About LCDGT Files - LCDGT Terms - LCDGT Manual
About the Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms PDF Files
This page provides PDF files for the new Edition of the Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms (LCDGT) as well as the Demographic Group Terms Manual. The LCDGT vocabulary should be used in conjunction with the Manual, which provides guidelines and instructions for making proposals and for applying demographic group terms. Data for this edition was selected in July 2024.
LCDGT is also available in other formats. For users desiring enhanced functionality, LCDGT will continue to be part of LC’s web-based subscription product, Classification Web Plus. Authority records in MARC UTF-8 format may be freely downloaded from https://classweb.org/LCDGT/, and they are also available for download in a variety of formats from LC’s Linked Data Service, https://id.loc.gov/.
Earlier editions are available here but should not be used for cataloging.
Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms
- Demographic Group Terms (PDF, 370 KB) (REVISED July 2023)
- LCDGT Proposal Form (PDF, 151 KB)
Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms Manual
The Demographic Group Terms Manual contains instructions that are essential for those who wish to understand and apply Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms (LCDGT) correctly. Each instruction sheet is named with the letter L and a three digit number.
Introduction and Ethics
- Introduction (PDF, 163 KB)
- L 400 Ethics and Demographic Group Terms (PDF, 131 KB)
Understanding the structure of the LCDGT vocabulary
- L 405 Categories of Terms (PDF, 155 KB)
- L 410 Broader and Narrower Term References (PDF, 407 KB)
- L 415 Related Term References (PDF, 141 KB)
- L 420 “Used for” References (PDF, 194 KB)
- L 425 History Notes (PDF, 182 KB)
- L 430 Scope Notes (PDF, 208 KB)
Making a proposal to add or change a term
- L 435 When to Propose a New Demographic Term (PDF, 125 KB)
- L 440 Authority Research and Citations for LCDGT Proposals (PDF, 210 KB)
- L 445 Form of Authorized Term (PDF, 173 KB)
- L 450 Parenthetical Qualifiers (PDF, 186 KB)
- L 455 Submitting New LCDGT Proposals (PDF, 314 KB)
- L 460 Changing References in Demographic Group Authority Records (PDF, 199 KB)
- L 465 Changing or Deleting an Authorized Term (PDF, 227 KB)
Managing LCDGT
Using a term in cataloging
- L 480 Assignment of Terms: Audience Characteristics (PDF, 192 KB)
- L 485 Assignment of Terms: Creator Characteristics (PDF, 258 KB)
- L 490 Assignment of Terms: Entity Attributes for Persons (PDF, 207 KB)
- L 495 Order of Demographic Group Terms (PDF, 206 KB)
Understanding the LCDGT categories
- L 500 Age Category (PDF, 186 KB)
- L 505 Educational Level Category (PDF, 195 KB)
- L 510 Ethnic/Cultural Category (PDF, 406 KB)
- L 515 Language Category (PDF, 335 KB)
- L 520 Medical, Psychological, and Disability Category (PDF, 109 KB)
- L 525 National/Regional Category (PDF, 406 KB)
- L 530 Occupation/Field of Activity Category (PDF, 211 KB)
- L 535 Religion Category (PDF, 173 KB)
- L 540 Social Category (PDF, 201 KB)
Understanding LCDGT records in MARC
- L 545 MARC Authority Records for LC Demographic Group Terms (PDF, 183 KB)
- L 550 MARC Coding for Audience in Bibliographic and Work Authority Records (PDF, 170 KB)
- L 555 MARC Coding for Creators in Bibliographic and Work Authority Records (PDF, 192 KB)
- L 560 MARC Coding for Entity Attributes in Personal Name Authority Records (PDF, 162 KB)
Appendices
- Appendix A Abbreviations (PDF, 84 KB)
- Appendix B Capitalization (PDF, 157 KB)
- Appendix C Diacritics and Special Characters (PDF, 320 KB)
- Appendix D Punctuation (PDF, 84 KB)
- Appendix E History of LCDGT (PDF, 237 KB)
- Appendix F Extended Examples (PDF, 223 KB)
