Library Guide to
Library of Congress Classification
Characteristics of a Library of Congress Call
Number
The Library of Congress (LC) Classification System combines letters of the alphabet
and Arabic numerals. The letters I, O, W, X, and Y are not being used right now
because they are reserved for further expansion of the classification system.
Each LC class represents a different subject area, but there are basic features
of all classes.
-
Main classes of the LC classification system are marked with a
single letter:
| H | Social Sciences |
| K | Law |
| R | Medicine |
-
Principle subdivisions are denoted by an added letter:
| H | Social Sciences | HM | Sociology |
| K | Law | KF | Law of the United States |
| R | Medicine | RJ | Pediatrics |
-
Classes are further subdivided by the use of Arabic numerals beginning
at 1 in each subdivision and going as high as 9999 in some classes. General
materials, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and directories appear early
in the class:
| ML | Literature of Music |
| ML 1 | Periodicals |
| ML 12 | Directories |
| ML 29 | Foundations |
| ML 32 | Institutions |
| ML 100 | Dictionaries, Encyclopedias |
| ML 111 | Bibliographies |
-
Within each class, the classification numbers proceed from the
general to the more specific. Decimal letters and numbers also may be used
to subdivide a subject alphabetically by subject or form or by state or country:
| M | Music |
| M 1627 | National Music |
| M 1628 | National Music - United States |
| M 1629 .3 | Music for national holidays |
| M 1629 .3 .F5 | Fourth of July |
| M 1629 .3 .T4 | Thanksgiving Day |
LC classification numbers range in length from one letter and one numeral
to two letters, four numerals, one decimal number, and a decimal letter and
number combination. Within each class, classification proceeds from general
to specific, and the longest numbers belong to the most specialized subjects.
Reading a Library of Congress Call Number
Books are arranged
on the shelf according to the classification and, within each class, alphabetically
by author.
All numbers before the decimal are read in ordinary sequence and all numbers
following the decimal are read decimally. For example, this is the order in
which the following call numbers would appear on the shelf:
| PN6099.35 | PN6099.4 | PN6110.1 |
The last letter and numeral combination is the author number which also is
read decimally. For example, this is the order in which the following call
numbers would appear on the shelf:
PN6110
.C7
D25 |
PN6110
.C7
D29.72 |
PN6110
.C7
D29.8 |
More examples:
| class number |
PN1 | PN86 | PN86 | PN1993.5
.U65 |
| author number |
A86 | K57 | K7 | S4 |
|
| class number |
PN1994 | PN6099 | PN6099 | PN6110
.C7 |
| author number |
C5 | L27 | L4 | T47 |
Source: Guide to the Use of Books and Libraries by Jean Key Gates. 2nd
edition. 1969.
| AC | Collections. Series. Collected works |
| AE | Encyclopedias |
| AG | Dictionaries and other general reference works |
| AI | Indexes |
| AM | Museums. Collectors and collecting |
| AN | Newspapers |
| AP | Periodicals |
| AS | Academies and learned societies |
| AY | Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories |
| AZ | History of scholarship and learning. The humanities |
| B | Philosophy (General) |
| BC | Logic |
| BD | Speculative Philosophy |
| BF | Psychology |
| BH | Aesthetics |
| BJ | Ethics |
| BL | Religions. Mythology. Rationalism |
| BM | Judaism |
| BP | Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc. |
| BQ | Buddhism |
| BR | Christianity (General) |
| BS | The Bible |
| BT | Doctrinal theology |
| BV | Practical theology |
| BX | Christian Denominations |
| C | Auxiliary sciences of history (General) |
| CB | History of civilization |
| CC | Archaeology |
| CD | Diplomatics. Archives. Seals |
| CE | Technical chronology. Calendar |
| CJ | Numismatics |
| CN | Inscriptions. Epigraphy |
| CR | Heraldry |
| CS | Genealogy |
| CT | Biography |
D History (General) and History of Europe
| D | History (General) |
| DA | Great Britain |
| DAW | Central Europe |
| DB | Austria - Liechtenstein - Hungary - Czechoslovakia |
| DC | France - Andorra - Monaco |
| DD | Germany |
| DE | Greco-Roman world |
| DF | Greece |
| DG | Italy - Malta |
| DH | Low Countries - Benelux Countries |
| DJ | Netherlands (Holland) |
| DJK | Eastern Europe (General) |
| DK | Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics - Poland. |
| DL | Northern Europe. Scandinavia |
| DP | Spain - Portugal |
| DQ | Switzerland |
| DR | Balkan Peninsula |
| DS | Asia |
| DT | Africa |
| DU | Oceania (South Seas) |
| DX | Gypsies |
| E |
|
|
11-143 |
America |
|
151-889 | United States |
| F |
|
|
1-975 | United States local history |
|
1001-1145.2 | British America (including Canada); Dutch
America |
|
1170 | French America |
|
1201-3799 | Latin America. Spanish America |
- G Geography (General). Atlases. Maps
- GA Mathematical geography. Cartography
- GB Physical Geography
- GC Oceanography
- GE Environmental Sciences
- GF Human Ecology. Anthropogeography
- GN Anthropology
- GR Folklore
- GT Manners and customs (General)
- GV Recreation. Leisure
- H Social Sciences (General)
- HA Statistics
- HB Economic theory. Demography
- HC Economic history and conditions
- HD Industries. Land Use. Labor
- HE Transportation and communications
- HF Commerce
- HG Finance
- HJ Public finance
- HM Sociology (General)
- HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social
reform
- HQ The family. Marriage. Women
- HS Societies: Secret, benevolent, etc.
