1. Library of Congress Classification
(Part 1)
November 19, 2012
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2. Overview
 History
 Characteristics
 System Structure
 Notational Structure
 Double Cutters
 Tables
 Demo in Classification Plus
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3. History
 LC Classification schedules developed 1898-
1910
 Emphasized LC’s collection strengths: social
sciences (political science, law, history)
 Originally, little emphasis on humanities,
religion & philosophy
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4. History (cont.)
 Inearly years, schedules revised periodically
 Today, schedules are revised continuously
 Some schedules only recently published:
– KIA-KIX, Law of the Indigenous Peoples in the
Americas, currently in draft form (2013?)
– KBS, Canon Law of Eastern Churches, 2012
– L, Education, revised 2012
– S, Agriculture, revised 2012
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5. Characteristics
 Enumerative - every topic explicitly listed
 No synthetic features
 3½ shelf feet long in paper!
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6. Characteristics (cont.)
 Nonexpressive: notation does not reflect
hierarchical relationships
Example:
QH501-531 Life
QH540-549.5 Ecology
QH573-671 Cytology
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7. Hospitality
 Very hospitable: ability to accommodate changes is
very great
– Gaps in lettering & numbering used for new topics
– Decimal numbers can be added
 Examples:
Subclass ZA (information resources) added to Z class in 1996
DB919.2.C94 History of Hungary—Ethnography—
Elements in the population—Czechs (added October 15, 2012)
 Monthly lists:
http://classificationweb.net/approved/1210.html
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8. System Structure
 21 classes using letters
A General works
B Philosophy. Religion
C History: Auxiliary sciences
…
U Military science
V Naval science
Z Bibliography. Library science. Info
resources
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9. System Structure (cont.)
 Subclasses usually designated by a second
letter (exceptionally by a third)
Q Science (general)
QA Mathematics
QB Astronomy
QC Physics
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10. System Structure (cont.)
7 categories provide structure within each
schedule as well as within subcategories
• Physical format
• Philosophy
• Study and teaching
• General works
• Laws and regulations
• Juvenile works
• Topical subdivisions
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11. Notational structure
 Alphabetic subclasses are further divided by
sequential cardinal numbers from 1 to 9999
Example:
QC 1-75 Physics in general
QC 81-114 Weights and measures
QC 120-168.85 Descriptive and
experimental mechanics
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12. Notational structure (cont.)
 Decimal numbers are sometimes used when
topics are added
Example:
QC 814 Early works through 1800
General works, treatises, and textbooks
QC 815 1801-1969
QC 815.2 1970-
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13. Cutter Numbers in Classification
 Cutter numbers developed for shelflisting
– Arranges all works in a class by main entry (author
or title)
 In LCCS, cutter numbers are sometimes used
to subdivide classes
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14. Cutter Numbers in Classification
(cont.)
Examples:
Geomagnetism QC 811-QC 849
Observatories
QC 818.A2 General works
QC 818.A5-Z By region or country, A-Z
A work on geomagnetism observatories in
Poland would be classed in QC818.P7
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15. Cutter Numbers in Classification
(cont.)
This results in two cutter numbers:
1. Subclass division
2. Cutter for main entry
Example:
The geomagnetism observatories of Poland / by I.C.
Magnetyt.
QC818.P7 $b M34 2012
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16. Cutter Numbers in Classification
(cont.)
 Except in Class G, no more than two cutter
numbers are allowed
 In some cases, two cutter numbers are used in
the classification tables.
– The 1st cutter is for a topical subclass
– The 2nd cutter is for a geographic country or locality
or name of a corporate body, etc.
– A digit is added to the second cutter for the main
entry
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17. Cutter Numbers in Classification
(cont.)
Example:
Propaganda and censorship during Canada’s great
war / by Jeff Keshen, 1996.
D639 class number for World War I
.P7 subclass for propaganda
C24 sub-subclass for Canada; added digit
for Keshen
1996 year of publication
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18. Tables in LCCS
 Recurring patterns of subdivisions appear in
tables
 References to tables appear in the schedules
 Tables may contain:
– Cutter numbers to be added to a base class, or
– Arabic numbers to be added to a base number
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19. Classification Web Demo
 Classificationschedules and tables
 Classificationweb.net
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20. In-class exercise: classifying
beavers (bobry)
Classify the following
topics:
Mammals of the world
Mammals of Poland
Beaver reproduction
Rodent reproduction
Ecology of beavers
Aquatic mammals of
Central Europe
Fossil beavers
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