Library of Congress Classification

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; in these countries, most public libraries and small academic libraries continue to use the older Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).[1]

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".[lower-alpha 1] 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.[lower-alpha 2] 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".[lower-alpha 3]

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, the Dewey Decimal System, and the Putnam Classification System (developed while Putnam was head librarian at the Minneapolis Public Library).[2][3] 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 QSQZ, which are not used by LCC. Some libraries use NLM in conjunction with LCC, eschewing LCC's R for Medicine. Others use LCC's QPQR schedules and include Medicine R.[4][5]

Classification

Java programming books in the QA subclass.
LetterSubject area
AGeneral Works
BPhilosophy, Psychology, and Religion
CAuxiliary Sciences of History
DGeneral and Old World History
EHistory of America
FHistory of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America
GGeography, Anthropology, and Recreation
HSocial Sciences
JPolitical Science
KLaw
LEducation
MMusic
NFine Arts
PLanguage and Literature
QScience
RMedicine
SAgriculture
TTechnology
UMilitary Science
VNaval Science
ZBibliography, Library Science, and General Information Resources

Class A – General Works

Class B – Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

Class C – Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)

Class D – World History (except American History)

Class E – American History

Class F – Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

Class G – Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

Class H – Social Sciences

Class J – Political Science

Class K – Law

Class L – Education

Class M – Music

Class N – Fine Arts

Class P – Language and Literature

The PN-subclass shelf.

Class Q – Science

Class R – Medicine

Class S – Agriculture

Class T – Technology

Class U – Military Science

Class V – Naval Science

Class Z – Bibliography, Library Science

See also

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.

References

  1. Lavallee, Andrew (July 20, 2007). "Discord Over Dewey: A New Library in Arizona Fans a Heated Debate Over What Some Call the 'Googlization' of Libraries". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 May 2013. Some 95% of U.S. public libraries use Dewey, and nearly all of the others, the OCLC says, use a closely related Library of Congress system.
  2. Claire Kelley. "A library classification system that’s older than the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress models".
  3. Andy Sturdevant. "Cracking the spine on Hennepin County Library's many hidden charms". MinnPost, 02/05/14.
  4. Taylor, A. G., & Joudrey, D.N. (2009). The organization of information. 3rd ed. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited.
  5. Chan, L. M.(2007). Cataloguing and classification: An introduction. 3rd ed. Scarecrow Press.
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