Classification Manual
(Revised July 1993) Chapter 2
Category Classes and Special Types of Publications
[ Classification Manual Home | Table of Contents ]
Section 1. Standard Reserved and Category Classes
Section 2. Special Types of Publications
J. Electronic Products
K. Sets Including Different Types of Material
L. Final Determinations
Chapter 2
Category Classes and Special Types of Publications
Category Classes and Special Types of Publications
Category groups of publications without a common title printed on them have been assigned titles such as General publications and Handbooks, manuals, and guides. Each category class has its own number, following the period in the class stem.
Other special types of publications are not assigned a specific number, but are treated consistently according to the principles discussed in Section 2.
Section 1 [ Top ]
Standard Reserved and Category
Classes
A. Structure [ Top ]
The following numbers are reserved for categories of publications commonly issued by most Government offices:
.1 Annual report
.2 General publications
.3 Bulletins
.4 Circulars
.5 Laws
.6 Regulations, rules, and instructions
.7 Press releases
.8 Handbooks, manuals, and guides
.9 Bibliographies and lists of publications
.10 Directories
.11 Maps and charts
.12 Posters
.13 Forms
.14 Addresses
Numbers .1 through .4 were assigned when the Superintendent of Documents classification system was first established; numbers .5 through .8 were assigned in the 1950's as the system developed; .9 through .14 were designated in the latter part of 1985.
Use these numbers when establishing new classes. In many cases these numbers have already been used for other purposes, so a category class may have to be given a different number. When classifying documents from older agencies, bear in mind that older category classes may have different numbers than those specified above. When searching for laws, regulations, handbooks, etc., do not assume that the class has not been established if you do not find it in .5 through .8 classes. Search further.
Under the pre-1985 .100 breakdown, the standard classes are:
.101: for annual reports;
.102: for general publications;
.103: for bulletins, etc.
For example:
C 55.300's National Marine Fisheries
Service
C 55.301: Annual report
C 55.302: General publications
C 55.304: Circulars
C 55.305: Laws
C 55.306: Regulations, rules, and
instructions
C 55.308: Handbooks, manuals, guides
C 55.308/2: Handbooks (numbered)
Individual series classes begin with 109, 209, 309, etc., and with 115, 215, 315, etc., after the latter part of 1985, unless the series is related to the standard category numbers.
With the exception of annual reports, bulletins, and circulars, and certain numbered laws and regulations classes, these category classes are assigned according to the type of material included in the publications. The contents of a publication, as well as its title, must be examined before it may be classified in one of the category classes.
1. Related Publications [ Top ]
Publications issued in a series related to an established category class are given the next highest available numbers or attached to established classes by use of slash-letters or numbers. See Chapter 3 for a detailed discussion of classification by series.
Subject related series are attached to established classes by use of a slash and numbers.
B. Category Classes [ Top ]
1. Annual Reports [ Top ]
The Annual Reports category (.1) is reserved for the annual report of the department, bureau, or office as a whole. Do not include annual reports on projects or on specific subjects; these should have separate classes elsewhere.
Annual reports may be issued by subordinate offices for which classification numbers have not been assigned. In that case, a new class should be established and attached to the class for the annual report of the parent agency.
Information on the title page, cover, or preface will usually show which department, bureau, or office is generating the annual report. However, a telephone call to the department, bureau, or office may occasionally be the only way to obtain the necessary information.
2. General Publications [ Top ]
The General Publications category (.2) includes unnumbered publications of a miscellaneous nature. This is a "last resort" class. The publications are one-time publications: monographs, as opposed to serials. They do not fit into any established series, or into any of the other categories. There is no indication that the publications will be issued on a regular basis. The General Publications category should be the last consideration for a publication, rather than the starting point for determining a class number.
3. Bulletins [ Top ]
Bulletins (.3) are usually named and numbered by the offices issuing them. Assign this class only if the word "Bulletin" appears on the title page, cover, etc.
