Information:
In order to access information in a collection,
library users can do a subject search on the name
of a city, state, country, river, mountain range,
region, or other geographical feature. If the
library users want books about Canada they could
look under the name "Canada". This makes the
collection more accessible because the library
users would not have to know the title or the
author of individual items to locate the
information they need.
In the MARC bibliographic record there are several
tags which represent different types of subject
headings. The 651 tag provides geographic names as
subject headings. This subject heading would NOT
include topical headings, personal names of real
people, specific meetings and events, corporate
bodies, or geographic places used as part of a
phrase heading.
AACR2 provides rules for setting up geographic
names in chapter 23 and Chapter 16 in RDA has
guidelines for identifying places. Many geographic
names are established in controlled vocabulary lists
such as Sears List of Subject Headings or Library
of Congress Subject Headings. The Library of
Congress also establishes geographic names in the
LC Name Authority List. Not using a controlled
vocabulary list of geographic names can cause
confusion and frustration for library searchers.
For example, in an uncontrolled vocabulary, a
searcher looking for information about the Middle
West states in the United States might look under
such names as: "Middle West", "Midwest",
"Midwestern States", "Central States", "North
Central States", or any number of other names.
However, if the library uses controlled subject
heading terms, all of the material about the Middle
West should be given the same name from the
controlled subject heading or name authority list
and cross references would lead the searcher to the
correct name.
The addition of subdivision terms to the geographic
name also provides more precise subject access. The
subdivisions and the rules for using them are
established by the agency responsible for the
subject heading system.
In the 651 tag the second indicator tells which
authorized subject heading list is used. Be sure to
enter the correct indicator for the subject heading
list that is being used. When using Sears headings,
enter 7 as the second indicator and sears (all
lower case letters in subfield 2).
Indicators
First Undefined
blank Undefined
Second Subject heading system/thesaurus
0 Library of Congress Subject Headings
1 LC subject headings for children's
literature
2 Medical Subject Headings
3 National Agricultural Library subject
authority file
4 Source not specified
5 Canadian Subject Headings
6 Répertoire des vedettes-matière
7 Source specified in subfield 2
Subfields
a Geographic name (NR)
v Form subdivision (R)
x General subdivision (R)
y Chronological subdivision (R)
z Geographic subdivision (R)
2 Source of heading or term (NR)
Punctuation
The tag ends with a mark of punctuation
(., !, ?, -) or closing parenthesis. This mark of
punctuation precedes subfield 2 when present.
Examples:
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
and LC's Name Authority List are designed for LC's
own collection and are used by many large public
libraries, college and university libraries, and
special libraries. LC's lists are comprehensive,
and have a large number of free-floating
subdivisions that can be added to names.
651 0 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_yRevolution, 1775-1783.
651 0 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_y1961-1969.
651 0 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_y20th century.
651 0 _aSouthwest, New.
651 0 _aMars (Planet)
651 0 _aWashington (D.C.)
651 0 _aWashington (State)
651 0 _aReserva Biosferica en los Galápagos
(Galapagos Islands)
651 0 _aHarlem (New York, N.Y.)
651 0 _aHaarlem (Netherlands)
651 0 _aRocky Mountain State Park (Colo.)
651 0 _aSouth Africa
_xPolitics and government
_y1961-1968.
651 0 _aKokomo (Ind.)
651 0 _aAlabama
_xSocial life and customs.
651 0 _aMiddle West.
651 0 _aBohnsack (N. D. : Township)
651 0 _aTroy (Extinct city)
Library of Congress Subject Headings for Children's
Literature or Annotated Card (AC) Headings
generally use LCSH terms; however, sometimes it
substitutes a more familiar or shortened version of
the name in the AC heading.
651 1 _aGalapagos Islands Biosphere Reserve
(Galapagos Islands)
651 1 _aAlabama
_xSocial life and customs
_y1865-1918.
651 1 _aFrench Quarter (New Orleans, La.)
651 1 _aMars (Planet)
Sears List of Subject Headings is designed
to meet the needs of small and medium-sized
libraries. Sears provides a smaller, more
simplified list of subjects and subdivisions to use
than LCSH. Sears occasionally establishes a
different form of the name than LCSH and LC Name
Authority List. Sears uses Chicago (Ill.), Ohio,
and United States as models for subdivision of
Geographic names.
651 7 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_y1775-1783, Revolution.
_2sears
651 7 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_y1961-1974.
_2sears
651 7 _aUnited States
_xHistory
_y20th century
_sears
651 7 _aSouthwestern States.
_2sears
651 7 _aMars (Planet)
_2sears
651 7 _aAlabama
_xSocial life and customs.
_2sears
651 7 _aSouth Africa
_xPolitics and government.
_2sears
651 7 _aChicago (Ill.)
_vTelephone directories.
_2sears
651 7 _aOhio
_xHistory
_vSources.
_2sears
|
