The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is a collection of subject headings, or phrases describing topics, maintained by and used to organize the contents of the Library of Congress. It is the only subject headings list accepted as a worldwide standard, meaning it is used by libraries and archives around the world to ensure that all institutions use uniform headings for given subjects. With all libraries using the same word, phrase, or string to describe, tag, and group materials, it becomes easier for users from different places to find materials. As of March 2023, there are over 500,000 authority subject headings available! Throughout this digital exhibit, we have added hyperlinks to the LCSH terms used in each algorithmically-generated item description so that you can explore any unfamiliar or interesting subject terms.
To learn more about Library of Congress Subject Headings, click here!
To learn more about how Library of Congress Subject Headings are created, click here!
You can also explore the current LCSH list here!