Two days ago Suzanne Lorimer, chair of the ALA Subject Analysis
Committee's Subcommittee on the Order of Subdivisions in LC Subject Heading
Strings, posted a message to this list soliciting comments from the law
library community. We are asked to react to the 1991 Subject Subdivisions
Conference recommendation that, when subdivisions are appropriate, they
should consistently be arranged in this fixed order:
[Main heading]--[Topic]--[Place]--[Chronological period]--[Form]
If comments are sent to Suzanne Lorimer (address: Yale University Library,
P.O. Box 1603A, Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520. Internet:
lorimer@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu), please also send a copy of your comments to:
Jean M. Pajerek, Head of Cataloging
Cornell Law Library, Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-4901 Internet: jmp8@cornell.edu
(Jean has just been appointed as the new AALL official representative to the
ALA Subject Analysis Committee. It would be very helpful to her if she knew
how law catalogers and reference librarians feel about this issue.)
Here are a few subject headings, offered as a "prompt" to stimulate your
thoughts on the matter, which have subdivisions that currently do not follow
the prescribed order:
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW--UNITED STATES--STATES
LAW--CANADA--HISTORY
LAW--DICTIONARIES--FRENCH
LAW--GREAT BRITAIN--ROMAN INFLUENCES
LAW--UNITED STATES--INTERPRETATION AND CONSTRUCTION
Should "States" be coded as a place subdivision? Should new form
subdivisions be established for "Dictionaries (French)", etc.? If headings
like "Law--History--Canada" or "Law--Interpretation and construction--United
States" are less precise in meaning than the examples shown above, is this
a small price to pay in exchange for the benefit of simplifying the
cataloger's process?
(My examples do not represent an exhaustive search. And it is not my
intention to begin a discussion on law-lib. But I did want to try to
illustrate a few ways in which the proposed "new word order" :-) could
affect some of our headings.) I hope some responses are sent to Suzanne,
with copies to Jean! -- Alva
____________________________________________________________________
Alva T. Stone
Law Library e-mail: atstone@mailer.fsu.edu
Florida State University fax: 904-644-5216
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1043 tel: 904-644-2881
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