College and Research Libraries


American Historical Review, the Inter-
American Bibliographical Review, the Re-
vista Hispanica Moderna, the Revista 
Iberoamericana of the Instituto Interna-
cional de Literatura Iberoamericana, the 
Revista Interamericana of the Instituto de 
Asuntos Interamericanos, Universidad de 
Florida, and the other similar publications 
of the Hispanic peninsula and the W e s t e r n 
W o r l d . 

Comprehensive gathering and systematic 
publication at regular intervals in one or 
more journals of this kind w i l l mark a 

l o n g stride toward help f o r research and 
investigation. It will furnish news about 
studies in process, about their progress, 
about the finished results. 

It all calls f o r thought and attention, 
f o r the matching of mind with mind. It 
faced us l o n g ago. T h e need f o r solution 
is n o w all the more clearly proclaimed 
by the compilation and appearance of D r . 
H i l t o n ' s handbook. M a y action and solu-
tion come s o o n . — H a r r y Miller Lyden-
berg, A.L.A. International Relations Of-
fice, Washington, D.C. 

L.C. Subject Headings 

Subject Headings Used in the Dictionary 
Catalogs of the Library of Congress. 
Fourth edition. Edited by M a r y W i l s o n 
M a c N a i r . U . S. G o v e r n m e n t Printing 
Office, 1943. 2 v . 

Cumulated Supplement, 1941-1943; 
January 1944 Supplement. H . W . 
W i l s o n C o m p a n y , 1944. 2 no. 
Subject Headings has l o n g been k n o w n 

not only as a guide to the cataloging prac-
tice of the Library of Congress but also 
as a general index to its classification 
schedules. Publication of the present 
( f o u r t h ) edition, listing subjects and ref-
erences as of D e c . 31, 1940, is of unusual 
importance. T h e first v o l u m e c o n f o r m s 
to the pattern of previous editions 
and consists of subjects f o l l o w e d by 
classification numbers and references to 
related headings. T h e second v o l u m e 
lists, f o r the first time, the " r e f e r f r o m " 
references under the headings to which 
they refer. Catalogers have been asking 
f o r this special section f o r many years. 
It is an invaluable guide and timesaver. 

M a r y W i l s o n M a c N a i r , editor of all 
f o u r editions, has earned the gratitude of 

librarians by her devoted labors in this 
exacting field and by her willingness to 
take on a heavy additional burden in order 
to c o m p l y with the request of catalogers 
f o r the n e w section. M i s s M a c N a i r is 
k n o w n not only f o r the high quality of 
her editorial w o r k but also f o r her im-
pressive contributions to the cataloging of 
periodicals. H e r retirement, recently an-
nounced, is a matter of deep regret to 
the library profession. 

Printing of the first edition of the L i -
brary of Congress Subject Headings was 
begun in 1909 under the direction of the 
chief of the C a t a l o g Division, the late 
James C . M . Hanson, under whose editor-
ship Catalog Rules, Author and Title 
Entries had appeared the previous year. 
T h e edition was completed in 1914 under 
the direction of Charles M a r t e l , w h o suc-
ceeded M r . H a n s o n as chief of the Cata-
l o g D i v i s i o n ; and it was under his super-
vision that the second edition appeared in 
1919, the third in 1928. 

D a v i d J . Haykin, chief of the Subject 
Cataloging Division, says in his introduc-
tion to the fourth e d i t i o n : 

JUNE, 1944 
24 7 



W h a t e v e r m e a s u r e o f l o g i c a n d c o n s i s t -
e n c y h a s b e e n a c h i e v e d i n t h e h e a d i n g s i s 
d u e t o t h e c o n t i n u i t y o f o r a l t r a d i t i o n w h i c h 
s t e m s f r o m J . C . M . H a n s o n , w h o w a s 
c h i e f o f t h e C a t a l o g D i v i s i o n f r o m 1 8 9 7 
t o 1 9 1 0 ; C h a r l e s M a r t e l , c h i e f f r o m 1 9 1 2 
t o 1 9 3 0 , a n d t h e i r a s s o c i a t e s i n t h e C a t a l o g 
D i v i s i o n ; a n d t h e o c c a s i o n a l w r i t t e n i n -
s t r u c t i o n s i s s u e d b y t h e m . T h e f a i l u r e s i n 
l o g i c a n d c o n s i s t e n c y a r e , o f c o u r s e , d u e t o 
t h e f a c t t h a t h e a d i n g s w e r e a d o p t e d i n 
t u r n a s n e e d e d a n d t h a t m a n y m i n d s p a r -
t i c i p a t e d i n t h e c h o i c e a n d e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f 
h e a d i n g s . 

