Library of Congress Classification

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LibraryOfCongressClassification

Library cataloging and classification
main topic

The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress. It was first introduced in 1897 and is used by most research and academic libraries in the United States. The LCC system organizes library materials by subject areas, which are divided into 21 main classes, each identified by a single letter of the alphabet.

History

The LCC system was developed to replace the fixed location system used by the Library of Congress. The new system was designed to be more flexible and to accommodate the growing collection of the library. The classification scheme was initially created by Herbert Putnam, the Librarian of Congress at the time, and has been continuously updated to reflect new knowledge and changes in the organization of information.

Structure

The LCC system is divided into 21 main classes, each represented by a single letter of the alphabet. These classes are further divided into subclasses, which are identified by combinations of letters and numbers. The main classes are:

• A – General Works
• B – Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
• C – Auxiliary Sciences of History
• D – World History and History of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
• E – History of the Americas
• F – History of the Americas
• G – Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
• H – Social Sciences
• J – Political Science
• K – Law
• L – Education
• M – Music and Books on Music
• N – Fine Arts
• P – Language and Literature
• Q – Science
• R – Medicine
• S – Agriculture
• T – Technology
• U – Military Science
• V – Naval Science
• Z – Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources

Usage

The LCC system is primarily used by academic and research libraries in the United States. It is also used by some libraries in other countries. The system is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to the needs of individual libraries. Each class and subclass can be expanded to accommodate new subjects and materials.

Comparison with Other Systems

The LCC system is one of several library classification systems in use today. Other widely used systems include the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). The LCC system is often preferred by academic libraries because of its ability to accommodate large and diverse collections.

Related Pages

• Library of Congress
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• Universal Decimal Classification
• Library classification
• Herbert Putnam