Technical Services Procedures
Procedures - Copy cataloging: Subject heading guidelines
Page Editor: Leah Black
Last Updated:February 13, 2006
The presence of at least one 6XX subject heading with second indicator 0 (zero) means you may consider the copy acceptable (assuming everything else about the record meets standards).
A 6XX heading could be a 600, 610, 611, 650 or 651 (but NOT 653 or 655).
No authority checking is required.
Any value in the first indicator position is OK, as long as the second indicator is 0 (zero).
Examples:
650 b0 ('b' means blank)
651 b0
600 10
610 20
Special circumstances to watch for:
Subject headings are not required in bib records for literary works (PQ-PZ call numbers).
If 650 b0 subject headings have subheadings (|x, |y, |v) in a language other than English, delete the field. Fields tagged 653 that are in a language other than English should also be deleted.
If subject headings coded 6XX b4 are present and they exactly duplicate 6XX b0 headings in the same record, delete the 6XX b4 headings from the record before exporting into the online catalog.
If subject headings coded 6XX b4 , 6XX b2 (or 6XX 12 or 6XX 22, or second indicators 5-8), 653 or 655 are the ONLY headings present in the record, the copy is not acceptable; transfer to the appropriate "Problems" shelf. If any of these 6XX/653/655 headings are present in addition to 650 b0 headings, you do not need to delete them.