6xx Fields

6xx fields

Use 6xx fields to provide subject access points. Most 6xx fields contain subject access points based on the thesaurus or subject heading system identified in the 2nd indicator or in subfield ǂ2.

Subject access points are assigned to a bibliographic record to provide access according to established subject cataloging principles and guidelines. Use to describe the content of the cataloged resource. Genre/form terms describe what a cataloged resource is, not what it is about.

Use fields 600, 610, 611, 630, 647, 648, 650, 651, 654, and 662 to provide subject access points to a bibliographic record.

Use fields 653, 655, 656, 657, and 658 to provide index terms to a bibliographic record.

Use fields 690, 691, 696, 697, 698, and 699 to provide local subject access to a bibliographic record.

Use field 695 to locally assign added class numbers to a bibliographic record.

For information on coding subject access points in bibliographic records, see Subjects--General Information.

If you are creating full-level records, add subject access points for resources that normally require subject access points. If you are creating minimal-level records, optionally add subject access points. You are encouraged to enter at least one subject access point. Prefer terms from established subject schemes.

Fields 690, 691, 695, 696, 697, 698, and 699 do not remain in the WorldCat record, so you must enter appropriate subject access points in fields 600, 610, 611, 630, 647, 648, 650, 651 to meet full-level requirements.

OCLC defines indicator values and subfield coding for 6xx fields to indicate the subject thesaurus or scheme to which the subject access point belongs. Use the following subject heading schemes or thesauri:

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• LC subject headings for children's literature contained in the "Children's and Young Adults' Cataloging Program" (CYAC) section of LCSH
• Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
• National Agricultural Library (NAL) subject authority file
• Canadian Subject Headings (CSH)
• Répertoire de vedettes-matière (RVM)
• Subject headings or terms based on other subject authorities specified in subfield ǂ2

For current cataloging, create subject access points for names and titles in fields listed below using descriptive cataloging instructions as appropriate in accordance with a subject heading scheme. If applying LCSH, search the LC/NACO Authority File and use the established forms of names and preferred titles found there. If not found, construct the access point according to RDA or AACR2. For original cataloging in other subject heading schemes, search applicable authority files and use the established forms of names and preferred titles found there. If not found, construct the access point according to the instructions appropriate for the subject scheme used.

• 600 Subject Added Entry--Personal Name
• 610 Subject Added Entry--Corporate Name
• 611 Subject Added Entry--Meeting Name
• 630 Subject Added Entry--Uniform Title

For information on retrospective cataloging, see Chapter 2.3, Transcribing Cataloging Copy.

For access points in other subject 6xx fields, use the appropriate thesaurus. If the subject access point is not derived from a standard thesaurus, but it has value to institutions other than yours, include the subject access point with 2nd indicator 4, but only if no other subject access points derived from a standard thesaurus are present.

• 647 Subject Added Entry--Named Event
• 648 Subject Added Entry--Chronological Term
• 650 Subject Added Entry--Topical Term
• 651 Subject Added Entry--Geographic Name
• 654 Subject Added Entry--Faceted Topical Terms
• 662 Subject Added Entry--Hierarchical Place Name

For access points in index term 6xx fields, use the appropriate thesaurus. Use field 653 to record terms that are not derived from controlled subject heading lists.

• 653 Index Term--Uncontrolled
• 655 Index Term--Genre/Form
• 656 Index Term--Occupation
• 657 Index Term--Function
• 658 Index Term--Curriculum Objective

For access points that are nonstandard and useful only for your institution, use the fields below, which are not retained in WorldCat records:

• 690 Local Subject Added Entry--Topical Term
• 691 Local Subject Added Entry--Geographic Name
• 696 Local Subject Added Entry--Personal Name
• 697 Local Subject Added Entry--Corporate Name
• 698 Local Subject Added Entry--Meeting Name
• 699 Local Subject Added Entry--Uniform Title

For an added class number assigned to materials in classified catalogs, use field 695. For each added class number, use a separate 695 field, which is not retained in the WorldCat record.

• 695 Added Class Number

FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) is derived from the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and supplemented by LC/NACO names and titles that have been frequently used as subject access points.

Use the searchFAST interface to search the FAST Authority File.

Use the FAST Converter interface to convert LC subject access points to FAST subject access points.

FAST Adds and Deletes

Adds. For each WorldCat bibliographic record with LC subject access points and no FAST subject access points, OCLC adds a set of FAST subject access points using the FAST conversion algorithm. After the initial set is added, the FAST subject access points are maintained field by field, regardless of whether the fields were entered manually or by the FAST algorithm. FAST subject access points may be manually assigned to a new record for a resource being cataloged, or to a record found in the database for the resource.

Deletes. FAST subject access points are seldom automatically deleted from a bibliographic record based on the deletion of LC subject headings, allowing FAST subject access points entered manually to be maintained even if the corresponding LC subject access points were not added. When adding or changing the LC subject access points in a bibliographic record, you are encouraged, but not required, to delete the entire set of FAST subject access points. This allows them to be completely regenerated by automated means in about a month.

FAST Maintenance

Adds. Periodically, the FAST subject access points in bibliographic records are compared to the FAST subject access points that would be generated from the LC subject access points in the record by the conversion algorithm. New fields generated by the algorithm are added to the record. No FAST subject access points are deleted by this process since existing fields reflect fields previously added by the algorithm or manually.

Changes. When authorized access points in the FAST Authority File change, all bibliographic records with the access points are updated with the replacement to keep it current. Periodically, WorldCat is scanned to identify and correct minor variations in FAST subject access points, e.g., tags and indicator values are corrected, and subfield ǂ0 values are converted to a standard form or added if missing.

Deletes. When an authorized FAST subject access point splits into two or more fields, the FAST subject access point is deleted from the corresponding bibliographic records because it is not possible to automatically determine which replacement field should be used. FAST subject access points for undifferentiated personal names removed from the LC/NACO Authority File are also deleted from bibliographic records. FAST subject access points that have been depricated are also deleted from bibliographic records.

For more information about FAST subject access points, see FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology).

MARC 21

For more information, including content designator history, see MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, 6xx.