Active Projects

Best Practices for Fictitious Characters in Name Authorities

The scope of this project is to establish best practices for creating name authority records for fictitious characters.

Cartoonists versus Comics Artists

This project formed as a request from the Library of Congress to better differentiate LCSH for Cartoonists versus Comics artists. The group is also working on better differentiation from Animators; and also potentially on the art forms, too (Caricatures and cartoons, Comic books, strips, etc. and so on).

Emerging Genres

Research and propose LitRPG, Isekai, and related genre headings. Keep an eye on literary trends for potential future genre proposals. 

Games Subdivision Revision

Submit a change proposal to the Games subject heading with the goal of encouraging the Library of Congress to update the existing topical ($x) free-floating subdivision for Games and add a corresponding form ($v) free-floating subdivision.

NACO my SACO

This project is looking at all the various imaginary headings (organizations, places, vehicles, etc.) and fictional character groups (i.e., the X-Men) and considering how they could be moved into the Name Authority File instead, following a request from the Library of Congress. The group is creating best practices for creating these headings, considering mandatory and optional inclusions and so on. 

Relationship Subject Headings

Look at the current headings for various types of relationships in LCSH and propose new headings and revisions.

Video Game Genres

The scope of the Video Game Genres project is to refine the current OLAC video game genres and then propose them to the Library of Congress for adoption in the LC genre/form terms.

Projects Pending Completion

Comics Pattern Headings

This project encompasses proposing headings which will become patterns for comics subject headings strings with subdivisions in the LCSH, using the base heading $a Biographical comic books, strips, etc. (example: Biographical comic books, strips, etc. $x Jewish authors).

Completed Projects

LCGFT Queer Scope Notes

Based on the scope note formulation for "Asexual comics," this project changed all queer genre scope notes to say "featuring [X] characters or addressing [X] themes"

Topic $v Fiction

The project proposed removing cross-references consisting of a topic with a form subdivision (such as fiction; poetry; drama; etc.) from all LCSH and CYAC subject headings for genres. This fixed the long-standing issue where those cross-references flipped to the heading for a genre instead; an example being "Detectives $v Fiction," that flipped to "Detective and mystery stories" instead of being a valid string to search for fiction about detectives.