Geographic Subdivisions

Introduction

Authorization to use a geographic subdivision under a heading is one of the simplest to find. Any subject subdivision which can be further subdivided by place name will have the D/I subfield of the 008 field coded i. If this subfield is not coded i, then you may not further subdivide the subject by place.

The Library of Congress may create individual authority records for headings consisting of topical subjects combined with geographic subdivisions when specific cross-references are required, but such authority records are not otherwise considered necessary.

Each separate element of a geographic subdivision is preceded by a |z subfield code.

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Form of Subdivision

The form of the geographic subdivision is somewhat more complicated.

As with geographic headings used as subjects only the most current form of the name is used as a geographic subdivision. When a place name changes its name, all instances of the place name used as a geographic subdivision should be updated to reflect the name change. Practically speaking, these changes can only be made on a case-by-case basis, or by using the global change programs. The only exception to this practice is if the boundaries of the place have also significantly changed. In this situation, both versions of the name may be used as geographic subdivisions. Therefore, if you are checking bibliographic copy which uses an earlier form of the place name, it should be revised to the most current form of the name.

To check that a geographic subdivision is correct, you need to see how the place name is established. Search in the index for the place name. Once you have determined the most recent form of the name, and how the heading is established, you may then determine how the heading should be used as a geographic subdivisions.

Geographic place names as subdivisions should be subdivided through the name of the jurisdiction. Therefore, Paris (France) should appear as |z France |z Paris not |z Paris (France) or simply as |z Paris. At one time, the latter example was, in fact correct; therefore take care to correct this when checking older copy.

When the CLARR utility is used to check a bibliographic record, this is one of the checks the utility performs. CLARR also attempts to check that the format of the geographic subdivision is correct by "flipping" the geographic heading where necessary and attempting to find the corresponding geographic name authority.

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Exceptional Jurisdictions

There are three exceptional jurisdictions which do not follow this practice in quite the same way, because of the large amount of material published about them in English. These three places are: Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. Place names in Canada are subdivided first by Province, and not by Canada. Therefore Kingston (Ont.) becomes |z Ontario |z Kingston not |z Canada |z Kingston (Ont.). Similarly, places in the United States are subdivided through the name of the State, and places in Great Britain are subdivided through the name of the country, not through "Great Britain" or "United Kingdom".

Several other exceptions also exists, although not as many as the Library of Congress once used.

The heading Vatican City is treated as though it were a country.

The two cities Jerusalem and Washington (D.C.) are assigned directly after a subject heading.

New York (N.Y.) and Berlin also used to be treated in this manner; however, these exceptional practices have been discontinued.

Certain other types of places, such as islands, or historical entities like the Holy Roman Empire may also be treated differently. Normally the manner in which these headings should be treated will be recorded on the authority record.

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Qualifiers

All elements of the established heading should appear in the subdivided form somewhere. Normally, an established heading will appear in the form:

In subdivision practice, the order is normally inverted, with abbreviations spelled out, so that it appears as follows:

Occasionally, the qualifier will not match the term that should be used after the first |z subfield codes. Australian place names, for example, are qualified by the name of the state, but should be subdivided through the name of the country. Any part of the established heading which does not appear after the first |z subfield should still be contained after the second |z.

This also holds true when part of the qualifier is transferred to the first |z subfield; the remainder of the qualifier still appears in the second |z subfield.

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