ANSS Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee
Question/Answer on cataloging issues – April 2014
By Wade Kotter, Weber State University
Question: What subject headings are used for “food deserts” and related topics?
Answer:
The Agricultural Marketing Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture defines “food deserts” as follows:
“Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.” (http://apps.ams.usda.gov/fooddeserts/foodDeserts.aspx)
Unfortunately, the Library of Congress has not yet established a subject heading for this specific phenomenon. Instead, researchers must either search for “food desert,” “food deserts” and other related terms/phrases anywhere in the record, or they can combine established subject headings from two or more of the following subject heading categories with the Boolean operator and (eg. “Food security” and “Urban poor”):
1. The Library of Congress provides two subject headings that deal with access to adequate food and overall availability of food, two key aspects of the concept of “food deserts;” both of these headings may be subdivided geographically:
Food security
Scope Note: “Here are entered works on physical and economic access to adequate food. Economic works on the availability of food are entered under Food supply.” (http://lccn.loc.gov/sh2009007706)
Food supply
Scope Note: “Here are entered economic works on the availability of food. Works on the physical and economic access to adequate food are entered under Food security.” (http://lccn.loc.gov/sh85050339)
2. The Library of Congress provides several headings relevant to other concepts and subject areas related to the concept of “food deserts”; each of these headings may be subdivided geographically:
Convenience foods
Convenience stores
Farm produce
Fast food restaurants
Food
Food consumption
Food industry and trade
Food law and legislation
Food prices
Food service
Fruit
Fruit trade
Grain
Grain trade
Groceries
Grocers
Grocery trade
Grocery shopping
Meat
Meat industry and trade
Processed foods
Produce trade
Restaurants
School children – food
Snack foods
Street food
Street-food vendors
Vegetable trade
Vegetables
3. The Library of Congress has established several subject headings relevant to the potential health impacts on people of all ages living in areas considered to be “food deserts;” each of these may be subdivided geographically:
City dwellers – Health and hygiene
City dwellers – Nutrition
Diabetes
Diabetes – Nutritional aspects
Diet
Diet in disease
Heart – Diseases
Malnutrition
Malnutrition in children
Malnutrition in infants
Minorities
Minorities – Health and hygiene
Minorities – Nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition disorders
Nutrition disorders in adolescents
Nutrition disorders in children
Nutrition disorders in infants
Obesity
Obesity in adolescence
Obesity in children
Poor
Poor – Health and hygiene
Poor – Nutrition
Public health
Rural health
Rural poor
Rural poor – Health and hygiene
Rural poor – Nutrition
Urban health
Urban minorities
Urban minorities – Health and hygiene
Urban minorities – Nutrition
Urban poor
Urban poor – Health and hygiene
Urban poor – Nutrition
4. Finally, the Library of Congress has established several subject headings related to programs and activities designed to improve access to fresher, healthier and more affordable foods in areas considered to be “food deserts;” each of these may be subdivided geographically:
Backyard gardens
Community gardens
Farmers’ markets
Food cooperatives
Gardens
Gardening
Green roofs (Gardening)
Indoor gardening
Indoor gardens
Kitchen gardens
National school lunch program
Nutrition policy
Roof gardening
School breakfast programs
School milk programs
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable horticulture
Urban agriculture
Urban gardening
Urban gardens
Vegetable gardens
Vegetable gardening
ANSS 