BIOGRAPHY “B” CLASSIFICATION REMINDER

• Autobiographies and individual biographies are to be assigned “B” classification according to current Bibliographic Division policy.
  • In some cases dual biographies may also use the “B” class (see your Call Numbers for Collective Biographies document)
• The Workflows catalog record should show a [autobiography] or b [individual biography] in the fixed field Biog area (see above). If Biog is not coded a or b, examine the item and other information in the record to determine whether the item should be classed in “B”.
• “B” is to be assigned to an individual biography/autobiography even if the “B” option is not indicated in the 082 Dewey call number field (or if the 082 field is not present).
  • The example above is showing the “B” classification option in subfield |a following the Dewey number.
  • The example on the next page does not show the option following the Dewey number, but should still be classed in “B” as an individual biography.

• Clues found on the bib record that indicate an individual biography/autobiography:
  • Fixed field Biog shows a or b
  • “B” classification option in 082 field (caution: “B” option may also be found on records for collective biographies)
  • The title or subtitle of the piece includes such words/phrases as “memoir”,       “a life”, “autobiography”, “my story”, etc. 
  • A personal name is the first subject heading (600 field). The name of the biographee (in catalog entry form) is almost always the very first subject entry on the catalog record
  • At least one subsequent topical subject entry (650 field) contains the subdivision “Biography” (see examples on the screen shots). The 650(s) with “Biography” may or may not appear directly after the 600 personal name subject.
  • Other terms in 6XX subject entries such as “Personal narratives”, “Childhood and youth”, “Homes and haunts”, and “Family” are good indicators that the item is probably an individual biography/autobiography
• As always, please ask a librarian when you are not sure whether “B” or Dewey should be used for the title you are cataloging

082 call number field above does not give the “B” classification option, but other information in the record indicates that this is an individual biography (see “Clues” section above)

R.D./Bibliographic Division 4/08/2009