4. Circulars [ Top ]
Circulars (.4) are usually numbered by the offices issuing them. Assign this class only if the word "Circular" appears on the title page, cover, etc.
5. Laws [ Top ]
The Laws category (.5) is reserved for publications which contain the text of Federal law administered by the agencies issuing the publications.
A publication which explains only parts of law or discusses the contents of laws should not be included in the Laws class. Possibly such publications may be classified as regulations under the law (Regulations, rules, and instructions class) or as guides to understanding a law (Handbooks, manuals, and guides class). An overall description of a law may be classified under General publications.
Laws have been treated differently in different classes as the Superintendent of Documents classification system evolved. When classifying new law publications, follow the practice already established in individual Laws classes.
State laws on any subject should not be included in the Laws classes. State laws are not administered by agencies of the United States Government, and if they are published by the Federal Government, it is for informational, not statutory purposes.
6. Regulations, Rules, and Instructions [ Top ]
The Regulations, Rules, and Instructions category (.6) contains information on agency requirements which have the force of law. The information may pertain to the operation of an agency or to outside activities under an agency's jurisdiction.
a) Decisions and Orders< [ Top ]
A separate category class will not be established for Decisions and Orders. They should be assigned their own separate classes. Some decisions and orders were previously classed with Regulations, rules, and instructions, and with Laws.
7. Press Releases [ Top ]
The Press Releases category (.7) includes agency announcements issued for the news media. The publications may or may not have the word release or news on them. Press interviews, statements to the press, and news conferences with reporters should be included in the Press release classes, together with the usual releases on various subjects.
Speeches, remarks, and addresses given before audiences are often issued as news releases. These should be classified individually in the Addresses class for the agencies releasing the information.
8. Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides [ Top ]
Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides (.8) differ from regulations, rules, and instructions in that they do not have the force of law. They may include helpful information on any subject. In early years these publications were included in the Regulations, rules, and instructions classes. Beginning in the 1950's, new classes were established and handbooks, manuals, and guides were no longer included in the Regulations classes.
To qualify for the Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides category, the words "handbook", "manual", "guide", or "how to", must be part of the document title.
For example:
T 70.8:F 51/3/988-989
Your guide to federal firearms
regulations
L 38.8:T 68
How to tailor off-the-shelf training
materials
For a short time in 1984-1985, publications that were by nature handbooks, manuals, or guides were classed in this category, even though the words "handbook", "manual", "guide" or "how to" did not appear on the publications. Revised editions of these publications should be kept in the category class, following the pattern established earlier.
a) Basic Manuals and Transmittals [ Top ]
A basic manual or other publication may be issued infrequently, but if it has continuing transmittals, revised plates, or frequent change sheets, the manual should have a separate class. This class should be established when a new edition of such a publication is received for classifying. When the issuing agency changes before a new basic is issued, do not reclass the changes.
See Section 2 of this chapter for more information on classifying Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides.
9. Bibliographies and Lists of Publications [ Top ]
The Bibliographies and Lists of Publications category (.9) includes any bibliographies, whether they are limited to specific subjects, or include all publications issued by an agency or bureau.
Annual or other periodic lists of publications with consistent titles should be classed in separate classes, and not be included in a category class.
10. Directories [ Top ]
The Directories category (.10) is restricted to those publications that include the word "directory" in the title.
11. Maps and Charts [ Top ]
The Maps and Charts category (.11) is for cartographic materials, e.g. those that represent a planetary surface in a two-dimensional form.
A chart can be defined in two ways:
1) a map designed primarily for navigation, either nautical or aeronautical;
2) a sheet exhibiting information in a tabular or graphic form.
Only charts falling under definition 1 should be classified as cartographic material.
Tabular or graphic charts, often statistical in nature, should be classified as series documents, posters, or general publications.
Publications which consist of a mixture of cartographic, textual, and other illustrative content, and whose primary purpose is to acquaint visitors with parks, historical sites, etc., should not be classified as maps. These publications often have their own classes, such as the National Park Service Information Circulars. If individual class stems have not been established, these "tour guides" should be treated under the general rules for classification.
