Subject headings are words given to books that describe what the book is about. This gives the user the ability to find other books and materials related to the same topic.  Library of Congress Subject Headings (the most well-known listing of subject headings) are compiled in a 5 volume set of books located in the General Libraries Reference section under the call number Z695 .U4749. The Library of Congress Classification System (LC System) is used to organize books in most university libraries throughout the United States including the UB Libraries where library catalogers have assigned these subject headings to books and other materials listed in BISON, the UB Libraries Catalog.

Use Subject Search when you know the correct subject heading from Library of Congress or National Library of Medicine. If you do not know the correct subject heading, try a keyword search.

Proper nouns (persons, places, organizations) may be searched as subjects.

• For items about Gertrude Stein, type stein gertrude
• For items about Chicago, Illinois, type chicago ill
• For items about the United States Supreme Court, type united states supreme court

Some subject headings contain subdivisions.

• street children--developing countries
• rap music--discography
• hallux valgus--surgery

Do not abbreviate or omit words within a subject heading.

*Exception: You must use the abbreviation dept when you search for government departments.

• If the Library of Congress Subject Heading is "children as musicians", type children as musicians
• If you need items about the United States Department of Agriculture, type united states dept of agriculture

For more detailed explanations of subject heading searching in the UB to the BISON search help page.