In June of last year, LTI announced plans for implementation of the new Library of Congress form/genre authority records.
In last week's file of subject authority records, LC completely replaced the form/genre authority records using the control number prefix "sh" with new "gf" authority records. Code to make the conversion using the new authority records has been activated, effective May 31, 2011. Files sent through Authority Express (AEX) will now be authorized with the replacement records for those libraries that control headings in 655 fields.
Users of LTI's Authority Update Processing (AUP) who are profiled to authorize genre/form headings will be provided with the new "gf" authority records as part of the library's next regular AUP processing run. Also, the older "sh" genre/form terms will be distributed as cancels, to be replaced by the new "gf" authority records. Of course the updated bibliographic records returned to client libraries will reflect the revised coding.
No changes to the library's profile are required. In accord with LC's decision, headings in bibliographic records will automatically be provided with the new tagging: 655 _7 $a... $2lcgft. The ease with which these kinds of wholesale bibliographic and authority records updates are affected is a strong argument for use of the AUP service.
If you have questions, please contact Marsha Hunt at LTI.