ABSTRACT
Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT) is a multidisciplinary thesaurus that provides indexing terminology to describe what works are, rather than what they are about. Traditionally, access to genres and forms of works has been provided with subject headings, which poses two problems: first, subject headings are by definition more properly restricted to the topic of a work, and second, the rules for application of subject headings often treat forms secondarily to the topic, thereby limiting access. This entry will explain the differences between subjects and genres and forms, and put LCGFT in the context of other vocabularies that provide genre/form access. The development of LCGFT is a large undertaking, and the project management will be described. The majority of the entry will elaborate on the principles upon which LCGFT is built (the choice of authorized terms and the syndetic structure) and the application of terms. Finally, the entry will outline developments in the provision of access to characteristics of works and expressions that are closely related to genre and form: musical medium of performance, intended audience, characteristics of creators and contributors, and time period of creation.
