Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings, by Vanda Broughton

Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings.

By Vanda Broughton, Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2012, 278 pp., ISBN 978-1-55570-640-1, (paper).

Subject access to library resources is being provided more and more by the application of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), a list commonly used in the English-speaking world. Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings provides an excellent introduction to the application of LCSH in libraries of all types and sizes. Widely published in the field of classification and cataloging, author Vanda Broughton is highly qualified to write on this subject.

Broughton begins by describing the history and development of LCSH, providing readers with an understanding of the principles underlying LCSH, including literary warrant. Chapter 6 contains a thoughtful and practical approach to performing content analysis, a critical activity prior to assigning subject headings. Subsequent chapters address how to assign main headings, as well as topical, geographic, free-floating, and other subdivisions. Broughton includes exercises (with answers) throughout most chapters, allowing readers to apply new knowledge as they proceed through the text. Later chapters provide an introduction to the use of subject headings for literature, art, and music. Finally, the author devotes a short chapter to the use of Classification Web for subject analysis.

The book is well-written and logically organized. In addition to the exercises scattered throughout the text, Broughton includes brief summaries of her major points at the end of major sections within each chapter. An index, a glossary, and a brief bibliography are also included. Overall, this is a highly useful introduction to subject analysis that would be an excellent choice for use in a course on cataloging and classification. It would also serve well as a training tool in any library technical services setting.

Published previously:Mugridge, R. L. (2012). [Review of the book Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings, by Vanda Broughton]. Catholic Library World, 83(1), 58-59.