T h e e m i n e n t s c h o l a r s h i p w h i c h d i s -

t i n g u i s h e s t h e s u b j e c t s a s s i g n e d t o t h e 

l i t e r a t u r e o f h i s t o r y , p h i l o l o g y , a n d t h e 

fine a r t s r e f l e c t s t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h e s e 

c l a s s e s i n t h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s . I t 

i s o p e n t o s e r i o u s d o u b t , h o w e v e r , w h e t h e r 

t h e s c i e n t i f i c , t e c h n i c a l , a n d i n d u s t r i a l 

h e a d i n g s h a v e k e p t p a c e w i t h t h e d e v e l o p -

m e n t o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a s a g r e a t i n -

d u s t r i a l p o w e r . 

E x a m p l e s o f t h e m a n y s u b j e c t s d a t i n g 

b a c k t o t h e first e d i t i o n w h i c h s h o u l d b e 

b r o k e n u p a r e : 

C o t t o n g r o w i n g a n d m a n u f a c t u r e 

G a s m a n u f a c t u r e a n d w o r k s 

P a p e r m a k i n g a n d t r a d e 

T e x t i l e i n d u s t r y a n d f a b r i c s 

L o c a l s u b d i v i s i o n s l e n d a n a m u s i n g 

a n g l e t o s u b j e c t s o f t h e c a t c h - a l l v a r i e t y , 

a s i n t h e h e a d i n g " C o t t o n g r o w i n g a n d 

m a n u f a c t u r e — G r e a t B r i t a i n — L a n c a -

s h i r e . " A d i v o r c e o f p l a n t a t i o n f r o m m i l l 

i s a d v i s e d i n t h i s c a s e . T h e a w k w a r d 

c o m b i n a t i o n i s a l s o a s o u r c e o f c o n f u s i o n 

i n t h e c h o i c e o f d i r e c t o r i n d i r e c t l o c a l 

s u b d i v i s i o n , s i n c e " C o t t o n g r o w i n g " c a l l s 

f o r i n d i r e c t s u b d i v i s i o n , " C o t t o n m a n u f a c -

t u r e " f o r d i r e c t . 

T h e N a t i o n a l A d v i s o r y C o m m i t t e e f o r 

A e r o n a u t i c s a d o p t e d t h e t e r m " A i r -

p l a n e s " i n 1 9 1 7 ; Industrial Arts Index 
f o l l o w e d i n 1 9 1 9 ; Engineering Index, i n 

1 9 2 1 ; a n d I n o t e t h e s p e l l i n g " A i r p l a n e s " 

in the Aeronautical Index for 1939, com-
p i l e d b y t h e D i v i s i o n o f A e r o n a u t i c s , L i -

b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s , a n d p u b l i s h e d i n 1 9 4 3 

b y t h e I n s t i t u t e o f t h e A e r o n a u t i c a l S c i -

e n c e s . " A e r o p l a n e s " i s s t i l l u s e d i n t h e 

p r e s e n t e d i t i o n o f Subject Headings. T h e 
o l d s p e l l i n g r e c a l l s t h e d a y s w h e n t h e r o a r 

o f t h e m a i l p l a n e o v e r h e a d b r o u g h t c h i l -

d r e n ' s e x c i t e d s h o u t s o f " O h , M o t h e r ! 

T h e a i r - y - o - p l a n e ! " T h e i r e l d e r s w e r e 

n o t g u i l t l e s s o f t r a n s p o s i n g t h e l e t t e r s o f 

" a e r o p l a n e . " T h e r e w e r e e v e n t h o s e w h o 

s a i d " a - e r - y - o - p l a n e " i n a d e t e r m i n e d 

t h o u g h s l i g h t l y c o n f u s e d e f f o r t t o d o t h e i r 

d u t y b y t h a t q u e e r e. 

