Introduction
Although, Harvard Library Best Practice for headings is to use controlled vocabularies from authorized thesauri (e.g., LCSH, LC/NAF, LCGFT, AAT, RBMS, TGM), there may be occasions when no appropriate term can be found in a controlled vocabulary. If possible, catalogers should work toward submission of a proposal to establish this term in the appopriate thesaurus. If the term is not eligible for inclusion in an established thesaurus, local terms may be used, and several libraries have established sets of such local terms. This best practice is meant to provide guidance when using these local terms, both for encoding and terms in use.
Exceptions to best practice
- Form/genre: If a thorough search has turned up no possibilities for a form/genre term, one may use a local term.
- Corporate name subdivisions: Libraries and archives applying Thesaurus for use in College and University Archives (TUCUA) terms as subdivisions under the authorized form of their school name.
- Electronic Theses and Disserations (ETDs): Automatically-created bibliographic records for electronically submitted theses and dissertations make use of submitted data for topical terms and name access points, therefore, these are coded 653 and 720, respectively, in such records. Catalogers who are creating or editing records for ETDs under normal cataloging workflows are expected to use standard terms and name access point best practices.
In these exceptional circumstances, follow these MARC encoding protocols:
MARC encoding
Local form/genre terms
- 655 _4 $$a [local term]
- Former practice was to encode local genre/form terms in MARC as 655 _7 with $2 local. This change in practice is to better align with OCLC.
Local topical terms
- 653 __ $$a [local term]
- Field 653 is a standard MARC field, and is retained on the OCLC master record.
- Before assigning the 653 field for any level of cataloging, please refer to the Subject Headings Manual: instruction sheet H 160. While it is written for LC catalogers and may not fully apply to non-PCC records created at Harvard, it provides useful background information.
Uncontrolled personal names
700 1_ $$a [uncontrolled name]
Although the 720 field may be seen in ETD cataloging, catalogers who are creating or editing records for ETDs under normal cataloging workflows are expected to use standard name access point best practices (i.e., it should be in the 700 field). Read more at Best Practice for Name Access Points in Alma.
Please note:
Controlled corporate body local subdivisions
- 610 27 $$a [Corporate body name] $$x [TUCUA term] $$2 tucua
- The Harvard University Archives uses terms from the Thesaurus for use in college and university archives. Previously these terms used MARC21 field 693 29 field for local terms.
- Current best practice is to prefer the use of 610 27 with $$2 tucua.
- Please note that tucua is the only vocabulary source code used in 610 27 configured for display in Hollis.
- 610 27 $$a [Corporate body name] $$x [TUCUA term] $$2 tucua
Local Terms
Countway genre terms
- Analyzed data
- Assessment data
- Code books
- Coded data
- Grant files
- Institutional Review Board records
- Interview schedules
- Raw data
- Summary data
- Survey instruments
Harvard Libraries genre terms
- Harvard books, Pre-1764 fire
- Harvard employees’ artwork
- Harvard employees’ diaries
- Harvard employees’ essays
- Harvard graduates’ papers
- Harvard graduates’ poems
- Harvard objects
- Harvard student study aids, unauthorized
- Harvard students’ artwork
- Harvard students’ books
- Harvard students’ diaries
- Harvard students’ essays
- Harvard students’ fiction
- Harvard students’ letters
- Harvard students’ music
- Harvard students’ notes
- Harvard students’ papers
- Harvard students’ poems
- Harvard textbooks
- Harvard websites
Houghton Library genre terms
Ballet scenarios
Books in parts
Embellishment (Vocal music) $$v Manuscript
English restoration bindings
Insertion arias
Manuscripts in books
Manuscript waste [only local if not a binding term]
Music sellers’ stamps (Provenance)
Ornate letterforms
Players’ parts
Printing in silver
Royalty plays
Seals, wax
Loeb Music Library genre terms
- Acousmatic music
- Multichannel music
- Pizmonim
Schlesinger Library genre terms
Community cookbooks $$z [State] $$z [Town]
Personal zines
Harvard University Archives implementation of Thesaurus for use in College and University Archives (TUCUA) terms
Harvard University -- Academic costume
Harvard University -- Advanced placement
Harvard University -- Affirmative action
Harvard University -- African American studies
Harvard University -- African studies
Harvard University -- Agriculture
Harvard University -- Anthropology
Harvard University -- Arabic
Harvard University -- Archaeology
Harvard University -- Architecture (Field of Study)
Harvard University -- Art (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Astronomy
Harvard University -- Astrophysics
Harvard University -- Bells
Harvard University -- Bequests
Harvard University -- Biochemistry
Harvard University -- Biology
Harvard University -- Botany
Harvard University -- Buddhist societies
Harvard University -- Business administration (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Celtic Languages and Literature
Harvard University -- Characters and mascots
Harvard University -- Cheating
Harvard University -- Chemistry
Harvard University -- Chicano studies
Harvard University -- Chinese (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Christian societies
Harvard University -- City and regional planning
Harvard University -- Classics
Harvard University -- Commencement, [year]
Harvard University -- Commencements
Harvard University -- Comparative literature
Harvard University -- Computer science
Harvard University -- Continuing education
Harvard University -- Creative and performing arts
Harvard University -- Dance
Harvard University -- Dance groups
Harvard University -- Dental medicine
Harvard University -- Diplomas, certificates, etc
Harvard University -- Dramatic societies
Harvard University -- Dramatics
Harvard University -- Dropouts
Harvard University -- East Asian languages
Harvard University -- East Asian studies
Harvard University -- Economics
Harvard University -- Education (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Engineering
Harvard University -- English
Harvard University -- Environmental studies
Harvard University -- Ethics (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Expenses
Harvard University -- Faculty spouses
Harvard University -- Fellowships
Harvard University -- Festivals
