Subject Headings to Retain or Remove

When importing bibliographic records into the WYLD database, some subject headings should be retained, and other subject headings should be removed.

Subject headings to retain according to the WYLD Cataloging Standards:

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) - These have a second indicator of 0 (zero)
• Library of Congress Annotated Children’s Catalog subject headings (LC children’s subject headings) - These have a second indicator of 1
• Medical Subject Headings (MeSH - from the National Library of Medicine) - These have a second indicator of 2
• Genre/form headings from either the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT) or the Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc. (GSAFD) - These have a second indicator of 7 and a subfield 2 containing either “lcgft” or “gsafd”   *Note: If there is an “lcgft” heading and a “gsafd” heading that are exactly the same term, remove the "gsafd" one and retain the "lcgft" one.

Subject headings to remove upon importing records from the Library of Congress or OCLC:

• FAST subject headings - These have “fast” in subfield 2
• Sears subject headings - These have “sears” in subfield 2
• BISAC subject headings - These have “bisacsh” in subfield 2 - These subject headings are usually in all capital letters   *Note: If the record has BISAC subject headings to remove, also check for a 084 field. If there is a 084 field and it contains “bisacsh” in subfield 2, delete the 084 field.
• Other less commonly seen subject headings that should be removed include those with the following codes in subfield 2: aat, bcl, cct, eflch, nli, pplt, ukslc, unbisn, unbist

Subject headings in Spanish:

• Most Spanish subject headings are acceptable to retain - These have a subfield 2 containing “bidex”

Subject headings in languages other than English and Spanish:

• French subject headings should be removed - These have a second indicator of 6
• Subject headings in other languages that should be removed include those with a second indicator of 7 and one the following codes in subfield 2: eclas, gnd, gtt, idsbb, idszbz, idszbzes, larpcal, ram, rvmgf, sao, swd

FamilySearch subject headings:

• These are not very common, but retain them if you see them - These have a second indicator of 7 and contain “fssh” in subfield 2
  

Reminder from the WYLD Cataloging Standards:

• All subject headings should be in the appropriate fields, with correct indicators and subfields.

If you see a subject heading that you’re unsure about, or if you have any questions about subject headings, please contact the WYLD office.