaboration with French-speaking colleagues. The Editorial Policy Committee has
approved changes for Table 1 (Standard Subdivisions) and Literature (800).
4. Report of the SAC
Subcommittee to Promote Subject Relationships/Reference Structures
Gregory Wool reported on the subcommittee’s program,
“Oh Say Can You See Also?” which was held on June 26. In the coming year, the
subcommittee plans to investigate subject referencing in bibliographic databases on CD-ROM
and the internet.
5. IFLA Review of OPAC
Guidelines
The subcommittee commented on the draft of Guidelines for OPAC Displays. Most of the comments
focused on organization and points needing clarification. The report will be sent on to
CSS.
6. SAC Task Force on
LCSH Subject Heading Revisions Relating to the Poor People's Policy
A new charge was devised for the task force to respond to the
ALA Council Resolution on the headings addressed by Sanford Berman. This charge will go to
the ALCTS representative to Council after approval by CSS. The report will go to CCS
Executive at the Midwinter meeting.
7. Report of the SAC
Subcommittee on Metadata and Subject Analysis
The subcommittee continues to work on its document on subject
analysis in the Dublin Core Record. Lois Mai Chan would like to share its recommendations
at IFLA.
8. Report of the SAC
Subcommittee on Form Headings/Subdivisions Implementation
Due to continuing concern on the implementation of subfield v,
the subcommittee presented an additional education forum at this ALA meeting. In further
response, the subcommittee has decided to work on a checklist, based on usage prescribed
in the Subject Cataloging Manual, to assist
catalogers and authorities librarians in usage of the subfield, as well as for conversion
of subfield coding. A draft is anticipated by Midwinter.
9. Report of the SAC
Subcommittee on the Revision of the Fiction Guidelines
The manuscript of the revised Guidelines was voted by CCS Executive for passage
to ALA publishing. The subcommittee considers its work completed.
10. Report of the SAC
Subcommittee on Metadata and Classification
The report of the subcommittee was accepted, along with its
recommendations regarding application, display of class numbers and captions, movement
across resources, search, retrieval and overview – as well as areas for further
investigation. The Subject Analysis subcommittee will promote the report through a
discussion forum at Annual 2000, and will produce a “user-friendly” publication
which promotes the report’s recommendations
11 . Announcements
Arlene Taylor announced that the next installation in the
Catalog Form and Function Committee’s Briefing Papers series would appear in the next
ALCTS Newsletter. The paper, “Access to
Form Data in Online Catalogs,” was authored by Harriette Hemmasi, Mary Charles
Lasater, and David Miller, and edited by Taylor. The Newsletter
is now online; back issues are archived and accessible via the ALCTS home page.
http://ala8.ala.org/alcts/alcts_news/
Alva Stone, Florida State University, announced a double
special issue of Cataloging & Classification
Quarterly, titled The LCSH Century: Sense and
Sensibility in Subject Access. This festschrift, celebrating LCSH’s centennial,
is planned for publication in December or January.
Submitted by Michael Colby
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Last updated April 18, 2000