In January 2014, the Library of Congress’ Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging Program (CYAC) and its Policy and Standards Division (PSD), in cooperation with the Cataloging of Children’s Materials Committee (a unit of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, part of the American Library Association), requested public input on a proposal to open a new number for general juvenile belles lettres, PZ7.1, and to subarrange works in that number by title Cutter instead of by work marks (//www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/cyac-survey.html).
LC would like to thank all those who provided their opinions through the online survey. PSD and CYAC staff members reviewed and discussed the input, and this announcement details the outcome of their discussions.
PZ7 and PZ7.1 to be based on the time period of the author
Overcrowding in PZ7, General juvenile belles lettres 1870- , makes classifying new materials there very difficult at times, and leads to unwieldy Cutter numbers for the authors. A new classification number, PZ7.1, will therefore be approved for use. Many survey respondents expressed concern that PZ7 would be cancelled, meaning that no new materials could be classified in that number. That would lead to the juvenile fiction of even well-established authors such as Lewis Carroll, Carolyn Keene, and J.K. Rowling being classified in two different places, PZ7 and PZ7.1. Respondents found that approach to be detrimental to user access. Many also commented that they would like to reclassify their collections to the new number, but could not do so for logistical reasons.
PSD and CYAC staff members share the concerns about access and usability. They have therefore determined that classification in PZ7 and PZ7.1 will be based on the period of activity of the author, which mimics the way that adult literature is classed in PA-PT. Authors who began to publish in about 1870 through 2014 will continue to be classed in PZ7. Authors who begin to publish in 2015 and later will be classified in PZ7.1. There will be two alphabetical arrangements of authors, one in PZ7 and the other in PZ7.1, but the works of each individual author will be collocated.
CYAC has already provided Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) cataloging for over 100 works by authors who will begin to publish in 2015 and later. The CIP cataloging will be revised to reflect the new classification number and will be distributed to the publishers for printing on the title page verso of the works.
New classification numbers generally may not be assigned to works until they are formally approved, but CYAC is receiving a significant number of CIP galleys that should be classified in PZ7.1. To reduce the number of works that will need to be reclassified at a later date, the schedule revisions are considered “pre-approved” and will take effect immediately. A formal proposal to revise the caption at PZ7 and approve PZ7.1 will appear on the Classification Tentative List for July 2014 and the schedule will be updated shortly thereafter.
PZ7.1 to be subarranged with title work marks
In January, CYAC and PSD proposed that works classified in PZ7.1 would be subarranged using title Cutter numbers instead of title work marks. This policy would be consistent with the subarrangement of adult literature. Survey responses to this proposal were mixed. Some indicated that it would be good to remove the exceptional practice and treat children’s fiction in the same way that adult literature is treated. Others said that having two different practices for children’s fiction would be confusing.
After considering the ramifications of both options, PSD and CYAC have determined that title work marks will be used in PZ7.1. There are three main reasons for this decision. First, since PZ7 will remain valid, catalogers would have to remember to use a title work mark in PZ7, but a Cutter in PZ7.1. Second, title work marks are used in all of the other classes for American and English juvenile belles lettres, PZ5-10.3, so using them in PZ7.1 will maintain consistency for catalogers and users alike. And finally, work marks may serve as a reminder for catalogers that translations and criticism are not classed with the original work, because it is not possible to apply the rules for subarrangement of those types of works to a work mark.
Questions and comments about the policy may be addressed to Janis Young ([email protected]), Policy and Standards Division (PSD).
Questions about the Children’s and Young Adult’s Cataloging Program may be addressed to Caroline Saccucci ([email protected]).
