Reports a computer assisted index emphasizing expanded subject access to the reference collection of the Iowa State University Library. The index displays abbreviated length records and complements existing catalogs. Limitations of subject access and a system for assigning subject descriptors are discussed. (Author/RAA)

The Library of Congress Subject Headings, a tool used almost exclusively by catalogers, currently is assuming equal importance in reference service as an aid for students and a unique tool for reference librarians. Most reference inquiries require the use of appropriate subject headings--an especially vital function for computer searches. The…

No one source for locating government documents on a given subject exists. Librarians responding to a questionnaire indicated dissatisfaction with even the most used source, the Monthly Catalog''. Subject retrieval, other sources, and suggestions from librarians are discussed. (5 references) (DH)

Designed for use at the local level, this manual gives instructions for indexing newspapers and newsletters. Rules and procedures are given for deciding what kinds of information to index and what to avoid; storing and preserving the newspaper; reading and marking the paper; preparing cards, card sets, continuation cards, and cross references;…

This course syllabus for a continuing education course for health science librarians introduces the MEDLARS system, the MEDLINE database, and the Index Medicus. Designed to enable health science librarians to discriminate between the capabilities of manual searching and online retrieval, an overview is given of the nature and scope of MEDLINE and…

A solution is offered to the problem of adequately cataloging a pamphlet file without increasing staff workload. A system is described in which material is classified by broad subject headings, themselves arranged alphabetically. This had an additional advantage in that valuable material which does not in itself merit full cataloging can be…

Procedures for indexing local history pictures, both individual and in books, are explained in this manual, based on practices of the Newark, New Jersey Public Library. Details are provided about format of catalog cards; rationale for various pieces of information on the cards; the use of locality, with subheadings, as main entry; use of added…

Precoordination of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), in both the LCSH thesaurus and online public access catalog (OPAC) browse displays, continues to be necessary for several reasons: (1) the meaning of thousands of LCSH headings depends on their word order in ways that cannot be captured by postcoordinate Boolean combinations or by…

Describes a survey of reference librarians in libraries with online public access catalogs that was conducted to determine what types of searches patrons would use to look for names of fictional characters. Name, subject, and author indexes are discussed, and implications for cataloging using the MARC format are suggested. (10 references) (LRW)