F 600 Genealogy

Background:

Genealogical materials class in CS with the exception of works about the genealogy of individual American ethnic groups and local genealogy of the United States, which class in E and F. This instruction sheet provides guidelines for classifying genealogical materials. For guidelines on assigning subject headings, see H 1631.

Procedures:

1. General:

Class general works about genealogy, including works on genealogical methodology, research, etc., in CS1-CS24.

2. By place:

a. United States:

Class works about American genealogy and general collections of United States genealogical records in CS42-CS68.

$image\POINT_BL.gif$ Class collections of local genealogical material with the place in F, e.g. F 180, Maryland.

$image\POINT_BL.gif$ Class genealogical materials pertaining to an individual ethnic group with the group in E or F, e.g. E 184.G3, German Americans.

b. Other countries:

Class works about the genealogy of other countries and collections of records from these countries, including local genealogical and the genealogy of ethnic groups, in CS80-CS2209.

3. Genealogy vs. other subject:

Many types of materials such as church records, census materials, passenger lists from ships, etc., are of interest to genealogists. In deciding where to class a work, let the intent of the editor or the publisher and the editing and indexing of the material serve as a guide to classification. Generally, if the material is being presented for use by genealogists, class the work with genealogy.

For instructions on classing local court records, see F 635.

4. Individual families:

Class genealogy of an individual family in the family history number in CS under the country in which the family resides, e.g. CS71, United States.

$image\POINT_BL.gif$ Class works of family history covering more than one country in CS38-CS39. If one of the countries included is the United States, class the work with family history under the United States.

$image\POINT_BL.gif$ Class works of family biography focusing on the details of the life stories of individual family members in the appropriate biography number.

$image\POINT.gif$ Class the work in CT if the family members are not well-known persons or if they are prominent in several fields.

$image\POINT.gif$ Class the work in D, E, or F if the family is important in the history of the country in which it resides.

$image\POINT.gif$ Class the work with the appropriate topic if the family members are prominent in a special field, e.g. Wyeth family in art; Bach family in music.

$image\POINT_BL.gif$ If a work is a mixture of family biography and genealogy, class the work with genealogy, unless the genealogical material is clearly a minor part of the work.