Optimal Setup for Discovery of Forms following LC move from use of $v subdivisions with preference for lcgft

RM-OST recommends that UC campuses configure their instances of Primo VE to display genre (655) fields. Two options for display are listed below in “Options Considered.”

Adding genre search and faceting to Primo VE may also be desirable; pros and cons for configuring those are also listed below.

We would like to make recommendations that will optimize discovery of these materials by genre/form while in the midst of a transitional cataloging environment.

In cataloging we differentiate between “is”ness and “about”ness. “About”ness is covered by subject headings (primarily Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) in UC)--topical terms that denote what is covered in a resource. Most topical terms are coded in the 650 field in MARC, although subjects can be coded in 600 (personal name), 610 (corporate name), 611 (meeting/conference name), and 651 (geographic term).

LCSH has also baked some “is”ness into its structure, mostly notably through form subdivisions (coded $v in MARC) that are used after topical headings. These terms generally denote form or genre (e.g. $v Facsimiles; $v Scores and parts).

In the 2010s, the Library of Congress has developed and published the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT) to bring the “is”ness aspect out of the LCSH string and into a faceted structure. LCGFT terms are coded in the 655 field.

In 2026, the Library of Congress decided to discontinue the use of form subdivisions (6XX $v) in their cataloging. We have and will continue to have records in our database with this information coded in the 6XX $v, the 655, and/or a combination of both. In the future we expect to see more and more of the new practice, with genre/form only coded in the 655.

Example:

• Clarivate:

  • Configuring Normalization Rules for Display and Local Fields

  • Mapping to the Display, Facets, and Search Sections in the Primo VE Record

  • Configuring Local Search and Facet Fields for Primo VE

• OCLC:

  • https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/6xx/650.html

  • https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/6xx/655.html

• Library of Congress:

  • Library of Congress to Expand Use of LC Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT) and Implement Subject Heading (LCSH and CYAC--Children & Young Adult) Cataloging Simplification

  • FAQ on omission of $v subfield in LCSH and expanded use of LCGFT