Genre and form terms now in the thesaurus Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for
Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT)
October 27, 2015
The table below contains some genre and form terms that have been added to the LCGFT. The
column on the left is the term currently being used in Polaris records, either from the
Guidelines on subject access to individual works of fiction, drama, etc. (GSAFD) or the Library of
Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). The column on the left shows the equivalent LCGFT term
with MARC coding.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list, but includes many of the headings commonly found in
Polaris records.
Edits in Polaris records (existing records or records being imported)
Please edit Polaris records to reflect the new LCGFT terms.
Exceptions: In cases where there is no equivalent term in the LCGFT, we will either continue to
use the current heading, or will discontinue use of the heading. These exceptions are noted in
the table.
Sometimes genre or form terms are incorrectly coded, so you’ll need to make a determination
of the correct coding before doing any edits:
If the work you are cataloging is about that genre or form (i.e., a book on how to write science
fiction), the term should be coded as an LCSH term in MARC tag 650
Example:
Title: Writing science fiction and fantasy by Crawford Kilian
650 _0 $aScience fiction.
650 _0 $aFantasy fiction.
If the work you are cataloging is that genre or form (i.e., a science fiction novel), the term
should be coded as a genre term in MARC tag 655
Example:
Title: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
655 _7 $aScience fiction.$2lcgft
Once you’ve made the determination that a heading should be used as a genre or form term,
edit as needed for the correct MARC coding. In many cases the term itself is the same and all
you’ll have to do is edit the coding. However, in some cases, the term itself has also changed—
these are in bold in the LCGFT column.
Form and genre terms in the LCGFT
Examples:
Current: 650 _0 $aShort stories (incorrectly coded--work being cataloged is a collection of short
stories)
New: 655 _7 $aShort stories.$2lcgft
Current: 655 _0 $aDomestic fiction.
New: 655 _7 $aDomestic fiction.$2lcgft
Current: 655 _7 $aHistorical fiction.$2gsafd
New: 655 _7 $aHistorical fiction.$2lcgft
Current: 655 _7 $aSuspense fiction.$2gsafd
New: 655 _7 $aThrillers (Fiction)$2lcgft
Edits in OCLC master records
Don’t delete GSAFD terms from OCLC master records. The GSAFD is still a legitimate thesaurus
that libraries may choose to use.
If you’re creating an original record in OCLC, use LCGFT terms as applicable
Be careful!
Don’t assume that every genre or form term is or will be in the LCGFT. On the flip side, there
are hundreds of terms in the LCGFT that are not in this table. When in doubt, search the OCLC
authority file or contact SHARE Bibliographic Services staff for assistance.
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Form and genre terms in the LCGFT
GSAFD/LCSH term
Adventure fiction
Allegories
Alternative histories (Fiction)
Arthurian romances
Autobiographical fiction
Bible fiction
Bildungsromans
Biographical comic books, strips, etc.
Biographical fiction
Black humor (Literature)
Board books
Christian fiction
Comic books, strips, etc.
Detective and mystery comic books, strips,
etc.
Didactic fiction
Domestic fiction
Dystopias
Epic fiction
Epistolary fiction
Erotic comic books, strips, etc.
Erotic fiction
Fables
Fairy tales
Fantasy comic books, strips, etc.
Fantasy fiction
Farces
Folklore
Ghost stories
Gothic fiction
Graphic novels
Historical fiction
LCGFT TERM
655 _7 $aAction and adventure fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aAllegories.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aAlternative histories (Fiction)$2lcgft
655 _7 $aArthurian romances.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aAutobiographical fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aBible fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aBildungsromans.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aBiographical comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aBiographical fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aBlack humor.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to code as LCSH form term
655 _0 $aBoard books.
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aChristian fiction.$2gsafd
may also add lcgft term if desired:
655 _7 $aReligious fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aComics (Graphic works)$2lcgft
655 _7 $aDetective and mystery comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aDidactic fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aDomestic fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aDystopian fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aEpic fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aEpistolary fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aErotic comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aErotic fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aFables.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aFairy tales.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aFantasy comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aFantasy fiction.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aFarces.$2gsafd
655 _7 $aFolk literature.$2lcgft
and/or
655 _7 $aFolk tales.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aGhost stories.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aGothic fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aGraphic novels.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aHistorical fiction.$2lcgft
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Form and genre terms in the LCGFT
GSAFD/LCSH term
Horror comic books, strips, etc.
Horror fiction
Humorous fiction
Large type books
Legends
Legal stories
Lift-the-flap books
Love stories
Medical novels
Melodramatic fiction
Movie novels
Mystery comic books, strips, etc.
Mystery fiction
Noir fiction
Occult fiction
Parables
Pastoral fiction
Picaresque literature
Political fiction
Psychological fiction
Radio and television novels
Radio scripts
Regency fiction
Road fiction
Robinsonades
Romance comic books, strips, etc.
Romances
Romans a ̀clef
Romantic suspense fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction comic books, strips, etc
Sea stories
Short stories
LCGFT TERM
655 _7 $aHorror comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aHorror fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aHumorous fiction.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to code as LCSH form term
655 _0 $aLarge type books.
655 _7 $aLegends.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aLegal fiction (Literature)$2lcgft
655 _7 $aLift-the-flap books.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aRomance fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aMedical fiction .$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aMelodramatic fiction.$2gsafd
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aMovie novels.$2gsafd
655 _7 $aDetective and mystery comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aDetective and mystery fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aNoir fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aParanormal fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aParables.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aPastoral fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aPicaresque fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aPolitical fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aPsychological fiction.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aRadio and television novels.$2gsafd
655 _7 $aRadio scripts.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—do not use
655 _7 $aRoad fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aRobinsonades.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aRomance comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aRomances.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aRomans a ̀clef.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft
Use one or both of these headings:
655 _7 $aRomance fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aThrillers (Fiction)$2lcgft
655 _7 $aScience fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aScience fiction comics.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aSea stories.$2gsafd
655 _7 $aShort stories.$2lcgft
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Form and genre terms in the LCGFT
GSAFD/LCSH term
Sound effects books
Spy stories
Steampunk comic books, strips, etc.
Steampunk fiction
Stories in rhyme
Superhero comic books, strips, etc.
Suspense fiction
Tall tales
Textbooks
Textured books
Toy and moveable books
Underground comic books, strips, etc.
Utopian fiction
Voyages, Imaginary
War-- comic books, strips, etc.
War stories
Western comic books, strips, etc.
Western stories
Young adult fiction
LCGFT TERM
655 _7 $aSound books.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aSpy fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aSteampunk comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aSteampunk fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aStories in rhyme.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aSuperhero comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aThrillers (Fiction)$2lcgft
655 _7 $aTall tales.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aTextbooks.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aTextured books.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aToy and moveable books.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aUnderground comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aUtopian fiction.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to use gsafd term
655 _7 $aVoyages, Imaginary.$2gsafd
655 _7 $aWar comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aWar fiction.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aWestern comics.$2lcgft
655 _7 $aWestern fiction.$2lcgft
Not in lcgft—continue to code as LCSH form term
655 _0 $aYoung adult fiction.
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