If a map's class must be modified by the addition of a date, use the date of publication. In many cases this will not be the date associated with the title. Examine the map closely for the presence of a GPO or other printing date and use that to qualify the class number.
In order to be consistent with past practice, maps issued in numbered series should continue to be classed in that series. Maps issued as U.S. Geological Survey open-file reports (I 19.76:) are an example of this type of material. However, new bureaus, offices, departments, etc., will have separate category classes for maps and charts.
For more details on classifying maps, see Chapters 4 and 6.
12. Posters [ Top ]
A poster (.12) is a single sheet with material printed on one side only. It may include photographs and announcements and is usually intended to be hung for display.
13. Forms [ Top ]
The Forms category (.13) is reserved for publications that contain forms and/or instructions on how to fill them in. If the publications include other textual material also, they should be classed somewhere else, most likely in General publications.
Do not use the Forms class when the publication includes other textual material, even if a form number is printed on the title page.
Before this category class was established in the latter part of 1985, forms were treated differently. The department and bureau letters and numbers were assigned in the regular manner, and were followed by the word form, a colon, the identification numbers and/or letters printed on the form.
When classifying revisions or new editions of these forms, follow current practice.
14. Addresses [ Top ]
The Addresses category (.14) includes addresses, lectures, speeches, remarks, statements, papers, etc., which were delivered before groups of people. This category may have different titles in classes for different agencies, but the content of the category is the same, regardless of the title.
Though addresses may be issued as news releases, they are classified as Addresses, not as press releases. However, do not include statements to the press, or press conferences or interviews, in the Addresses class.
Section 2 [ Top ]
Special Types of Publications
A. Basic Manuals and Their Changes [ Top ]
1. Basic Manuals [ Top ]
Basic manuals are publications issued in looseleaf format which are updated by transmittal or change sheets issued periodically. After a number of changes have been issued, a consolidated reprint may be issued incorporating the basic manual and all changes to date.
A consolidated reprint constitutes a new edition for classification purposes. In many cases another new edition will be issued after the consolidated reprint.
This is the standard pattern, but government publishers of basic manuals frequently do not follow the standard pattern. Decisions on classifying will need to be made on a case-by-case basis.
Basic manuals with frequent changes should preferably be given separate classes, rather than included in the category class Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides. This principle should be applied only when a new basic is received, so that the new class begins with a basic edition. A new basic may be a completely revised edition, or a reprint of an earlier edition incorporating all changes to date.
When classing a basic manual, always include the date of issuance in the class. This date will be used for all future transmittals, etc., until a new basic edition is issued.
For example:
A 103.8/3:983
TD 4.308:AE 8/991
Occasionally the publisher will designate a new basic edition as installment 1 or transmittal 1. Do not use these designations in the class number for a new basic edition.
2. Change Sheets, Transmittal Sheets, etc., for Basic Manuals [ Top ]
Most change sheets will bear a numerical or chronological designation which is included in the class along with the date of the basic edition. In general use the designation given; do not create numbers.
Unfortunately, there is little consistency in the way agencies number change sheets. Ideally, when a new edition is published, the numbering should revert to number one. This does not always happen. The classifier must be aware of new editions so that the appropriate date can be added to the change sheet numbers.
Do not use the change sheet's date of issuance as the date in the class. Use the date of the basic edition.
B. Amendments, Changes, Correction Sheets,
Errata, Revised Pages, etc., for All Other
Publications [ Top ]
Amendments, changes, corrections, errata, revised pages, etc., are issued frequently to modify publications which have been printed.
To classify these changes, use the class for the original publication followed by a slash (/) and the appropriate abbreviation to identify the amending publication.
1. Amendments [ Top ]
Use the class of the original publication and add /AMDT. The publication may read amendment, amendments, or amendment sheet but the class should use the abbreviation for the singular form. No other letters are necessary.
