Search/Browse Help - Search Results (Headings Browse List): LC Catalog (Library of Congress)

About Headings Browse

Headings Browse provides alphabetically or numerically ordered lists of controlled terms and cross-references used by the Library of Congress for authors/creators, subjects, names/titles, and series/uniform titles. These controlled terms are referred to as "authorized headings." Headings Browse Lists are browsable from the first to last heading or cross-reference in the LC Catalog. Non-Latin entries follow the last Latin alphabet "Z" entry.

Each row of a Headings Browse List contains the heading followed by the number of records matching that heading in the LC Catalog. Selecting a heading with two or more records will display a Titles List for the matching records; headings associated with a single record link directly to the record. Cross-references link you to the authorized term used in the LC Catalog.

When a See reference, See Also reference, Earlier Heading, or Later Heading exists for an authorized heading, this information is listed (and indented) under the main heading entry. Note that headings with zero hits means that no records in the LC Catalog use the heading. Navigational arrows enable you to move forward and backward through the Browse List. Use the Records Per Page drop-down menu to adjust the number of Browse List entries on each page; the default of 25 items per page can be increased to 50, 75, or 100 entries. Context-sensitive help is available from either the menu at the top of your screen or the Search/Browse Help link at the bottom of your screen.

Authors/Creators Browse

Authors/Creators Browse headings fall into two categories:

Personal authors and creators, including editors, performers, photographers, artists, composers, etc.
Non-personal authors and creators, including corporations, government bodies, conferences, jurisdictions, projects, events, and entities like ships and musical groups

Most personal and non-personal authors/creators are searchable in both Authors/Creators Browse and Subjects Browse. When title information is present in headings for Authors/Creators, the author/creator name is indexed in Authors/Creators Browse and the name/title metadata in Names/Titles Browse.

Subjects Browse

Subjects Browse headings found in LC Catalog records are controlled by vocabularies and thesauri described on the Library's Controlled Vocabularies website. These subject headings include topical subjects, geographical place names, genre/form terms, occupations, and most author/creator, name/title, and series/uniform title headings and cross-references. Browsable subjects in the LC Catalog come from three sources:

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT)
Library of Congress Annotated Card Program (AC headings/Children's Subject Headings)

Names/Titles Browse

Names/Titles Browse includes headings which contain both authors/creators as well as titles, uniform titles, or series titles with which these persons, corporate bodies, or meetings are associated. Author/creator names in name/title headings are also indexed in Authors/Creators Browse.

Series/Uniform Titles Browse

Series/Uniform Titles Browse includes controlled headings for uniform titles and series titles that are not entered under a personal, corporate, or meeting author/creator name (in Names/Titles Browse).

Call Numbers Browse

Call Numbers Browse generates an alphanumeric list of individual items in the LC Catalog. Two Browse searches are available for call numbers: one identifies items in the LC classified collections and one identifies non-classed items assigned LC shelving numbers (such as microforms, newspapers, images, and archival manuscripts).

Browse displays for call numbers incorporate features from from both Browse Lists and Titles List. As with other Browse Lists, you can page sequentially through all call numbers, using navigational arrows to move forward and backward through the Browse List. At the same time, displays include brief record information, Refine Your Search, and the ability to select one or more records for printing, saving, emailing, or citing. You have the option to Select All records on the current page of the Call Numbers Browse List or to mark individual records by checking the box to the left of the brief record information. Records you select are retained when you page forward and backward through the Browse List. After making your selection, select the print, save, email, or cite service you need from the icons located above and below your search results.