FAST: Faceted Application of Subject Terminology: Principles and Application

While The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is perhaps the best known bibliographic control system in existence, it is cumbersome and not always user friendly. Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (or FAST) is designed to rework LCSH's authority rules, so that they are easier to use, understand, and apply. The result is a schema designed to handle a large volume of materials with less effort and cost. To this end, two members of the original design team have put together numerous examples of FAST-driven projects including traditional monographs, special collections (archives, business records), electronic resources, and websites. The result is a prototype designed to be used not just by experienced catalogers but people with minimal training and experience.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part I: Introduction 1 Information Organization: Approaches and Principles Introduction Information Searching Environments The Internet Online Databases Library Catalogs and Bibliographies Subject Access to Information Keyword Searching Controlled Vocabulary Access Keyword and Controlled Vocabulary Search Results Classification Principles of Controlled Vocabulary Uniform and Unique Headings Consistent and Current Terminology Specific Entry Terminological Control and Term Relationships Representation of Complex Subjects Characteristics of Indexing Languages Subdivision Practice Enumerative versus Synthetic Languages Faceting Precoordination versus Postcoordination From Cards to Computers Card Catalogs Online Catalogs and Databases Controlled Vocabulary Systems Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) Selecting an Indexing/Classification Schema Compatibility with Existing Metadata Ease of Assignment Retrieval Effectiveness Cost of Maintenance Conclusion 2 Metadata Encoding Bibliographic Data Print Representation Book Catalogs Card Catalogs Digital Representation The MARC Bibliographic Formats MARC 21 MARC Record Structure UNIMARC XML (Extensible Markup Language) MARCXML MODS Dublin Core Authority Data Print Representation Digital Representation MARC 21 Other MARC Authority Formats SKOS Conclusion Part II: FAST Headings 3 Introduction to FAST Impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web The History of FAST Sources of FAST Headings Principles Semantics Common and Current Usage Literary Warrant Uniform Heading Unique Heading Syntax of Headings Faceting Enumeration versus Synthesis Precoordination versus Postcoordination Precoordination Postcoordination Heading Structure Main Headings Subdivisions Qualifiers Modular Approach Conclusion 4 Topical Headings Introduction Functions of Topical Headings Forms of Topical Headings Single-Concept Headings Single-Word Headings Multiple-Word Headings Adjectival Phrase Headings Prepositional Phrase Headings Multiple-Concept Headings Compound Phrase Headings Prepositional Phrase Headings Headings with Subdivisions Types of Topical Headings Headings Representing Concepts and Objects Form/Genre as Subjects Fictitious, Legendary, and Mythological Characters Named Animals Imaginary Places and Organizations Geologic Periods Other Entities Bearing Proper Names Inverted Headings 5 Geographic Headings Introduction Types of Geographic Headings Jurisdictional Headings Nonjurisdictional Headings Changes of Name Linear Name Changes Mergers or Splits Mergers Splits Language and Form of Geographic Headings Language Abbreviations Grammatical Form Qualifiers Place Qualifiers Type Qualifiers Place and Type Qualifiers Levels of Geographic Headings First-Level Geographic Headings Second-Level Geographic Headings Third-Level Geographic Headings City Sections and Neighborhoods New York City Boroughs London Boroughs Areas Associated with Cities Entities within Cities Bridges and Tunnels Special Cases Extinct Cities and Ancient Kingdoms Archaeological Sites Bodies of Water Islands Interstates/Highways/Freeway Interchanges Disputed Territories Language-Based Territories Parks, Reserves, and so Forth Other Man-Made Structures Associated with Places Larger Than a City Extraterrestrial Bodies Latitude, Longitude, and Feature Type 6 Chronological Headings Introduction Forms of Chronological Headings B.C./A.D. Geologic Periods Headings for Named Historical Periods Chronological Headings Containing Dates Only 7 Headings for Events Introduction Forms of Event Headings Language Qualifiers Types of Event Headings Headings for Military Conflicts Headings for Meetings Headings for Sporting Events Headings for Other Events Chronological and Geographic Headings for Events 8 Proper Names as Subject Headings Headings for Persons Principles Names of Individual Persons Names of Families Names of Dynasties, Royal Houses, and so Forth Headings for Corporate Bodies Principles Forms of Headings for Corporate Bodies Language Qualifiers Headings for Main Corporate Bodies Governments Nongovernment Bodies Headings