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  • 03/01/2024: The Library of Congress updated its policy for recording literary author numbers in 053 fields in name authority records, effective August 1, 2023. The 053 fields in name authority records may be used to record the LC Classification numbers for juvenile literary authors (PZ) who write in English. A subfield $c with a specific phrase will be required for these PZ classification numbers. For guidance on creating literary author numbers and recording them in name authority records, please refer to the following documents: Classification and Shelflisting Manual F 632 Literary Authors and F 615 Juvenile Materials.
  • 02/23/2024: The Music Division at the Library of Congress, in consultation with the Music Library Association Cataloging and Metadata Committee, recently explored the issues in the use of the free-floating form subdivisions for musical presentation and medium of performance that are detailed in H1160 sec. 6, List 1. As a result of their analysis, they recommended a change in practice to the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division (PTCP). PTCP reviewed their recommendations and agreed. As a result, the limitations on the use of the free-floating subdivisions in List 1 of H1160 have now been removed. All forms of music, regardless of whether or not they mention a medium of performance, may use the free-floating subdivisions. The instruction sheet H 1160 Musical Compositions has now been updated with this change in practice.
  • 02/20/2024: As a follow-up to the March 2023 announcement to allow for the use of RDA authorized access points for families from the name authority file as subject access points, the Library of Congress has now made the necessary changes to the Subject Headings Manual instruction sheet H 1631. The Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division (PTCP) also took the opportunity to update the general instructions for how to establish a family name subject heading and clarify several points in previous instructions. As a result of this more comprehensive review, H 1631 has now been split into two instruction sheets. H 1631 continues to be about the application of the subject headings related to the heading Genealogy and the related subdivision --Genealogy and the use of family names for genealogical resources, for both subject and name authority records. The newly created H 1631.5 addresses the creation of family name headings in Library of Congress Subject Headings.
    Due to technical issues with LC's processing of NACO batch loads, it has not been possible for OCLC to make the batch updates to the family name authority records in the Name Authority File to allow for their use as subject access points. In the interests of no longer delaying the application of the new policy, NACO catalogers should make changes to any family name authority record that is needed as a subject access point or requires other updates, as instructed in the Interim update to RDA LC-PCC PS 10.0. We will still strive to make the batch changes, but in the meantime, these changes will make it possible to move ahead with the change in policy without delay. Related documentation in DCM Z1 has also been updated and the training material will be updated soon.
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Last Updated: 03/15/2024