H 835 Geographic Subdivision Information
in Name Authority Records
BACKGROUND: In February 1999, the Library of Congress began
using the 781 field (Subdivision Heading Linking Entry–Geographic Subdivision)
in name authority records for geographic name headings that may also be used as
geographic subdivisions on a limited basis. This field is used to record the
geographic subdivision form in a format this is both eye-readable and manipulable for purposes of machine validation.
Prior to February 1999, subdivision treatment decisions for
selected geographic name headings that fell outside the scope of the standard
rules, or whose geographic status was ambiguous or not readily apparent, were
recorded in 667 fields in the name authority records for those entities, as in
the following examples:
151 ## $a
667 ## $a SUBJECT USAGE: As a geographic subdivision, this
heading is used indirectly through
151 ## $a Washington (D.C.)
667 ## $a SUBJECT USAGE: As a geographic subdivision, this
heading is used directly.
Since 1999, the 667 field is also used to record the fact
that a geographic name heading is not appropriate for use as a geographic
subdivision. Headings for geographic entities within cities that are qualified
by the name of the city, such as city sections, districts, neighborhoods, etc.,
may not be used as geographic subdivisions. For such headings, a 667 field with
standard text may be added, as in the following example:
151 ## $a
667 ## $a SUBJECT USAGE: This heading is not valid for use
as a geographic subdivision.
Procedures have not yet been worked out for Library of
Congress catalogers to include either a 781 field or a 667 field of the second
type in new geographic name authority records. According to instructions in
Descriptive Cataloging Manual Z1, NACO catalogers have the option of including
781 fields in new geographic name authority records for jurisdictions that may
be used as geographic subdivisions and 667 fields in new geographic name
authority records for geographics that are not
appropriate for use as geographic subdivisions. They may also add such fields
to existing geographic name authority records. In revising an existing name
authority record that contains a subject cataloging usage note in a 667 field
indicating the proper geographic subdivision form, they may delete the 667
field and replace it with a 781 field.
In the future, the Library of Congress may initiate projects
to convert geographic subdivision data that remain in 667 fields of existing
records to 781 fields; to add 781 fields to other existing geographic name
authority records for jurisdictions that may be used as geographic
subdivisions; and to add 667 fields to existing geographic name authority
records for entities that are not appropriate for use as geographic
subdivisions. In the meantime, subject catalogers may request that 781 fields
with geographic subdivision data be added to existing name authority records
for problematic geographic headings according to the procedures in this
instruction sheet. For instructions on including this field in the authority
record for a proposed new geographic subject heading, see H 836 and H 200, sec.
11. For instructions on determining the appropriate geographic subdivision, see
H 830.
The following are examples of geographic subdivision data in
781 fields in a name authority records:
151 ## $a
781 ## $z
151 ## $a Paris (
781 ## $z
151 ## $a
781 ## $z
151 ## $a
781 ## $z
151 ## $a Valenia (
781 ## $z