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Millard Sheets Library :Library Classification Systems
 


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The purpose of a library classification system is to bring related material together in way that will help users locate items of interest to them. Library classification systems organize material by broad subject area. Each item is assigned a call number, which is like an address on a street.

Library of Congress Classification System
LC is used by most academic libraries. It was developed in 1901 as a response to the fact that the Library of Congress collection had grown from several thousand volumes to over a million. They formulated the system based on an actual collection of books rather than a theoretical construct.

LC Outline
A General Works B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion C  Auxiliary Sciences of History
D  History (includes Travel)  E  America  F  United States. Canada. Latin America
G  Geography H  Social Sciences  J  Political Science 
K  Law L  Education M Music
N  Fine Art P  Language & Literature Q  Science
R  Medicine S  Agriculture T  Technology
U  Military Science V  Naval Science Z  Books and Bibliographies

(For a more complete description see What the Numbers Mean.) Example of an LC Call Number for the following book:

Techno.Seduction: An Exhibition of Multimedia Installation Work by Forty Artists, by Robert Rindler 

N Books about art
6512.5 Specific topic, usually country, time period, or type of art
I56 Further breakdown of topic; in this case, installation art. Often this line is used for the artist or author number.
R56 In this case, this is the author number (Rindler)

Dewey Decimal System
The Dewey Classification is used by most public libraries. Melvil Dewey tried to create a system in which all knowledge was theoretically ordered in a logical way. That is, closely related subjects would be near each other. Unfortunately, many new subjects have come into existence since Dewey invented the DDC, causing some problems with this approach. For instance, there were no computers in his time. The only way to expand a Dewey number is through the addition of numbers after the decimal point. The result can be very long and complicated numbers for some subjects.
Dewey Outline
000 General Works 100 Philosophy 
200 Religion  300 Social Sciences
400 Languages  500 Pure Science
600 Technology 700 The Arts
800 Literature 900 Geography and History


Example of a Dewey Call Number for the same book listed above:

Techno.Seduction: An Exhibition of Multimedia Installation Work by Forty Artists, by Robert Rindler 

709.73 Subject is art history. The .73 is the sub-category American art and artists.
RIN The first 3 letters of the author's last name (Rindler).

Other Things to Notice About Call Numbers

Look carefully at the call number. It is sometimes preceded on the top line by words such as:

  • Oversize
  • Ref.
  • Sp.Coll.
They designate separate areas within the library where books are located. A staff member will point you in the right direction or retrieve the materials for you. Please ask.

 


 

 

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