Members of the Task Force: Melody Lembke, John Hostage, Lenore Rapkin and Jacqui Paul.

The goal: Simplify the constitutional headings. Whenever possible have the Constitutional law headings conform with current LC subject heading practices. Make Constitution treatment as similar to that for an act as possible.

The method: This document was circulated among the Task Force members and an early draft presented to Paul Weiss for quick comment by catalogers at LC. The following recommendations were discussed at the Indianapolis meeting and were acceptable to the Cataloging and Classification Committee members; the document was forwarded to Paul Weiss at the Library of Congress. Now we wait an see what happens!

I. Texts of constitutions

a) Individual texts.

Proposal: Cancel --Constitution; use Constitutions (May Subd Geog)

Assign the form heading Constitutions (May Subd Geog) to individual texts of constitutions.

Do not assign the heading for the constitution, i.e. [jurisdiction]. [uniform title of the law] to a work that consists solely of the text of the constitution.

For the text of the United States Constitution:

	110  United States.
	240  Constitution
	245  Constitution of the United States
	650  Constitutions$zUnited States.

b) Collected texts.

Proposal: Use Constitutions (May Subd Geog) for collections of constitutions of a single jurisdiction as well as for general and regional collections. Cancel Constitutions, State or Provincial constitutions.

Assign the form heading Constitutions (May Subd Geog) to collected texts of constitutions. Subdivide the heading by place if the collection is limited to a particular country, state, etc.

Sample headings:

	650  Constitutions$zCalifornia
	650  Constitutions$zUnited States$xStates.
	650  Constitutions$zCanada
	650  Constitutions$zCanada$xProvinces.

II. For works about constitutions and/or constitutional law.

a) Works about constitutions of multiple jurisdictions.

Proposal: Change heading to Constitutional law (May subd geog). Cancel $xConstitutional law or $xConstitutional law, State. Also change: H1149.5 $xColonies$xConstitutional law.

	650  Constitutional law.
	650  Constitutional law$zUnited States$xStates.
	650  Constitutional law$zUnited States$xColonies.
	650  Constitutional law$zCanada$xProvinces.

b) Works about individual constitutions.

Proposal: For works about individual constitutions, assign the heading for the name of the constitution in the form [jurisdiction]. [uniform title]. Also assign the topical heading Constitutional law (May subd geog).

	610   United States.$tConstitution.
	650   Constitutional law$zUnited States   	
	610   California.$tConstitution (1879)
	650   Constitutional law$zCalifornia   

III. Constitutional amendments

a) For works about constitutional amendments and the amending process.

Proposal: Change heading to Constitutional amendments (May Subd Geog). Cancel $xConstitutional law$xAmendments, $xConstitutional law, State$xAmendments. Discontinue individual numbering in the topical heading such as --1st, 2nd, etc.

i) For works about amendments of multiple jurisdictions, multiple amendments or the amending process in a single jurisdiction assign Constitutional amendments (May Subd Geog).

Single jurisdiction:

Constitutional amendments$zCalifornia
Constitutional amendments$zUnited States

Multiple jurisdictions:

Constitutional amendments
Constitutional amendments$zCanada$xProvinces

ii) For works discussing specific amendments assign the heading for the name of the amendment usually in the form [jurisdiction].$t[uniform title].$n[numbered amendment]. Also assign a topical heading or headings appropriate to the amendment being cataloged. In addition assign the topical heading Constitutional amendments (May Subd Geog)

	Work about the Bill of Rights
	Entry and title could be anything.

	610 United States.$tConstitution.$n1st-10th Amendments.
	650 Civil rights$zUnited States.
	650 Constitutional amendments$zUnited States.

b) For the text of amendments

Assign the appropriate topical heading(s). Also assign Constitutional amendments (May Subd Geog) as a form heading.

Do not assign the heading for an amendment to a constitution to a work that consists solely of the text of the amendment.

	Text of Bill of Rights

	110 United States.
	240 Constitution.$n1st-10th Amendments
	650 Civil rights$zUnited States.
	650 Constitutional amendments$zUnited States. 

Note: Constitutional amendments is being used as both a form and a topical heading. IV. For works discussing the historical development of constitutions

Proposal: Change heading to Constitutional history (May Subd Geog)
Alternate that was rejected: Constitutional law (May Subd Geog)--History.
Unchanged: Constitutional history, Ancient and Constitutional history, Medieval

	Constitutional history$zUnited States
	Constitutional history$zUnited States$xStates
	Constitutional history$zQuebec (Province)

VI. Interpretation and construction.

This is a free-floating subdivision under legal topics.