Library of Congress Classification Overview
- Product: Voyager
- Relevant for Installation Type: Multi-Tenant Direct, Dedicated-Direct, Local, TotalCare
Question
Overview of Library of Congress (LC) classification.
Answer
Call numbers based on LC include both a classification number (class number) and a cutter number. The classification number refers to the subject of the book. If a single cutter number is used, the cutter number refers to the main entry of the work (the author or, if title main entry is used, the title).
If there are two cutters, the first cutter is used to bring out a more precise aspect of the subject and the second cutter usually refers to the main entry of the work.
LC call numbers generally use a mixed notation of one, two, or three CAPITAL letters, integral or whole numbers from 1 to 9999 with possible decimal extensions, one or two cutter numbers, and, if appropriate, a year of publication.
Example of single cutter:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ‡a Z668 ‡b .R365 2000 |
| 100 | 1 | ‡a Rehman, Sajjad ur, ‡d 1951- | |
| 245 | 1 | 0 | ‡a Preparing the information professional : ‡b an agenda for the future / ‡c Sajjad ur Rehman. |
| 260 | ‡a Westport, Conn. : ‡b Greenwood Press, ‡c 2000. | ||
| 650 | 0 | ‡a Library education ‡z United States. |
Analysis:
Class number: Z668
Cutter number: .R365
Publication date: 2000
For this call number, Z is the main class letter for bibliography and library science. The numbers 668 refer to the subdivision for library education in the United States. Note the correspondence between the class number and the subjects assigned by LC. The second part of the call number, after ‡b, is "cuttered" to Rehman. Note that in the 050 field, the first (or only) cutter is preceded by a period. The third part of the call number is the date of publication.
Example of double cuttering with geographic cutter:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ‡a DC611.B848 ‡b H84 1997 |
| 100 | 1 | ‡a Hunt, Lindsay. | |
| 245 | 1 | 0 | ‡a Essential Brittany / ‡c by Lindsay Hunt. |
| 260 | ‡a Lincolnwood, Ill. : ‡b Passport Books, ‡c c1997. | ||
| 651 | 0 | ‡a Brittany (France) ‡v Guidebooks. |
Analysis:
| DC | The double letters for the subclass, French history | |
| 611 | The integral number meaning local history and description of an individual region, etc. of France | |
| .B848 | The first cutter number for a general work on Brittany. Note that in the 050 field, when double cuttering occurs, the first cutter is separated from the class number by a period; the second cutter is not preceded by a period. | |
| H84 | The second cutter number used for the main entry, Hunt | |
| 1997 | Publication date |
Example of double cuttering with topical cutter:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ‡a BL65.H36 ‡b F47 1991 |
| 100 | 1 | ‡a Ferguson, Harvie. | |
| 245 | 1 |
0 |
‡a Religious transformation in Western society : ‡b the end of happiness / ‡c Harvie Ferguson. |
| 260 |   | ‡a London ; ‡a New York, NY : ‡b Routledge, ‡c 1991. | |
| 651 | 0 | ‡a Happiness ‡x Religious aspects. |
Analysis:
| BL | The double letters for the subclass, Religion, mythology, rationalism. | |
| 65 | The integral number for Religion in relation to other subjects, A-Z | |
| .H36 | The first cutter number for the topic Happiness | |
| F47 | The second cutter number used for the main entry, Ferguson | |
| 1991 | Publication date |
On MARC records the LC call number can be recorded in the bib 050 field.
The subfield indicators used to delimit the different parts of the LC call number differ between the 050 on the bibliographic record and the 852 in the Voyager MFHD record.
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ‡a NK4165 ‡b .L5 1996 |
| 852 | 0 | 0 | ‡b main ‡h NK4165 ‡i .L5 1996 |
- Article last edited: 27-Feb-2020