I n m y o p i n i o n , t h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s 

h e a d i n g " P r o p e l l e r s , A e r i a l " ( T L 7 0 5 -

7 0 8 ) s h o u l d b e c h a n g e d t o " A i r p l a n e 

p r o p e l l e r s " ( o r " A i r p l a n e s — P r o p e l l e r s " ) , 

a n d r e f e r e n c e s f r o m " A e r i a l p r o p e l l e r s , " 

" A i r p r o p e l l e r s , " " A i r - s h i p s , " a n d " F l y -

i n g - m a c h i n e s " c a n c e l e d . 

T h e h e a d i n g " C r a c k i n g p r o c e s s " i n t h e 

J a n u a r y 1 9 4 4 s u p p l e m e n t r a i s e s t h e q u e s -

t i o n a s t o w h y t h i s m a t e r i a l i s b e i n g s e p a -

r a t e d f r o m i t s m a i n s u b j e c t s . S i n c e 1 9 1 6 

Chemical Abstracts h a s u s e d " C r a c k i n g " 
s u b h e a d s u n d e r t h e t h r e e s u b j e c t s " P e -

t r o l e u m r e f i n i n g , " " H y d r o c a r b o n s , " a n d 

" G a s o l i n e m a n u f a c t u r e . " ( T h e s u b h e a d s 

first a p p e a r e d u n d e r " P e t r o l e u m r e f i n -

i n g " i n 1 9 0 9 ; u n d e r " H y d r o c a r b o n s , " i n 

1 9 1 3 . ) C h e m i s t s a n d e n g i n e e r s l o o k f o r 

m a t e r i a l o n t h e c r a c k i n g p r o c e s s u n d e r 

t h e s e s u b j e c t s . 

" O f f s e t p r i n t i n g " i s a n o t h e r e x a m p l e o f 

s e p a r a t i o n o f m a t e r i a l f r o m t h e s u b j e c t 

w i t h w h i c h i t i s a s s o c i a t e d . " P r i n t i n g , 

O f f s e t " i s u s e d b y Chemical Abstracts, 
Engineering Index, and Industrial Arts 
Index. 

T h e s u b j e c t " H e a t i n g , H o t - a i r " a p -

p e a r s i n t h e f o u r t h e d i t i o n . " W h y ' H o t -

v 274 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



a i r , ' " a s k s a n a u t h o r i t y , " w h e n i t i s a l -

w a y s c a l l e d ' w a r m a i r ' ? " 

T h e s u b j e c t s " P s y c h i a t r y " a n d " P e d i -

a t r i c s " h a v e n o t y e t b e e n a d o p t e d . T h e 

o l d h e a d i n g " C h i l d r e n — E m p l o y m e n t " i s 

s t i l l u s e d f o r c h i l d l a b o r ; " E m p l o y e r s ' 

l i a b i l i t y , " f o r w o r k m e n ' s c o m p e n s a t i o n ; 

" H y g i e n e , P u b l i c , " f o r p u b l i c h e a l t h ; 

" D o m e s t i c e c o n o m y , " f o r h o m e e c o n o m i c s ; 

" S t e a m - b o i l e r s — I n c r u s t a t i o n s , " f o r b o i l e r 

s c a l e . 

T h e s i m p l e t e r m , n o t t h e i n v o l v e d , i s 

t h e o n e t h a t b e c o m e s e s t a b l i s h e d i n A m e r i -

c a n u s a g e . T h e r e c a n b e n o q u e s t i o n a s 

t o c h o i c e b e t w e e n t h e l i b r a r y o f t h e D e -

p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r h e a d i n g " L a b o r , C o m -

p u l s o r y " a n d t h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s 

s u b j e c t " S e r v i c e , C o m p u l s o r y n o n - m i l i -

t a r y . " ( T h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s d o e s n o t 

r e f e r f r o m " L a b o r , C o m p u l s o r y . " ) 

" S c i e n c e i s e x a c t . I n d u s t r y i s e x a c t -

i n g , " s a i d E . J . C r a n e , 1 e d i t o r o f Chemi-
cal Abstracts, i n a n a d d r e s s d e l i v e r e d a f t e r 
r e c e i v i n g t h e C h e m i c a l I n d u s t r y M e d a l o n 

