Required LC Subject Headings on Selected Records
Subject Cataloging | Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging Program (CYAC)
CYAC records include subject headings from Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), recorded in the MARC 21 6xx #0 fields, for certain categories of juvenile material. Most of these are collections and single stories that are of a popular genre and/or topical content. These categories come from instruction sheets in the Subject Headings Manual as noted below.
Collections
CYAC catalogers assign the following LCSH headings to collections by single or multiple authors.
1. Children's stories: This heading is used for collections of stories on general topics for children up to and including age twelve. (The Children’s Subject Heading is Short stories.) Collections of stories for teenagers would not carry the CSH of Short stories if the collection is by one author.
650 #0 $a Children’s stories, American.
650 #1 $a Short stories.
650 #0 $a Children’s stories, English.
650 #1 $a Short stories.
2. Children's literature: This heading is used on works including plays, poems, stories, fairy tales, essays, etc. of no particular theme. (The Children’s Subject Heading is Literature).
650 #0 $a Children’s literature.
650 #1 $a Literature $v Collections.
3. --Literary collections: This subdivision is used for topical collections of varying types of materials, including plays, poems, stories, fairy tales, essays, etc.
650 #0 $a Christmas $v Literary collections.
650 #1 $a Christmas $v Literary collections.
4. Topical headings: These headings are used for collections of stories about a particular subject.
650 #0 $a Cats $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #1 $a Cats $v Fiction.
5. Genre headings: These headings are used on collections of stories that are all the same genre, as in Detective and mystery stories (the Children’s Subject Heading is Mystery and detective stories).
650 #0 $a Detective and mystery stories.
650 #1 $a Mystery and detective stories.
650 #0 $a Horror tales.
650 #1 $a Horror stories.
650 #0 $a Humorous stories.
650 #1 $a Humorous stories.
Refer to SHM H 1790.
Single Stories
We assign LCSH headings to the following categories of single stories. The LCSH heading is only added when the subject heading in categories 1-5 is the first heading listed on the CYAC record.
1. Realistic animal stories including collections (classed in PZ10.3)
650 #0 $a Horses $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #1 $a Horses $v Fiction.
2. Biographical fiction
600 10 $a Houdini, Harry, $d 1874-1926 $v Juvenile fiction.
600 11 $a Houdini, Harry, $d 1874-1926 $v Fiction.
3. Historical time periods and events
651 #0 $a Virginia $x History $y Civil War, 1861-1865 $v Juvenile fiction.
651 #1 $a Virginia $x History $y Civil War, 1861-1865 $v Fiction.
4. Ethnic groups
650 #0 $a Maori (New Zealand people) $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #1 $a Maori (New Zealand people) $v Fiction.
5. Other entities, as defined in SHM H 1790, including "movements, corporate bodies other than jurisdictions, camps, parks, structures, geographical features other than regions, disasters, etc.”
650 #0 $a Underground Railroad $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #1 $a Underground Railroad $v Fiction.
651 #0 $a Yellowstone National Park $v Juvenile fiction.
651 #1 $a Yellowstone National Park $v Fiction.
Nursery Rhymes and Songs
Classed in PZ8.3
1. For traditional nursery rhymes (traditional, i.e., Mother Goose), single or collected, LC headings Nursery rhymes and Children's poetry are used.
2. For original songs, single or collected, LCSH heading Children's songs, [language or nationality]—[Country]—Texts is used.
Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Other Traditional Material
Fairy Tales (traditional)
and Folklore
Classed in PZ8 or PZ8.1
LCSH headings are assigned to this material when it is a collection (not a single story).
1. Fairy tales--[Country] on a collection of folk-fairy tales
650 #0 $a Fairy tales $z France.
650 #1 $a Fairy tales.
650 #1 $a Folklore $z France.
2. Tales--[Country] on folk tales
650 #0 $a Tales $z Mexico.
650 #1 $a Folklore $z Mexico.
3. [Topic]--Folklore on topical folk tales; addition of this LCSH heading is optional
650 #0 $a Cats $v Folklore.
