Library of Congress Classification

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The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress. It is used by most research and academic libraries in the U.S. and several other countries; for example, Australia[1][2] and Taiwan, ROC[3] Most public libraries and small academic libraries continue to use the older Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).[citation needed] Indeed, the Taipei public library in ROC uses Dewey for English-language books.[4]

LCC should not be confused with LCCN, the system of Library of Congress Control Numbers assigned to all books (and authors), which also defines URLs of their online catalog entries, such as "82006074" and "http://lccn.loc.gov/82006074".[a] The Classification is also distinct from Library of Congress Subject Headings, the system of labels such as "Boarding schools" and "Boarding schools--Fiction" that describe contents systematically.[b] Finally, the classifications may be distinguished from the call numbers assigned to particular copies of books in the collection, such as "PZ7.J684 Wj 1982 FT MEADE Copy 1" where the classification is "PZ7.J684 Wj 1982".[c]

The classification was invented by Herbert Putnam in 1897, just before he assumed the librarianship of Congress. With advice from Charles Ammi Cutter, it was influenced by his Cutter Expansive Classification (developed in the 1880s) and by the DDC, Dewey (from 1876). It was designed specifically for the purposes and collection of the Library of Congress to replace the fixed location system developed by Thomas Jefferson. By the time Putnam departed from his post in 1939, all the classes except K (Law) and parts of B (Philosophy and Religion) were well developed.

LCC has been criticized for lacking a sound theoretical basis; many of the classification decisions were driven by the practical needs of that library rather than epistemological considerations. Although it divides subjects into broad categories, it is essentially enumerative in nature. That is, it provides a guide to the books actually in one library's collections, not a classification of the world.

The National Library of Medicine classification system (NLM) uses the initial letters W and QS–QZ, which are not used by LCC. Some libraries use NLM in conjunction with LCC, eschewing LCC's R for Medicine. Others use LCC's QP–QR schedules and include Medicine R.[clarification needed]

Contents

[edit] The system

Java programming books in the QA subclass.
Letter Subject area
A General Works
B Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion
C Auxiliary Sciences of History
D General and Old World History
E History of America
F History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America
G Geography, Anthropology, and Recreation
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliography, Library Science, and General Information Resources

[edit] Class A - General Works

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class A -- General Works

[edit] Class B - Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class B -- Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

[edit] Class C - Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class C -- Auxiliary Sciences of History

[edit] Class D - World History (except American History)

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class D -- History, General and Old World

[edit] Class E - American History

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class E -- History of America

[edit] Class F - Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class F -- Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

[edit] Class G - Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class G -- Geography. Anthropology. Recreation

[edit] Class H - Social Sciences

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class H -- Social sciences

[edit] Class J - Political Science

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class J -- Political science
  • Subclass J - General legislative and executive papers
  • Subclass JA - Political science (General)

[edit] Class K - Law

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class K -- Law
  • Subclass K - Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
  • Subclass KB - Religious law in general. Comparative religious law. Jurisprudence
  • Subclass KBM -Jewish law
  • Subclass KBP - Islamic law
  • Subclass KBR - History of canon law
  • Subclass KBS - Canon law of Eastern churches
  • Subclass KBT - Canon law of Eastern Rite Churches in Communion with the Holy See of Rome
  • Subclass KBU - Law of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy See
  • Subclasses - KD-KDK United Kingdom and Ireland
  • Subclass KDZ - America. North America
  • Subclass KE - Canada
  • Subclass KF - United States
  • Subclass KG - Latin America - Mexico and Central America - West Indies. Caribbean area
  • Subclass KH - South America
  • Subclasses KJ-KKZ - Europe
  • Subclasses KL-KWX - Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Area, and Antarctica
  • Subclass KZ - Law of nations

[edit] Class L - Education

[edit] Class M - Music

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class M -- Music
  • Subclass M - Music
  • Subclass ML - Literature on music
  • Subclass MT - Instruction and study

[edit] Class N - Fine arts

[edit] Class P - Language and Literature

[edit] Class Q - Science

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class Q -- Science

[edit] Class R - Medicine

[edit] Class S - Agriculture

[edit] Class T - Technology

[edit] Class U - Military Science

[edit] Class V - Naval Science

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class V -- Naval Science

[edit] Class Z - Bibliography, Library Science

  • Subclass Z - Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography
  • Subclass ZA - Information resources (General)

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ LCCN also covers authors, which LCC does not. For authors (people), the letter 'n' accompanies the number, and they too define URLs in a parallel catalog, such as "n83160096" and "http://lccn.loc.gov/n83160096". (So LCCN may be called alphanumeric.)
  2. ^ LCSH too is developed by the Library and assigns alphanumeric IDs. A closer look at this example shows refinements defined in 2004, 2007, and 2009. LCSH: Boarding schools.
  3. ^ "FT MEADE" and "Copy 1" are specific to the Library of Congress collection, where FT MEADE refers to a remote building or campus. (A United States Congressman cannot get this boarding school fiction by a short walk during lunch break.) All libraries that use LCC assign call numbers that begin "PZ7.J684 Wj 1982" to their copies of the 1982 edition of this book.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Using the Library Catalogue - Library of Congress Classification". University of the Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia. http://www.usc.edu.au/University/Library/Tutorials/Catalogue/Classification.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  2. ^ "Libraries Australia Cataloguing". National Library of Australia. http://www.nla.gov.au/librariesaustralia/cataloguing/index.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  3. ^ "National Taiwan University Library Online Catalog". National Taiwan University. 2011-03-14. http://tulips.ntu.edu.tw/search/c. Retrieved 2010.
  4. ^ "Online Scholars' Portal: Library Catalog [English"]. Taipei Public Library. 2000–2004. http://english.tpml.edu.tw/np.asp?ctNode=32829&mp=104022. Retrieved 2011-03-14.

[edit] External links

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