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).

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". The Classification is also distinct from Library of Congress Subject Headings, the system of labels such as "Boarding schools" and "Boarding schoolsâ€"Fiction" that describe contents systematically. 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".

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). 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 QSâ€"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 QPâ€"QR schedules and include Medicine R.

Classification

Class A â€" General Works

Subclass AC â€" Collections. Series. Collected works
Subclass AE â€" Encyclopedias
Subclass AG â€" Dictionaries and other general reference works
Subclass AI â€" Indexes
Subclass AM â€" Museums. Collectors and collecting
Subclass AN â€" Newspapers
Subclass AP â€" Periodicals
Subclass AS â€" Academies and learned societies
Subclass AY â€" Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories
Subclass AZ â€" History of scholarship and learning. The humanities

Class B â€" Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

Subclass B â€" Philosophy (General)
Subclass BC â€" Logic
Subclass BD â€" Speculative philosophy
Subclass BF â€" Psychology
Subclass BH â€" Aesthetics
Subclass BJ â€" Ethics
Subclass BL â€" Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
Subclass BM â€" Judaism
Subclass BP â€" Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.
Subclass BQ â€" Buddhism
Subclass BR â€" Christianity
Subclass BS â€" The Bible
Subclass BT â€" Doctrinal Theology
Subclass BV â€" Practical Theology
Subclass BX â€" Christian Denominations

Class C â€" Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)

Subclass CB â€" History of Civilization
Subclass CC â€" Archaeology
Subclass CD â€" Diplomatics. Archives. Seals
Subclass CE â€" Technical Chronology. Calendar
Subclass CJ â€" Numismatics
Subclass CN â€" Inscriptions. Epigraphy
Subclass CR â€" Heraldry
Subclass CS â€" Genealogy
Subclass CT â€" Biography

Class D â€" World History (except American History)

Subclass D â€" History (General)
Subclass DA â€" Great Britain
Subclass DAW â€" Central Europe
Subclass DB â€" Austria â€" Liechtenstein â€" Hungary â€" Czechoslovakia
Subclass DC â€" France â€" Andorra â€" Monaco
Subclass DD â€" Germany
Subclass DE â€" Greco-Roman World
Subclass DF â€" Greece
Subclass DG â€" Italy â€" Malta
Subclass DH â€" Low Countries â€" Benelux Countries
Subclass DJ â€" Netherlands (Holland)
Subclass DJK â€" Eastern Europe (General)
Subclass DK â€" Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics â€" Poland
Subclass DL â€" Northern Europe. Scandinavia
Subclass DP â€" Spain â€" Portugal
Subclass DQ â€" Switzerland
Subclass DR â€" Balkan Peninsula
Subclass DS â€" Asia
Subclass DT â€" Africa
Subclass DU â€" Oceania (South Seas)
Subclass DX â€" Gypsies

Class E â€" American History

Class F â€" Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

Class G â€" Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

Subclass G â€" Geography (General). Atlases. Maps
Subclass GA â€" Mathematical geography. Cartography
Subclass GB â€" Physical geography
Subclass GC â€" Oceanography
Subclass GE â€" Environmental Sciences
Subclass GF â€" Human ecology. Anthropogeography
Subclass GN â€" Anthropology
Subclass GR â€" Folklore
Subclass GT â€" Manners and customs (General)
Subclass GV â€" Recreation. Leisure

Class H â€" Social Sciences

Subclass H â€" Social sciences (General)
Subclass HA â€" Statistics
Subclass HB â€" Economic theory. Demography
Subclass HC â€" Economic history and conditions
Subclass HD â€" Industries. Land use. Labor
Subclass HE â€" Transportation and communications
Subclass HF â€" Commerce
Subclass HG â€" Finance
Subclass HJ â€" Public finance
Subclass HM â€" Sociology (General)
Subclass HN â€" Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Subclass HQ â€" The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality
Subclass HS â€" Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
Subclass HT â€" Communities. Classes. Races
Subclass HV â€" Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Subclass HX â€" Socialism. Communism. Anarchism

Class J â€" Political Science

Subclass J â€" General legislative and executive papers
Subclass JA â€" Political science (General)

Subclass JC â€" Political theory
Subclass JF â€" Political institutions and public administration
Subclass JJ â€" Political institutions and public administration (North America)
Subclass JK â€" Political institutions and public administration (United States)
Subclass JL â€" Political institutions and public administration (Canada, Latin America, etc.)
Subclass JN â€" Political institutions and public administration (Europe)
Subclass JQ â€" Political institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area, etc.)
Subclass JS â€" Local government. Municipal government
Subclass JV â€" Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
Subclass JX â€" International law, see JZ and KZ (obsolete)
Subclass JZ â€" International relations

Class K â€" Law

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

Class L â€" Education

Subclass L â€" Education (General)
Subclass LA â€" History of education
Subclass LB â€" Theory and practice of education
Subclass LC â€" Special aspects of education
Subclass LD â€" Individual institutions â€" United States
Subclass LE â€" Individual institutions â€" America (except United States)
Subclass LF â€" Individual institutions â€" Europe
Subclass LG â€" Individual institutions â€" Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands
Subclass LH â€" College and school magazines and papers
Subclass LJ â€" Student fraternities and societies, United States
Subclass LT â€" Textbooks

Class M â€" Music

Subclass M â€" Music
Subclass ML â€" Literature on music
Subclass MT â€" Instruction and study

