Library of Congress
Classification, Part II
April 27, 2005
1
Overview
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Classification guidelines
Arrangement of Works By and About
Literary Authors
How to Get to Carnegie Hall
2
Classification Guidelines
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F10, General Principles of Classification
(SCM:Classification)
Eight principles – some obvious, some
peculiar to LCCS
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“Class works according to
their subject matter”
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Must determine their subject matter first
Not classed according to size or date of
receipt
Generally not classed according to format –
with exceptions
This is the principle. But…
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What if the work comprises two or more subjects?
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Classing by Form
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“Class a work by its specific subject, not
by its form under a broader topic”
Example:
Class a journal on sanitation in
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RA567 (Sanitation. Waste disposal. Sewage
disposal – General works)
Not in the broader class
RA565.A1 (Environmental health -- Periodicals.
Societies. Serials)
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Classing by Form (cont.)
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Within a given topical area, class by
subject, ignoring form unless form
captions have been established under
the subject.
Most common form caption:
Periodicals. Societies. Serials
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Classing by Place
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If choosing between classing by specific
subject and classing by place, prefer
classification by the subject
Example: Penguins of Antarctica
QL696.S473 Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Not
QL695.2
Birds of Antarctica
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Classing by Place (cont.)
Exceptions:
 Class by place if there are contrary
instructions
 Class by place if precedent (the
shelflist) clearly indicates otherwise
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Specificity
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Use the most specific number available.
Use a broader number only if no
specific number is available and it is not
feasible to establish one.
9
Multiple subjects
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Where several subjects are discussed in a
work, choose the classification number:
according to instructions printed in the schedules
Example: A popular work (i.e., not scientific) on
domesticated mammals could be classed with
popular works on mammals or works on
domesticated animals
QL706 Mammals -- Popular works
For popular works on domestic animals see SF41
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Multiple subjects (cont.)
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Where several subjects are discussed in a
work, choose the classification number:
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according to dominant subject (as represented by
the first subject heading on the record)
that matches the first subject mentioned in the
work being cataloged
Example: Roma and Jews in the Czech Republic
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for a broader subject if the work deals with
several subjects that, taken together, constitute a
major part of a larger subject
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Multiple Classes
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In problematic cases where several
numbers appear satisfactory, class
according to
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the intent of the author, or
where it appears that the work would be
most usefully located
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Influence of One Subject on
Another
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Class works on the influence of one
subject on another with the subject
influenced
Example: The effect of oil pollution on fish
culture
SH177.O53
Fish culture--Diseases and
adverse factors
Not
TD427.P4
Water pollution -- Petroleum
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Literary Authors
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How does one organize the works of a
literary author which generally are not
considered to have a subject?
Subarrangement of works of and about
Božena Němcová in PG5038.N4
Nemcova, Bozena
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Practice
Use outline for beginning (in small font at
bottom of Main Menu)
 U6 = United States
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Find class numbers for:
“The causes of AIDS”
“The beer industry in the United States”
“The Cuban missile crisis of 1962”
A biography of Jan Amos Komensky
A dictionary of French surnames
A juvenile book about the planets
“Parental relations with adolescents”
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