N o v . 5 , 1 9 3 7 . I n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e a d -

d r e s s h e t o l d o f t h e m a t t e r s w h i c h t h e 

N o m e n c l a t u r e C o m m i t t e e o f t h e A m e r i -

c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y t o o k i n t o c o n s i d e r a -

t i o n i n i t s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s f o r n a m e s o f 

d e u t e r i u m c o m p o u n d s . O n t h e b a s i s o f 

t h e c o m m i t t e e ' s r e p o r t , Chemical Abstracts 
a d o p t e d t h e s u b j e c t " W a t e r , H e a v y " f o r 

d e u t e r i u m o x i d e . Industrial Arts Index, 
w h i c h f o l l o w s t h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s 

p r a c t i c e o f u s i n g s u b d i v i s i o n s u n d e r s u b -

j e c t s a s w e l l a s i n v e r s i o n s , a d o p t e d 

" W a t e r — H e a v y w a t e r , " p l a c i n g t h e s u b -

j e c t i n i t s p r o p e r a l p h a b e t i n t h e c o m p a n y 

o f " W a t e r — B a c t e r i o l o g y a n d W a t e r — 

1 C r a n e , E . J . " W o r d s a n d S e n t e n c e s i n S c i e n c e 

a n d I n d u s t r y . " Chemistry and Industry 5 6 : 1 1 0 5 - 0 8 , 
D e c . 1 1 , 1937. 

C o m p o s i t i o n , " r a t h e r t h a n w i t h t h e g r o u p 

i n c l u d i n g " W a t e r , U n d e r g r o u n d . " A 

r e f e r e n c e s h o u l d b e m a d e , h o w e v e r , f r o m 

" W a t e r , H e a v y , " t h e t e r m u n d e r w h i c h 

i t a p p e a r s i n s e v e r a l s c i e n t i f i c s o u r c e s . 

T h e L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s h a s a d o p t e d t h e 

s u b j e c t " D e u t e r i u m o x i d e " a n d r e f e r s t o 

i t f r o m " W a t e r , H e a v y " b u t n o t f r o m 

" W a t e r — H e a v y w a t e r . " 

A g a i n , i n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e 1 9 4 2 

s u b j e c t i n d e x t o Chemical Abstracts, M r . 
C r a n e 2 o u t l i n e s h i s g e n e r a l p o l i c y : " T h e 

i n d e x i n g o f s u b j e c t s , a s o p p o s e d t o w o r d 

i n d e x i n g , h a s b e e n e m p h a s i z e d . T h i s 

a v o i d s o m i s s i o n s , s c a t t e r i n g , a n d u n n e c e s -

s a r y e n t r i e s . " . . . " F o r insects o u r a u t h o r -
i t y h a s b e e n Common Names of Insects 
Approved by the American Association of 
Economic Entomogolists. For bacteria 
t h e c l a s s i f i c a t i o n g i v e n i n B e r g e y ' s Manual 
of Determinative Bacteriology, f i f t h e d i -
t i o n , h a s b e e n f o l l o w e d a s f a r a s p o s s i b l e , 

w i t h n u m e r o u s c r o s s r e f e r e n c e s . . . . Engi-
neering Alloys b y N o r m a n E . W o l d m a n 
a n d A l b e r t J . D o r n b l a t t ( A m e r i c a n 

S o c i e t y f o r M e t a l s , 1 9 3 6 ) h a s b e e n u s e d 

f o r r e f e r e n c e . " 

T h e n o m e n c l a t u r e o f Chemical Ab-
stracts, Quarterly Cumulative Index 
Medicus, Engineering Index, Industrial 
Arts Index, International Index, and Ag-
ricultural Index c a n n o t b e i g n o r e d w h e n 
n e w s c i e n t i f i c , t e c h n i c a l , a n d i n d u s t r i a l 

s u b j e c t s a r e b e i n g f o r m u l a t e d o r o l d o n e s 

r e v i s e d . I f t h e s c i e n t i s t a n d e n g i n e e r a r e 

n o t t o f i n d t h e l i b r a r y c a t a l o g s p e a k i n g 

a n a l i e n l a n g u a g e , i t s s u b j e c t h e a d i n g s 

m u s t n o t d i s r e g a r d t h e i r t e r m i n o l o g y . — 

Helen K. Starr, James Jerome Hill Refer-
ence Library, Saint Paul. 

' C r a n e , E . J . " I n t r o d u c t i o n t o S u b j e c t I n d e x , 
1 9 4 2 . " Chemical Abstracts 3 6 : 7 7 6 3 , 7769. 

JUNE, 1944 
24 7