Finding your history in the library catalog: How subject analysis can improve access to family and local histories Brenda Salem-University of Pittsburgh SALALM LIX May 13, 2014

Acknowledgements Debbie Rougeux Archivist at the Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh Faye Leibowitz General Languages Catalog Librarian at the University Library System, University of Pittsburgh

What will be covered: Materials for genealogical research, including: Local histories Family histories Vital records Other works that contain genealogical information

How might these materials be searched? Topics – Ethnic groups – Types of records Names of individuals Names of families Place (Country  Neighborhood) Organizations (religious organizations, congregations, parishes)

Library of Congress Subject Headings Topical Headings (Field 650) Geographical headings (Field 651)

LC Subject Headings: Names Name subject headings can be assigned to a: – Person (Field 600) – Family (Field 600) – Organization (aka “Corporate body”) (Field 610) – Conference/Congress (Field 611) – Title of a publication, treaty (Field 630) Can be the creator as well as the subject of a work Name headings, now “authorized access points”, are created using RDA rules

A note on government bodies Note: If a geographical heading (place) has a government or jurisdiction, Field 651 turns into Field 610 Santa Fe (Argentina : Province). ǂb Ministerio de Gobierno

Subdivisions Topical ‡x Form ‡v Chronological ‡y Geographic ‡z Some can only be used with specific subject headings and some are free-floating, and can be used with most headings, following certain rules

Topical ‡x Belize ‡x Politics and government Automobile driving ‡x Social aspects Automobile driving ‡x In literature García Márquez, Gabriel, ‡d ‡x Criticism and interpretation Peruvian literature ‡x History and criticism San Juan (P.R.) ‡x Travel and description

Form ‡v Indicates what the material IS Subject cataloging ‡v Fiction Cats ‡v Congresses Short stories, Latin American ‡v Translations into English Map catalogers ‡v Biography

Chronological ‡y United States ‡x History ‡y 20 th century Cuba ‡x Politics and government ‡y France ‡x History ‡y Coup d'état, 1797

Geographical ‡z Looks different from a geographical SH – Subject Heading Salt Lake City (Utah) ‡x Travel and description – Geographical Subdivision Restaurants ‡z Utah ‡z Salt Lake City Some geographical SHs cannot be used as a subdivision (neighborhoods, streets)

LC Subject Headings Manual H 1631 Genealogy and Family Names H 1845 Local History and Genealogical Source Materials

“GENEALOGY” Genealogy as a subject heading (Field 650) – For works ABOUT genealogy or genealogical research in general Genealogy as a subdivision – “‡x Genealogy” : a work is about the genealogy of a particular place or a particular class of person or ethnic group – “‡v Genealogy” : a work IS a genealogy or contains genealogical material

‡v Genealogy Kinds of subject headings which “‡v Genealogy” can be added to headings to indicate that the work has genealogical information: – Corporate bodies Freemasons ‡v Genealogy – Classes of persons Daimyo ‡v Genealogy – Places Wicomico County (Md.) ‡v Genealogy – Ethnic groups Dominican Americans ‡z New York (State) ‡z New York ‡v Genealogy

You may want to add “[Subject Heading]ǂv Genealogy” to: Archives Burial records Business records Church records and registers Court records Criminal registers Death notices Deeds Epitaphs Families of royal descent Heraldry Inscriptions Inventories of decedents’ estates Land grants Marriage records Mining claims Names Obituaries Probate records Public land records Public records Registers of births, etc. Slave records Taxation—Lists Titles of honor and nobility Trails Voting registers Wills

Family histories Family name is usually the main subject heading Other name headings can be used as both a subject heading and an authorized access point for the creator, but this cannot be done with family names. A separate subject heading and an authorized access point for the family name must be established

Subdivisions Subdivisions can be added to a family name Do NOT add “‡v Genealogy” after a family name, but DO add [Geographical Heading] ‡v Genealogy, unless the information is strictly biographical Add ‡x Family after the name of an individual family member if they are prominent

Local histories [Geographical subject heading] + [subdivision] Definition of “local”: below the country level – Region: Laguna Region (Mexico) – State: Arani (Bolivia : Province) – County: Wicomico County (Md.) – City or town: (Nogales (Ariz.))

Below city/town level Neighborhoods, sections, and streets within a city or town can only be used as Subject Headings, they cannot be used as geographical subdivisions Barrio "Pedro Ignacio Muiba" (Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia) Squirrel Hill (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Avenida de Mayo (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Local Histories: Subdivisions ‡x Antiquities ‡v Biography ‡x Church history ‡x Description and travel ‡x Economic conditions ‡x Ethnic relations ‡v Genealogy ‡x History ‡x Politics and government ‡x Race relations ‡x Religion ‡x Religious life and customs ‡x Social conditions ‡x Social life and customs

You may want to add geographical subject heading + subdivision to: Activities (Political activity, religious life) Archaeological evidence Classes of persons, prominent natives Monuments and memorials Particular uses of land, historic structures Historic events

Vital records Burial records, registries, census records, Church records (baptismal records) Often issued by government bodies or religious organizations

Typical subject headings used in vital records Burial records Cemeteries Church records and registers Death notices Inscriptions Marriage records Obituaries Registers of births, etc. To specify location, add a geographical subdivision

Subdivisions denoting vital records ‡v Registers (under classes of persons, topical headings, corporate bodies) ‡v Registers of dead (under wars, military service) ‡v Obituaries (under classes or persons or ethnic groups) ‡v Indexes (for indexes to records)

Census subdivision Geographical subject heading + – ǂv Census, ǂx Census – ǂv Census, [date], ǂx Census, [date] Examples Venezuela ǂv Census, Mexico ǂv Census, Washington County (Md.) ǂv Census, 1880.

Census Index ‡aNuevo León (Mexico : State)‡xCensus‡vIndexes

Non-LCSH Genre Terms Art and Architecture Thesaurus (Getty) Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (Library of Congress) Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II: Genre and Physical Characteristic Terms (Library of Congress) Genre Terms : a Thesaurus for Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloging (ACRL)

From the ULS Archives Summary Information: Title: Chofetz Chaim Congregation Records Collection Number: AIS Creator: Chofetz Chaim Congregation (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Collection Dates: Extent: 0.56 linear feet Language: English Abstract: The Chofetz Chaim Congregation was a Jewish congregation located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Records for the congregation date from 1925 to 1973 and include minute books, half tone cuts, scrolls, posters, financial statements, certificates, publications, and correspondence. The majority of the records are written in Hebrew. Source: idx?c=ascead&cc=ascead&rgn=main&view=text&didno=US-PPiU-ais198512

Subject Terms Topics Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Judaism -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Corporate Names Chofetz Chaim Congregation (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Locations Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Religion Category Churches and Synagogues Ethnic groups

From the ULS Archives Summary Information: Title: Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese Annual Census Collection Number: AIS Creator: Catholic Church. Diocese of Pittsburgh (Pa.). Collection Dates: Extent: 1.0 microfilm reel Language: English Abstract: This collection contains a microfilm reel of the annual census of parishes in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by the Pittsburgh Roman Catholic Diocese from 1877 to Source: idx?c=ascead&cc=ascead&rgn=main&view=text&didno=US-PPiU-ais197312

Subject Terms Topics Catholics -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Region -- Census Parishes -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Region -- Census Corporate Names Catholic Church. Diocese of Pittsburgh (Pa.). Catholic Church. Diocese of Pittsburgh (Pa.). -- Census Category Churches and Synagogues

Marriage records

Baptismal records

Family history

Local histories