Use of Form/Genre Headings in the 655 Field
(This is an abbreviated overview. For further info see: http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd655.html
From Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc.:
“A genre is a type or category of imaginative work that is readily identified by some of the following characteristics: style, plot device, mood or tone, character type, and theme. Form/genre headings indicate what the work is, rather than what the work is about.” (p. 4). Some examples of form/genre headings are Love stories (gsafd), Historical fiction (gsafd), Domestic fiction (LCSH), and Audiobooks (LCSH).
655 Indicators and Subfields
The first indicator is normally blank.
The second indicator is for the source of the term:
0 – Library of Congress Subject Headings:
The subject added entry conforms to and is appropriate for use in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and the Name authority files.
The subject added entry conforms to and is appropriate for use in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and the Name authority files.
1 – LC subject headings for children’s literature:
The subject added entry conforms to the “AC Subject Headings” section of the LCSH and is appropriate for use in the LC Annotated Card Program.
The subject added entry conforms to the “AC Subject Headings” section of the LCSH and is appropriate for use in the LC Annotated Card Program.
2 – Medical Subject Headings
The subject added entry conforms to the NLM (National Library of Medicine) authority files.
The subject added entry conforms to the NLM (National Library of Medicine) authority files.
7 – Source specified in subfield $2 .
Examples
- 655 7 Love stories.|2gsafd
- 655 7 Adventure films.|2gsafd
- 655 7 Historical fiction.|2gsafd
- 655 0 Domestic fiction. (LC heading used as genre term)
- 655 0 Audiobooks. (LC heading used as form term)
Standard published lists must be used to determine the genre and form terms. Form and genre headings should be taken from ALA’s Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc.(gsafd). LC subject headings may also be used as genre or form terms if an equivalent term does not appear in the Guidelines. For example: for an individual mystery story (as opposed to an anthology of mystery stories), choose “655 7 Mystery fiction.|2gsafd” over 655 0 “Detective and mystery stories.” But, for a psychological novel, the LC heading “655 0 Psychological fiction” may be used, as there is no equivalent term in the Guidelines.
Note
650 0 Large type books.
It is important to remember that the 655 field should only be used for individual works of fiction. For anthologies of fiction, use regular LC subject headings in a 650 field.
