Using the Catalogs

General instructions for locating materials are given in the Research Guide, How Do I Find a Book?. The following information is specific to the topic at hand.

The Dictionary Catalog is arranged primarily by subject and author; there are title entries for works of fiction. Reflecting the usage of its time, the Dictionary Catalog provides no subject heading for Gay and few entries can be found under Lesbian or Homosexuality; the main subject entry for material dealing with male and female homosexuality is Sexual Inversion. For antiquarian material, then, it is best to approach this catalog with the most specific citation possible (the author's name is generally best), as not everything is to be found under Sexual Inversion.

Entries in CATNYP, the computer catalog, may be searched by author, title, subject, or keyword. Straightforward author or title searches should pose no problem. However, in contrast to the Dictionary Catalog, the diversity of subject headings utilized by CATNYP can be bewildering. Specific terms have been assigned distinct meanings; for example, entering the subject Homosexuality will not retrieve many titles on lesbianism. When a subject search is unsuccessful, retry it as a keyword; if that produces entries, review the full record for each item and note the subject headings under which it was cataloged. Then do a subject search using those terms. For example, entering Gays Military as a subject heading retrieves no records; however, utilizing these terms as keywords does result in retrieving a citation which, when displayed as a full record, yields the appropriate subject headings through which other relevant titles can be found.

For guidance in choosing the most useful subject terms for your search in CATNYP, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes in Room 315. The following subject headings will generate many titles:

Homosexuality

Gay Liberation Movement

Homosexuals

Gays

Gay Men

Lesbians

Lesbianism

The question of appropriate subject headings for this new discipline and the value of same for researchers is ably addressed by Ellen Greenblatt in her essay "Homosexuality: The Evolution of a Concept in the Library of Congress Subject Headings" in Gay and Lesbian Library Service (JFE 91-2095) which provides an excellent overview and guidelines.