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Halloween WorldCat fun

- by Kate James

Some people celebrate Halloween by watching scary movies. Others dress in costumes. As a cataloger, I celebrate by sharing my favorite Halloween-themed subject headings and genre/form terms from Library of Congress vocabularies, which I’ve grouped by source vocabulary with some WorldCat records that use the heading.  

Human skeleton with mouth open and hands by head
Photo by Sabina Music Rich on Unsplash

Haunted? Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

My favorite Halloween treat, candy corn, does not have an LCSH heading. (SACO members, if you need this term for a resource, please submit a proposal.) However, there are several LCSH terms for Halloween-related topics, and many, many more for supernatural subjects often associated with Halloween.

Halloween sounds

I search this term to find a recording of witch cackles, creaking doors, chainsaws, and moaning ghosts.  

Associated WorldCat records

Haunted lighthouses

I’m sure no one would be surprised that LCSH had a subject heading “Haunted houses,” but there are 19 other subject headings for specific types of haunted places, including this one.

Associated WorldCat records

Demonomania

Demonomania is usually defined as the delusion that one is possessed by demons. Note the distinction between this term and the LCSH term “Demonic possession,” which is simply for possession by demons. You are more likely to find the subject heading “Demonomania” assigned to pre-20th century publications like the provided example.

Associated WorldCat records

  • Daimonomageia: a small treatise of sicknesses and diseases from witchcraft, and supernatural causes: never before, at least in this comprised order, and general manner, was the like published: being useful to others besides physicians, in that it confutes atheistical, sadducistical, and sceptical principles and imaginations (https://worldcat.org/en/title/24179729)
  • The marvellous in modern times (https://worldcat.org/en/title/1048806440)

Jack-o-lanterns

Three jack-o-lantern pumpkins with lights inside
Jack-o-lantern pumpkins from Wikimedia Commons

If you are interested in pumpkin carving, search this term.

Associated WorldCat records

Spooky? Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT)

LCGFT does not have any Halloween genre terms, but there are many for horror and paranormal genres.

Vampire films

Some vampires in movies are scary (Dracula), and some are sparkly (Edward Cullen). Whatever your vampire film preference, search this term to find them

Associated WorldCat records                               

Werewolf fiction

Use this term to search for stories of lycanthropy. If your favorite werewolf novel was published pre-21st century, you may be surprised not to find it with this term. This term was added to LCGFT in 2018 so many bibliographic records created before then will not have this term.

Associated WorldCat records

Horror television programs

The horror genre is intended to frighten, but whether these and other programs are considered part of the genre may be a matter of cataloger and viewer judgment.

Associated WorldCat records

I hope you’ve enjoyed this bit of Halloween fun. If you go trick-or-treating, be on the lookout for Ghosts, Vampires, and Goblins!