Singular and Plural Subject Headings

In addition to the various types of headings discussed above, subject headings may be single nouns, such as AUTOIMMUNITY or BIOLOGY. They may also be plural nouns, such as BELTS or THEATERS. Sometimes the LCSH employs the singular and plural forms of a word as different headings. 

The scope note is very helpful in explaining the way each term will be used. Here is an example using a singular, a plural, and a synonym:

THEATER is for drama as acted on the stage

THEATERS is for facilities used to stage drama

DRAMA is for drama as a literary form

Without scope notes, a cataloger would be unable to apply these headings correctly.

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