Harvard University -- Film groups
Harvard University -- Final clubs
Harvard University -- Financial aid
Harvard University -- Fine arts
Harvard University -- Folklore (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Forensics
Harvard University -- Forestry
Harvard University -- Fraternities and sororities
Harvard University -- French
Harvard University -- Fund raising
Harvard University -- Gender studies
Harvard University -- Geography
Harvard University -- Geology
Harvard University -- German
Harvard University -- Germanic Languages and Literatures
Harvard University -- Gifts
Harvard University -- Government (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Government contracts
Harvard University -- Greek
Harvard University -- Hazing
Harvard University -- Hebrew
Harvard University -- History (Field of study)
Harvard University -- History of science (Field of study)
Harvard University -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Harvard University -- History -- Cold War
Harvard University -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
Harvard University -- History -- Spanish-American War, 1898
Harvard University -- History -- World War, 1914-1918
Harvard University -- History -- World War, 1939-1945
Harvard University -- Horticulture
Harvard University -- Indian studies
Harvard University -- Interdisciplinary studies
Harvard University -- International studies
Harvard University -- Italian
Harvard University -- Journalism
Harvard University -- Lands
Harvard University -- Landscape architecture (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Languages
Harvard University -- Latin
Harvard University -- Latin American studies
Harvard University -- Law
Harvard University -- Lectureships
Harvard University -- Legal affairs
Harvard University -- Linguistics
Harvard University -- Literary societies
Harvard University -- Literature (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Materials science
Harvard University -- Mathematics
Harvard University -- Medicine
Harvard University -- Metallurgy
Harvard University -- Meteorology
Harvard University -- Middle Eastern studies
Harvard University -- Military science
Harvard University -- Military training and service
Harvard University -- Mineralogy
Harvard University -- Mining
Harvard University -- Minorities
Harvard University -- Music (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Musical groups
Harvard University -- Mythology (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Natural history
Harvard University -- Overseer
Harvard University -- Performing arts activities and groups
Harvard University -- Persons with disabilities
Harvard University -- Philology
Harvard University -- Philosophy
Harvard University -- Physical education
Harvard University -- Physics
Harvard University -- Physiology
Harvard University -- Plagiarism
Harvard University -- Political activities and groups
Harvard University -- Preacher
Harvard University -- Professorships
Harvard University -- Psychology
Harvard University -- Public health (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Public relations
Harvard University -- Public service activities and groups
Harvard University -- Puerto Rican studies
Harvard University -- Radio groups
Harvard University -- Regional studies
Harvard University -- Relations with Boston (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Cambridge
Harvard University -- Relations with Cambridge (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Concord (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Holland
Harvard University -- Relations with industry
Harvard University -- Relations with Lexington (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Massachusetts
Harvard University -- Relations with MIT
Harvard University -- Relations with Newton (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with other institutions
Harvard University -- Relations with Quincy (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Radcliffe College
Harvard University -- Relations with Somerville (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with the federal government
Harvard University -- Relations with Waltham (Mass)
Harvard University -- Relations with Wayland (Mass)
Harvard University -- Religion (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Religious activities and groups
Harvard University -- Research centers
Harvard University -- Reunions
Harvard University -- Rhetoric and oratory
Harvard University -- Romance languages
Harvard University -- Russian studies
Harvard University -- Sanskrit
Harvard University -- Scandinavian languages and literature
Harvard University -- Science
Harvard University -- Scientific societies
Harvard University -- Semitic languages
Harvard University -- Slavic languages
Harvard University -- Social sciences
Harvard University -- Sociology
Harvard University -- Southern students
Harvard University -- Spanish
Harvard University -- Statistics (field of study)
Harvard University -- Student life
Harvard University -- Student unrest
Harvard University -- Students
Harvard University -- Students' spouses
Harvard University -- Students -- Rank
Harvard University -- Taxation
Harvard University -- Teaching fellows
Harvard University -- Technology (Field of study)
Harvard University -- Theology
Harvard University -- Town-gown relations
Harvard University -- Tuition
Harvard University -- Tutor
Harvard University -- Tutorial system
Harvard University -- Ukrainian studies
Harvard University -- Veterans' programs
Harvard University -- Veterinary medicine
Harvard University -- Visual arts
Harvard University -- Visual arts activities and groups
Harvard University -- Wartime programs
Harvard University -- Wartime training programs
Harvard University -- Wartime training programs, World War, 1939-1945
Harvard University -- Women
Harvard University -- Womens' studies
Harvard University -- Zoology
Kennedy School taxonomy
The Kennedy School has its own taxonomy, although its use in local MARC records (MARC21 field 690) ended in the 2019-2020 academic year. The taxonomy may be found at https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/x/DYXjBQ
Note on name fields with $$c (Harvard local name) qualifier
This subfield was added in a batch process to unqualified names that were in danger of being controlled to an incorrect heading during the migration from Aleph to Alma. DO NOT ADD THIS QUALIFIER TO HEADINGS. If you encounter a legacy record with the "Harvard local name" qualifier, please follow the instructions at Best Practice for Name Access Points in Alma.