Class N â€" Fine Arts

Subclass N â€" Visual arts
Subclass NA â€" Architecture
Subclass NB â€" Sculpture
Subclass NC â€" Drawing. Design. Illustration
Subclass ND â€" Painting
Subclass NE â€" Print media
Subclass NK â€" Decorative arts
Subclass NX â€" Arts in general

Class P â€" Language and Literature

Subclass P â€" Philology. Linguistics
Subclass PA â€" Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature
Subclass PB â€" Modern languages. Celtic languages
Subclass PC â€" Romanic languages
Subclass PD â€" Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages
Subclass PE â€" English language
Subclass PF â€" West Germanic languages
Subclass PG â€" Slavic languages and literatures. Baltic languages. Albanian language
Subclass PH â€" Uralic languages. Basque language
Subclass PJ â€" Oriental languages and literatures
Subclass PK â€" Indo-Iranian languages and literatures
Subclass PL â€" Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
Subclass PM â€" Hyperborean, Native American, and artificial languages
Subclass PN â€" Literature (General)
Subclass PQ â€" French literature â€" Italian literature â€" Spanish literature â€" Portuguese literature
Subclass PR â€" English literature
Subclass PS â€" American literature
Subclass PT â€" German literature â€" Dutch literature â€" Flemish literature since 1830 â€" Afrikaans literature -Scandinavian literature â€" Old Norse literature: Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian â€" Modern Icelandic literature â€" Faroese literature â€" Danish literature â€" Norwegian literature â€" Swedish literature
Subclass PZ â€" Fiction and juvenile belles lettres

Class Q â€" Science

Subclass Q â€" Science (General)
Subclass QA â€" Mathematics
Subclass QB â€" Astronomy
Subclass QC â€" Physics
Subclass QD â€" Chemistry
Subclass QE â€" Geology
Subclass QH â€" Natural history â€" Biology
Subclass QK â€" Botany
Subclass QL â€" Zoology
Subclass QM â€" Human anatomy
Subclass QP â€" Physiology
Subclass QR â€" Microbiology

Class R â€" Medicine

Subclass R â€" Medicine (General)
Subclass RA â€" Public aspects of medicine
Subclass RB â€" Pathology
Subclass RC â€" Internal medicine
Subclass RD â€" Surgery
Subclass RE â€" Ophthalmology
Subclass RF â€" Otorhinolaryngology
Subclass RG â€" Gynecology and Obstetrics
Subclass RJ â€" Pediatrics
Subclass RK â€" Dentistry
Subclass RL â€" Dermatology
Subclass RM â€" Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Subclass RS â€" Pharmacy and materia medica
Subclass RT â€" Nursing
Subclass RV â€" Botanic, Thomsonian, and Eclectic medicine
Subclass RX â€" Homeopathy
Subclass RZ â€" Other systems of medicine

Class S â€" Agriculture

Subclass S â€" Agriculture (General)
Subclass SB â€" Horticulture. Plant propagation. Plant breeding
Subclass SD â€" Forestry. Arboriculture. Silviculture
Subclass SF â€" Animal husbandry. Animal science
Subclass SH â€" Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
Subclass SK â€" Hunting

Class T â€" Technology

Subclass T â€" Technology (General)
Subclass TA â€" Engineering Civil engineering (General).
Subclass TC â€" Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
Subclass TD â€" Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
Subclass TE â€" Highway engineering. Roads and pavements
Subclass TF â€" Railroad engineering and operation
Subclass TG â€" Bridges
Subclass TH â€" Building construction
Subclass TJ â€" Mechanical engineering and machinery
Subclass TK â€" Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
Subclass TL â€" Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
Subclass TN â€" Mining engineering. Metallurgy
Subclass TP â€" Chemical technology
Subclass TR â€" Photography
Subclass TS â€" Manufacturing engineering. Mass production
Subclass TT â€" Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
Subclass TX â€" Home economics

Class U â€" Military Science

Subclass U â€" Military science (General)
Subclass UA â€" Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation
Subclass UB â€" Military administration
Subclass UC â€" Military maintenance and transportation
Subclass UD â€" Infantry
Subclass UE â€" Cavalry. Armor
Subclass UF â€" Artillery
Subclass UG â€" Military engineering. Air forces
Subclass UH â€" Other military services

Class V â€" Naval Science

Subclass V â€" Naval science (General)
Subclass VA â€" Navies: Organization, distribution, naval situation
Subclass VB â€" Naval administration
Subclass VC â€" Naval maintenance
Subclass VD â€" Naval seamen
Subclass VE â€" Marines
Subclass VF â€" Naval ordnance
Subclass VG â€" Minor services of navies
Subclass VK â€" Navigation. Merchant marine
Subclass VM â€" Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering

Class Z â€" Bibliography, Library Science

Subclass Z â€" Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography
Subclass ZA â€" Information resources/materials (General)

Notes

References

External links

Library of Congress classification outline, loc.gov
Library of Congress â€" classification, loc.gov
Cataloging Distribution Services â€" source of Library of Congress Classification schedules. loc.gov
Classification outline, loc.gov
How to read LCC call numbers, geography.about.com
How to use LCC to organize a home library, zackgrossbart.com
Easy Navigation and Search for LCC code, globaljournals.org

Library of Congress Classification

Friday, June 26, 2015