Subject Headings are the very specific terms or phrases used to describe what a given item is about. For consistency, most academic libraries, including ours, use the subject headings defined by the Library of Congress. Subject searching is effective because it uses a predetermined controlled vocabulary to express the theme or content of an item. This helps you find materials on a particular topic when you don't know specific authors or titles that address your interest.

If you do a Subject search in LUCIA and see "Search under:" following the term you searched, you are directed to the official Library of Congress Subject Heading for your topic. Follow the link provided to search under the official term or terms. If you see "Search also under:" you will get other Library of Congress Subject Headings that may pertain to your topic; follow these to expand your results.