Minnie Earl Sears
Encyclopedia
Minnie Earl Sears formulated the Sears Subject Headings, a simplification of the Library of Congress Subject Headings
.
, and was awarded a B.Sc. from Purdue University
at age 18, the youngest graduate in her class. She received an M.Sc in 1893. In 1900 the University of Illinois awarded to her a Bachelor of Library Science degree
.
Sears had a long career as a cataloguer and bibliographer at a variety of libraries (Bryn Mawr College
, University of Minnesota
, New York Public Library
), before she joined the publishing company H. W. Wilson Company
in 1923 to publish her List of Subject Headings for Small Libraries. The book provides a list of subject headings for small libraries to use in lieu of Library of Congress Subject Headings
. Library of Congress headings are often not as useful for small libraries because they are too detailed. Sears’ List of Subject Headings also offers small libraries guidance on how to create their own new subject headings consistently when necessary.
In order to create her subject headings, Sears consulted small and medium sized libraries throughout the country to discern patterns of usage. She then developed her own system, based in part on the Library of Congress Subject Headings, but with a simplified subject vocabulary. In Sears’ system, common terms are much preferred over scientific and technical terms. Her system also allowed individual libraries the authority to create their own subject headings. The Sears model is not meant to serve as a standardized bridge for union catalogs, but rather as a model “for the creation of headings as needed”.
Like the Library of Congress Subject Headings, Sears' system is a subject list arranged in alphabetical order, making use of overarching subject categories and hierarchical subject subdivisions. However, Sears’ headings favor natural language. Her headings make use of only four types of headings: topical, form, geographic, and proper names. She also tended to convert inverted headings into direct entries.
In the third edition of the book (1933), Ms. Sears added a section called, “Practical Suggestions for the Beginner in Subject Heading Work”. These “Principles of the Sears List” were eventually published as a separate document and became a widely used teaching tool for library schools. In subsequent editions of the List, Sears’ subject headings were also linked to appropriate Dewey Decimal numbers.
In addition to creating the List, Sears edited the Standard Catalog for Public Libraries of the American Library Association
, and an edition of the Standard Catalog for High School Libraries. She eventually left H.W. Wilson to teach at Columbia University
's School of Library Science, where she started the first graduate course in cataloging. Sears also remained an active participant in the American Library Association and the New York Library Association
. After her death in 1933 at age 60, the book was eventually renamed in her honor to The Sears List of Subject Headings. The List is currently in its 20th edition.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
The Library of Congress Subject Headings comprise a thesaurus of subject headings, maintained by the United States Library of Congress, for use in bibliographic records...
.
Life and work
Sears was a native of Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, and was awarded a B.Sc. from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
at age 18, the youngest graduate in her class. She received an M.Sc in 1893. In 1900 the University of Illinois awarded to her a Bachelor of Library Science degree
Bachelor of Library Science
The bachelor of library science is a degree sometimes awarded to students majoring in library science...
.
Sears had a long career as a cataloguer and bibliographer at a variety of libraries (Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
), before she joined the publishing company H. W. Wilson Company
H. W. Wilson Company
The H. W. Wilson Company is a publisher based in New York City. It publishes print and online indexes, full-text databases, and other products and services for public, school, college, and special libraries around the world....
in 1923 to publish her List of Subject Headings for Small Libraries. The book provides a list of subject headings for small libraries to use in lieu of Library of Congress Subject Headings
Library of Congress Subject Headings
The Library of Congress Subject Headings comprise a thesaurus of subject headings, maintained by the United States Library of Congress, for use in bibliographic records...
. Library of Congress headings are often not as useful for small libraries because they are too detailed. Sears’ List of Subject Headings also offers small libraries guidance on how to create their own new subject headings consistently when necessary.
In order to create her subject headings, Sears consulted small and medium sized libraries throughout the country to discern patterns of usage. She then developed her own system, based in part on the Library of Congress Subject Headings, but with a simplified subject vocabulary. In Sears’ system, common terms are much preferred over scientific and technical terms. Her system also allowed individual libraries the authority to create their own subject headings. The Sears model is not meant to serve as a standardized bridge for union catalogs, but rather as a model “for the creation of headings as needed”.
Like the Library of Congress Subject Headings, Sears' system is a subject list arranged in alphabetical order, making use of overarching subject categories and hierarchical subject subdivisions. However, Sears’ headings favor natural language. Her headings make use of only four types of headings: topical, form, geographic, and proper names. She also tended to convert inverted headings into direct entries.
In the third edition of the book (1933), Ms. Sears added a section called, “Practical Suggestions for the Beginner in Subject Heading Work”. These “Principles of the Sears List” were eventually published as a separate document and became a widely used teaching tool for library schools. In subsequent editions of the List, Sears’ subject headings were also linked to appropriate Dewey Decimal numbers.
In addition to creating the List, Sears edited the Standard Catalog for Public Libraries of the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
, and an edition of the Standard Catalog for High School Libraries. She eventually left H.W. Wilson to teach at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's School of Library Science, where she started the first graduate course in cataloging. Sears also remained an active participant in the American Library Association and the New York Library Association
New York Library Association
The New York Library Association was founded in 1890 to promote New York libraries. NYLA was the first state-wide organization of librarians in the United States. One of its founders was Melvil Dewey, who has had a lasting impact on libraries in the United States...
. After her death in 1933 at age 60, the book was eventually renamed in her honor to The Sears List of Subject Headings. The List is currently in its 20th edition.