Because of the structure of the publishing industry, the official policies of the Library of Congress, and the cataloguing systems for books used by libraries and information systems, self-published authors such as myself will remain at a competitive disadvantage to provide a subject index on a book’s copyright page.
Likely purchasers of self-published works, such as public and academic libraries, may not have the resources or time to consider books that lack the stamp of legitimacy that comes with the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) data block, which shows the key subjects of the book for cataloguing purposes.
An excellent set of essays for the self-publishing author, by M.A. Demers, deconstructs the confusion surrounding the LCCN, the CIP, the Library of Congress’s Pre-assigned Control Number (PCN) Program, and the for-profit Publisher Cataloguing in Publication (PCIP) services. Demers writes, “The absence of a CIP block or an LCCN in no way prevents a library from buying your book and putting it into circulation. And in the United States, self-published authors are barred from the Library of Congress’s CIP Program anyway, rendering an LCCN essentially useless.”
Because of the structural barriers my work faces to be “officially indexed” through the Library of Congress (LOC) system, I have created a LOC subject index that uses the library’s official subject heading system. Purchasers at libraries and other organizations may wish to consider using these subject headings when adding my work to their catalogue. I would be happy to answer any questions as well. Please contact me.
Official Library of Congress Subject Headings for You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are: An Adoptee’s Journey through the American Adoption System:
Adoptees
Adoptees—United States—Identification
Adoption
Adoption—Law and legislation—United States
Adoption—Psychological aspects
Adoption—Religious aspects–Christianity
Adoption—United States
Adoption—United States—Psychological aspects
Autobiography
Bastardy
Birthparents
Birthparents—Identification—Law and legislation
Birthparents—United States—Identification
Confidential communications—Law and legislation
Detroit (Mich.)—History
Hospitals—Maternity services
Human rights
Illegitimacy
Illegitimacy—Law and legislation
Illegitimate children
Law—Michigan
Maternal health services
Maternity homes
Michigan
Michigan—History
Public health
Public health records—Access control
Unmarried mothers—Services for
Vital records