Generally there are__________ categories of subdivisions recognized in LCSH

The Correct answer is ​Four.

Key Points

• In the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), four primary categories of subdivisions are recognized: topical, form, chronological, and geographic.
• Topical Subdivisions:
  • These are used to narrow a broad subject to a specific subtopic. Examples include:
  • Corn - Harvesting
  • Automobiles - Motors – Carburetors
  • Women - Employment
• Form Subdivisions:
  • ​Form subdivisions indicate the format in which information is presented.
  • They are placed at the end of the subject heading. Examples include:
  • Gardens - Dictionaries
  • United States - History - Periodicals
  • Some forms may have a "see also" reference, such as "Periodicals" under specific subjects like "Engineering - Periodicals."
• Chronological Subdivisions:
  • These show the time aspect of a subject and are placed last in a subject heading. Examples include:
  • United States - History - 20th Century
  • Art, Chinese - To 221 B.C.
  • Spanish literature - 20th Century - Periodicals
• Geographic Subdivisions:
  • ​These indicate the location or origin of a subject.
  • The "(May Subd Geog)" designation means the subject can be divided by location. For example:
  • Music - France - Paris
  • Construction industry - United States
  • Geographic subdivisions are typically added to headings representing countries, states, or regions and are placed after the subject. For example:
  • Construction industry - Italy
  • Construction industry - Government Policy – Italy