If another amendment to the same publication is issued and does not carry a number, use a dash and the number 2. Continue adding numbers to each successive amendment so that each publication has a distinctive number. If the amendment number is printed on the publication, use that number in the class without a dash.
For example:
/AMDT.1
/AMDT.91-1
A dash between AMDT. and the number indicates that the amendment itself did not have a number printed on it. The absence of a dash in the class indicates that the amendment number was printed on the publication.
2. Change Sheets [ Top ]
Change sheets are handled in the same way as the amendments, using the abbreviation CH., and the dash if the change numbers are not printed on the publication.
For example:
/CH. Number not printed on the publication (1st change issued)
/CH.-3 Number not printed on the publication (3rd change issued)
/CH.5 Number is printed on the publication (Change 5)
3. Corrections and correction sheets [ Top ]
A corrected copy of a whole publication is given the class of the original publication with a slash and "CORR." added at the end: /CORR.
A list of corrections is given the class of the publication it corrects with a slash and the abbreviation for "correction sheet" added at the end: /CORR.SH.
Frequently the only word in the title or heading will be Corrections. Research to identify the parent publication is required in these cases.
4. Errata [ Top ]
Classification of errata sheets for publications may be handled in several ways depending on how they were issued by the agency or received in the Library Programs Service.
a) An errata sheet that is a bound page in a document requires no action.
b) A separately issued errata sheet is classified the same as the parent document with the addition of /ERRATA.
For example:
HE 20.3152:C 48
(parent document)
HE 20.3152:C 48/ERRATA
(separately issued errata)
c) Errata sheets that are inserted in a publication at the time of receipt should be classified the same as the parent document with addition of /ERRATA. This class is for identification purposes only, in the event that the parts become separated during handling.
d) A separately issued errata whose parent publication has not been received should not be classified.
5. Revised Pages and Transmittals [ Top ]
Revised pages are given the class of their parent publication, with /REV.PAGES added at the end. It is important to include the word pages in the class, to distinguish from a revised edition of the complete publication. Sometimes it is helpful to include the page numbers in the class, particularly if many revised pages are issued at different times.
Often revised pages are issued to looseleaf publications, and the agency numbers the transmittals. Use the words and numbers that the agency assigns whenever possible. This may result in /REV.PAGES 2 or /TRANS.2 in the class. Study previous examples in the overall class and follow that practice.
C. Preliminary and Final Reports [ Top ]
When a preliminary or draft report is classified, use /PRELIM. or /DRAFT at the end of the class. When the final edition is received, use the same class without the /prelim. or /draft. In most cases it is not necessary to use /FINAL in the class for the final report.
D. Reprints [ Top ]
A reprint is a new printing of an item made from the original type image. The printing may reproduce the original exactly, or it may contain slight variations, such as changes in names of officials, or in date of printing.
Reprints are not classified if the original has already been classified. However, if the original has not been received in the Library Programs Service but a reprint is, the latter will be classed using the regular methods of classification. Never add /REP.
E. Preprints and Separates [ Top ]
Classes for preprints and separates include reprints and preprints from U.S. Government publications only.
Reprints from non-Government publications issued by Government agencies are classified in the General Publications or other appropriate classes, and are not treated as separates.
Classes for separates or preprints are attached to the classes for the publications from which the separates are reprinted by use of a slash and a letter.
F. Special Issues of Serials [ Top ]
All special issues of a serial should be carefully scrutinized for content and publication pattern. If issued on a regular basis, they should be given a separate class and cataloged separately.
Special issues published irregularly or on a one-time basis will be assigned the same classification stem as the parent publication. A slash and "SPEC.ISS." or a similar designation will be added at the end. The publication will be cataloged separately.
G. Supplements [ Top ]
Supplements are usually issued to serial publications only. They should be classed according to their issuing agencies. If the issuing agencies of the supplements are not the same as the issuing agencies of the serials, the classes will vary.
