November 21, 1995

Contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217

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Library of Congress Publishes Guide to Pictorial Materials Cataloging

The Library of Congress has published a guide to terms used in descriptive cataloging of pictorial items. The guide, Thesaurus for Graphic Materials, is now available from the Library's Cataloging Distribution Service.

The volume consists of two parts: TGM I: Subject Terms and TGM II: Genre and Physical Characteristic Terms. This new volume expands and updates two earlier publications: LC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials: Topical Terms for Subject Access (1987) and Descriptive Terms for Graphic Materials: Genre and Physical Characteristic Headings (1986).

Together, the two parts contain the subject terms and the genre and physical characteristic terms compiled and used nationwide to catalog and search for pictorial and graphic materials.

The volume includes many features that make it an especially valuable tool for catalogers, reference librarians, researchers, historians, archivists, and members of the museum community.

TGM I includes more than 5,000 authorized subject terms and more than 4,000 cross-references as well as guidelines for indexing pictorial materials in automated and manual environments, providing an alternative to the terms found in Library of Congress Subject Headings. It also has seven sample records and accompanying illustrations to provide concrete examples of the principles outlined in the text.

TGM II gives authorized genre terms to denote distinctive categories of pictorial and graphic material such as posters, advertisements, landscapes, and family trees. It also provides physical characteristic headings to describe and index graphic materials distinguished by production processes or techniques, production stages or versions, instruments employed, markings, shapes, sizes, and other physical aspects of graphic materials. TGM II also has illustrated sample records.

The complete volume includes current guidelines for application of the terms, a bibliography, and scope notes.

Thesaurus for Graphic Materials has an attractive perfect- bound soft cover and seven black-and-white illustrations. Each of the two parts of the thesaurus is arranged alphabetically with authorized terms and cross-references in the same listing.

The guide sells for $34 in North America and for $36 outside of North America. Order it directly from: Library of Congress, Cataloging Distribution Service, P.O. Box 75560, Washington, DC 20013-5560; telephone (800) 255-3666 (U.S. only) or (202) 707-6100; fax (202) 707-1334; TDD (202) 707-0012.

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PR 95-157
11/7/95
ISSN 0731-3527