Identification of Subject Heading

Definition of LCSH

According to Library of Congress , Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is the list of headings produced from the subject authority file maintained by the United States Library of Congress for use in bibliographic records. It is popularly known by its abbreviation as LCSH and is sometimes used interchangeably with the phrase subject authority file.

Assigning Subject Headings: Subject Analysis

Once a cataloger understands the types of headings and subdivisions that are available in the LCSH, the next challenge is to decide which headings should be used for the library materials being cataloged.

• The first step in this process involves what is called SUBJECT ANALYSIS, or analyzing the library material in question to determine the exact content. Many times this is evident by looking at the title of the item, such as Desserts From Your Bread Machine. A title such as this would require subject headings indicating cookery, desserts, and bread machine use.

• Sometimes, though, the title indicates little of the content. The title Full Circle by itself does not explain what this book might be about. Further analysis is needed. This can be done in several ways.

• Often, looking through the table of contents can be a good indicator of the subject of an item. Paging through an index and any illustrations or photographs will also help.

For non-book materials, accompanying booklets or instruction guides should give information that will help determine the topic.

Find Appropriate Heading in LCSH

It is important to choose an appropriate subject heading for each library items.This is because to facilitate library users in searching the material more easily. For example :

Book Title	Author of the book	Subject Heading
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	J.K Rowling	Harry Potter Wizard Magic
Teknologi komputer	Abd Samad Hanif ... [et al.]	Computers Information technology Telecomunication