- HT Communities. Classes. Races
- HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
- HX Socialism. Communism. Anarchism
- J General legislative and executive papers
- JA Political science (General)
- JC Political theory
- JF Political institutions and public administration -
General
- JJ Political institutions and public administration -
North America
- JK Political institutions and public administration -
United States
- JL Political institutions and public administration -
Canada, West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America
- JN Political institutions and public administration -
Europe
- JQ Political institutions and public administration -
Asia, Arab countries, Islamic countries, Africa, Atlantic Ocean islands,
Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Ocean islands
- JS Local government. Municipal government
- JV Colonies and colonization.
Emigrations and immigration. International migration
- JX International law (obsolete - see KZ)
- JZ International relations
- K Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
- KBM Jewish law
- KBP Islamic law
- KBR History of canon law
- KBU Law of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy See
- KD-KDK United Kingdom and Ireland
- KDZ America. North America
- KE Canada
- KF United States
- KG Latin America - Mexico and Central America - West Indies. Caribbean
area
- KH South America
- KJ-KKZ Europe
- KL-KWX Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Area, and Antarctica
- KZ Law of nations
- L Education (General)
- LA History of Education
- LB Theory and practice of education
- LC Special aspects of education
- LD Individual institutions - United States
- LE Individual institutions - America (except United States)
- LF Individual institutions - Europe
- LG Individual institutions - Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia,
New Zealand, Pacific islands
- LH College and school magazines and papers
- LJ Student fraternities and societies, United States
- LT Textbooks
- M Music
- ML Literature on Music
- MT Musical instruction and study
- N Visual arts (General)
- NA Architecture
- NB Sculpture
- NC Drawing. Design. Illustration
- ND Painting
- NE Print media
- NK Decorative arts
- NX Arts in general
- P Philology. Linguistics
- PA Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature
- PB Modern languages. Celtic languages
- PC Romanic languages
- PD Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages
- PE English language
- PF West Germanic languages
- PG Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian language
- PH Uralic languages. Basque language
- PJ Oriental languages and literatures
- PK Indo-Iranian languages and literatures
- PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
- PM Hyperborean, Indian and artificial languages
- PN Literature (General)
- PQ French literature - Italian literature - Spanish literature - Portuguese
literature
- PR English literature
- PS American literature
- PT German literature - Dutch literature - Flemish literature since 1830
- Afrikaans literature - Scandinavian literature - Old Norse literature:
Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian - Modern Icelandic literature - Faroese literature
- Danish literature - Norwegian literature - Swedish literature
- PZ Fiction and juvenile belles lettres
- Q Science (General)
- QA Mathematics
- QB Astronomy
- QC Physics
- QD Chemistry
- QE Geology
- QH Natural History - Biology
- QK Botany
- QL Zoology
- QM Human anatomy
- QP Physiology
- QR Microbiology
- R Medicine (General)
- RA Public aspects of medicine
- RB Pathology
- RC Internal Medicine
- RD Surgery
- RE Ophthalmology
- RF Otorhinolaryngology
- RG Gynecology and obstetrics
- RJ Pediatrics
- RK Dentistry
- RL Dermatology
- RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
- RS Pharmacy and materia medica
- RT Nursing
- RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine
- RX Homeopathy
- RZ Other systems of medicine
- S Agriculture (General)
- SB Plant culture
- SD Forestry
- SF Animal culture
- SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
- SK Hunting sports
- T Technology (General)
- TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering
- TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
- TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
- TE Highway engineering. Roads and pavements
- TF Railroad engineering and operation
- TG Bridge engineering
- TH Building construction
- TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
- TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
- TL Motor Vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
- TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy
- TP Chemical technology
- TR Photography
- TS Manufactures
- TT Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
- TX Home economics
- U Military science (General)
- UA Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation
- UB Military administration
- UC Maintenance and transportation
- UD Infantry
- UE Cavalry. Armor
- UF Artillery
- UG Military engineering. Air forces
- UH Other services
- V Naval Science (General)
- VA Navies: Organization, distribution, naval situation
- VB Naval administration
- VC Naval maintenance
- VD Naval seamen
- VE Marines
- VF Naval ordnance
- VG Minor services of navies
- VK Navigation. Merchant marine
- VM Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering
- Z Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries.
Bibliography
- 4-8 History of books and bookmaking
- 40-104.5 Writing
- 105-115.5 Manuscripts. Paleography
- 116-659 Book industries and trade
- 662-1000.5 Libraries
- 1001-8999 Bibliography
- 1041-1121 Anonyms and pseudonyms
- 1201-4980 National bibliography
- 5051-7999 Subject bibliography
- 8001-8999 Personal bibliography
- ZA Information Resources (General)
For more details see the
Library
of Congress Classification Outline at the
Library
of Congress Website (www.loc.gov).
For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.
MERLIN Catalog