for Subordinate Bodies Corporate Name Changes Headings for Titles Principles Forms of Headings for Titles Language Qualifiers Types of Headings for Titles Anonymous Works Works of Known Authorship Works from Corporate Bodies, Conferences, Meetings, Etc. 9 Form and Genre Headings Introduction Principles Forms of Form and Genre Headings Main Heading Subdivision Examples of FAST Form and Genre Headings General Form Headings Audiovisual Materials Art Cartography Law Literature Music Religion 10 Cross-References Introduction Equivalence Relationship Synonymous Terms Variant Spellings Abbreviations, Acronyms, Initials, and so Forth Different Language Terms Popular and Scientific Terms Alternative Forms Different Entry Elements Narrow Terms Not Used as Headings Ambiguous Relationships Hierarchical Relationships Genus/Species (or Class/Class Member) Relationship Instance Relationship Whole/Part Relationship Compound and Complex Relationship Associative Relationships Cross-References for Proper Name Headings Personal Names Names of Individual Persons Family Names Names of Fictitious and Mythological Characters Dynasties Houses of Dukes, Counts, or Earls Corporate Names Geographic Names Jurisdictional Names Nonjurisdictional Names Changes in Geographic Names Headings for Other Named Entities Headings for Events Headings for Titles Conclusion Part III: Application of FAST 11 The FAST Database Indexing Overview Queries Searching Keywords in Headings Advanced Searching Phrase Searching Keyword Searching Geographic Indexes Other Indexes Index View 12 Application of FAST Headings Introduction Coding for FAST Headings in Bibliographic Records MARC Records Dublin Core Records Exhaustivity in Cataloging or Indexing Assigning FAST Headings Identifying Concepts and Facets within the Topic Selecting Form/Genre Headings Selecting Subject Headings Topical Headings Works on a Single Topic Works on Multiple Topics Works on Complex Topics Topics with Multiple Concepts Geographic Headings Chronological Headings Name Headings Title Headings Topics with Multiple Facets Subject Relations FAST Application Examples Example 1: People and Predators: from Conflict to Coexistence Example 2: Daily Life in Colonial New England Example 3: Style and the Nineteenth-century British Critic: Sincere Mannerisms Example 4: Fife and Tayside Example 5: Anne Frank: Reflections on Her Life and Legacy Example 6: 2005 Hydrographic Survey of South San Francisco Bay, California [Web site] Example 7: Shakespeare in the Victorian Periodicals Example 8: Portrait of an Unknown Woman Example 9: The Pretender Example 10: First Emperor of China [DVD] Example 11: Japan: Economic, Political and Social Issues Example 12: Detours [Audio CD] Part IV: Authority Control and Implementation 13 Derivation of FAST Headings Background Topical Headings Enumeration of Assigned Headings Validation Recoding of Forms Normalization LCSH Authority File Subdivisions Geographic Headings Event Headings Event Headings Derived from Topical Headings Event Headings Derived from Period Subdivisions Event Headings Derived from LCSH Conferences and Meetings Names Headings for Names of Persons and Families Headings for Names of Corporate Bodies Headings for Titles Works of Anonymous Authorship Works of Personal Authorship Works of Corporate Bodies Works from Conferences and Meetings Chronological Headings Form Headings 14 FAST Authority Records Introduction Authority Data Authority Records MARC Record Structure for Authorities Creation of FAST Authority Records Example 1. Vestischer Künstlerbund Recklinghausen Example 2. David D. Smyers Example 3. Battle of Agincourt Example 4. Ferryboat Captains Example 5. Columbus Dispatch Example 6. McConnelsville Example 7. Infants—Diseases—Patients Additional Examples of FAST Authority Records Topical Headings Geographic Headings Chronological Headings Personal Name Headings Corporate Headings Event Headings Title Headings Form/Genre Headings Normalization Conflicts Additional Validation Obsolete Authority Records 15 Authority Control Definition Need for Authority Control Validation Correction Stylistic Tagging and Subfield Coding Cross-References Typographical Errors Obsolete Headings Conclusion 16 Faceting LCSH into FAST Introduction Identification and Recoding of Form Subdivisions Algorithmic Faceting of LCSH to FAST Faceting of Forms Faceting of Titles Titles of Anonymous Works Titles for Works of Known Authorship Faceting of Events Faceting of Geographic Names Main Headings Subdivisions Faceting of Personal Names Faceting of Corporate Names Faceting of Chronologicals Faceting of Topicals Reference Records Validation Conclusion Appendixes Appendix A: FAST Authority Records Structure Appendix B: Geologic Periods Appendix C: Geographic Names Appendix D: Musical Instruments Glossary Bibliography Index About the Authors

About the Author :
Lois Mai Chan is professor of library and information science at the University of Kentucky. Edward T. O'Neill is a consulting research scientist at OCLC.