650 #1 $a Folklore.
650 #1 $a Cats $v Folklore.
Refer to SHM H 1627
Fairy Tales (original)
Fairy tales--[Country] and Children’s stories [language or nationality]
For a collection of Oscar Wilde fairy tales:
650 #0 $a Fairy tales $z Ireland.
650 #0 $a Children’s stories, English.
650 #1 $a Fairy tales.
650 #1 $a Short stories.
For a collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales:
650 #0 $a Fairy tales $z Denmark.
650 #0 $a Children’s stories, Danish $v Translations into English.
650 #1 $a Fairy tales.
650 #1 $a Short stories.
Special Categories
1. Traditional mythical characters: Single or collected works featuring traditional mythical characters take an LCSH heading for the character.
650 #0 $a Anansi (Legendary character) $v Legends.
650 #1 $a Anansi (Legendary character) $v Legends.
650 #0 $a Pecos Bill (Legendary character) $v Legends.
650 #1 $a Pecos Bill (Legendary character) $v Legends.
2. Arthurian Legends: Collections and single retellings of the Arthur legend use the LC heading Arthurian romances--Adaptations.
650 #0 $a Arthurian romances $x Adaptations.
600 01 $a Arthur, $c King $x Legends.
3. Fables: LC headings are assigned to this material when it is a collection, not a single fable (Fables, [Nationality] e.g. Fables, American).
650 #0 $a Fables, American.
650 #1 $a Fables.
4. Aesop's fables (collections): If an author or illustrator other than Aesop is the main entry, Aesop's fables--Adaptations is assigned. If there is no author or illustrator in the main entry and there is the uniform title Aesop's fables. English, LC uses the subject heading Fables, Greek--Translations into English.
630 00 $a Aesop’s fables $v Adaptations.
650 #1 $a Fables.
650 #1 $a Folklore.
650 #0 $a Fables, Greek $v Translations into English.
650 #1 $a Fables.
650 #1 $a Folklore.
5. Fables by La Fontaine (collections which are considered original works): CYAC uses the LC headings Fables, French--Translations into English and Children's stories, French--Translations into English.
650 #0 $a Fables, French $v Translations into English.
650 #0 $a Children’s stories, French $v Translations into English.
650 #1 $a Fables.
650 #1 $a Short stories.
Toy and Movable Books (books that can be played with)
The following general and specific LCSH headings are assigned to materials in unique formats that involve reader participation such as moving illustrations, pushing buttons to play songs, or manipulating the book in various other ways. Toy and Movable (T&M) Books explains what is considered a toy-type book.
- Glow-in-the-dark books
- Lift-the-flap books
- Musical books
- Pop-up books
- Scented books
- Sound effects books
- Textured books
- Toy and movable books
All of these are subdivided by --Specimens. Children’s Subject Headings are not subdivided by Specimens but both the general subject heading and the specific subject heading are provided (e.g. Textured books and Toy and movable books).
650 #0 $a Musical books $v Specimens.
650 #1 $a Musical books.
650 #1 $a Toys and movable books.
Specialized Formats
CYAC assigns the following LCSH headings to single or collected works:
- Board books
- Braille books—Specimens
- Graphic novels (Coded as a 655 in MARC records)
- Large type books
- Miniature books—Specimens (For works 10 cm. or smaller)
- Plot-your-own stories
- Upside-down books
- Flip Books
Age-Sensitive Categories
To bring out the age of young authors or illustrators, CYAC uses specific LSCH headings on single or collected works.
1. Children's writings, [language or nationality]: used for works written by children through age twelve
650 #0 $a Children’s writings, Canadian.
650 #1 $a Children’s writings.
2. Youths’ writings, [language or nationality]: used only on collections written by more than one author from age thirteen to twenty-five
650 #0 $a Youths’ writings, Sierra Leonean (English)
3. Children's art: for artwork produced by children under the age of fifteen
650 #0 $a Children’s art.
650 #1 $a Children’s art.