A slash and the abbreviation "SUPP." is added to the end of the classification number of the publication being supplemented, if the issuing agency is the same.
For example:
A 105.23:3/5/SUPP.
If the supplement is not for a particular issue, use the date or volume number followed by a slash and the supplement number.
Serial supplements with their own frequencies will have separate classes. In these cases, /SUPP. is not added.
H. Summaries, Executive Summaries, etc. [ Top ]
Summaries of various kinds, executive or otherwise, for monographic publications are classified by adding an appropriate abbreviation, such as /SUM., /EXEC.SUM, etc., at the end of the class.
If a summary is connected by numbering to a serial, such as no. 13 of a monthly, or no. 5 of a quarterly, etc., then assign it the same classification number as the serial, and treat it as part of the serial.
For example:
C 3.158:M 28 (80) -13
I. Indexes [ Top ]
An index should be given the same classification number as the publication it indexes, followed by /IND.
In the past, some indexes were given separate classification numbers. Revised editions of these will keep that class.
1. Date [ Top ]
If there is only one index per year, add the year, a slash, and the abbreviation IND. at the end of the class.
For example:
993/IND.
If there is more than one index, then indicate which months are covered.
For example:
989/1-6/IND.
semiannual index, Jan.-June
989/1-12/IND.
annual index, if cumulative
2. Numbers [ Top ]
Use the numbers which are assigned to the index, followed by /IND.
For example:
E 43.12:1-53/IND.
3. Volume numbers & numbers [ Top ]
If the index covers a complete volume, add the volume number, a slash and the abbreviation IND. at the end of the class.
For example:
E 3.27:4/IND.
If the index covers parts of volumes, include numbers as follows:
E 3.27:4/1-6/IND.
E 3.27:4/7-12/IND. (semiannual, not
cumulative)
E 3.27:4/1-12/IND. (2nd, cumulative
issue)
J. Electronic Products [ Top ]
"Electronic Products" is a generic term which includes Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) discs, floppy diskettes, accompanying printed technical documentation, etc.
Add a slash and a designation to show the format of related materials in classes that contain a variety of materials and titles. The designations are /CD for a CD-ROM, /FLOPPY for a floppy diskette, and /DOC. for paper documentation.
K. Sets Including Different Types of Material [ Top ]
Publications with a common title making up a set may be made up of different types of material. There may be a report with an accompanying map, for example. Another set with a common title but no volume numbers may include a bibliography, a manual, a report, and a chart.
In all these cases, first decide which publication is the main publication, and classify it in the appropriate class. Assign the class for the main publication to the other publications, adding a slash and a different word or abbreviation for each of them at the end of the class.
Each piece will have a separate class number written on it. In the case of a report accompanied by a map, classify the report in its appropriate class. Use the same number as assigned to the report for the map and add /MAP at the end of the class. Do not classify a map in a Maps and charts class if it is part of a set, or is to be used with another publication.
If the publications have similar titles but are not issued as a set, classify the publications separately, each in its appropriate class.
L. Final Determinations [ Top ]
Ask yourself these questions when classifying a publication:
Is it a serial or otherwise recurring publication which has, or should have, a separate class? The preface may indicate that it is the first in a series of annual, quarterly, monthly, etc., publications for which a class has not yet been established. It may be the annual report of an office. If a series number is printed on the publication, use it as part of the classification number if it is not a serial publication. Refer to Chapter 3.
If a series designation does not appear on the publication, and the title does not have its own class, is it:
1. a bibliography?
2. an address or lecture given before a group? (Press interviews do not fall into this category, but are treated as press releases.)
3. regulations, rules, or instructions? (Usually this can be determined from the title, introduction, etc.)
4. a Federal law, or an act, which belongs in a Laws class?
5. a map, chart, or poster?
6. a reprint or preprint from another publication?
7. a directory?
8. a form?
If the publication does not fit into any of these categories, it may be classed in the General publications class. The General publications class is a "last resort" class for any publication which is not the first of a series, and does not fit into any other established class.
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