Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture: Search and Discover

Subject headings are a set of terms or phrases (known as controlled vocabulary) that classify materials.  Essentially they identify and pull together under a common umbrella information about a given subject.  Most online catalogs and databases use some form of subject headings, though they may also be called descriptors or keywords.

To identify subject headings relevant to your research topic:

1. Locate an item relevant to your research topic in the online library catalog and click on the title to view the record for the item.
2. Scroll through the record to the Subject headings (LCSH), these are the Library of Congress Subject Headings for this item.
3. Click on a subject heading link to view an alphabetical list of subject headings.
4. Click on a subject heading in this list to view a list of items that have been assigned that subject heading