LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS WHAT ARE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS? Libraries store and manage thousands materials. These materials need to be organized in a manner that allows the easiest possible access for the end user. Classification Systems are the tools Libraries use to organize books and other library materials. Classification Systems consists of subjects that can be located by call number. CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS CONTINUED There are several different kinds of classification systems LC ( Library of Congress Classification System) used mostly in Academic and research libraries. Meant for large libraries. DDC (Dewey Decimal System) most widely used classification system. Used in small, medium public and school libraries. CLASSIFICATION CONTINUED SuDocs ( Superintendent Documents Classification) a specialized system of classification for Government Documents. ANSCR( Alpha-Numeric System for Classification Recordings) Specialized system for classifying sound recordings. NLM ( National Library of Medicine Classification) A Specialized classification system used in medical libraries. HOW DO CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS WORK? Classification systems work by organizing like materials together by subject and author. Within a subject area, materials are further classified by more specific information such as time period, or location. Each Classification systems utilizes a call number which identifies the location of the book in the library CALL NUMBERS Classification Systems all use a system of letters and numbers to denote a particular subject. All call numbers utilize the author’s last name as an access point Call numbers can also contain the copy numbers, copyright date, LC Call Number LIBRARY OF CONGRESS The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a classification system that was first developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to organize and arrange the book collections of the Library of Congress. Over the course of the twentieth century, the system was adopted for use by other libraries as well, especially large academic libraries in the United States. It is currently one of the most widely used library classification systems in the world. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LCC call number is made up of three elements 1. Subject ( based on 21wide subject classes). 2. These classes are then further broken down by subject. 3. author initial and numeric determination based on alphabetic placement WHY DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS? Although all classification systems provide access to information. Some systems work better with specific types of information or in specific types of Libraries. Libraries choose a classification system based on three factors 1. Collection Size 2. Subjects/ Materials in the Collection 3. End User WHY DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS For example, The DDC is a broad with classification system. DDC categories encompass many subjects that are loosely related, but easy to search. This system works well in library that have general subjects, or specific Academic subjects. WHY DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS? Libraries with Small to Medium collections, generally Public Libraries or School libraries favor this system for its ease of use of their patron base. The Library of Congress Cataloging system is a much narrower system meant for use in libraries that have multiple subcategories. WHY DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS? Not all classification systems classify books. Many Libraries use classification systems to classify: Music Art Government Documents ANSCR Stands for Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings (ANSCR) This system is used for sound recordings in Music Libraries and some academic and public libraries. Like LCC and Dewey ANSCR is a Hierarchical system that uses 46 different subjects that encompass all sound recordings. ANSCR ANSCR call number composition ANSCR call number composition consists of four lines of information. Each item of information is explained below. Term One Term Two Term Three Term Four Term One Term Two Based on the ANSCR category specified in Term One, Term Two will be the first four consecutive letters of the composer's surname, performer's surname, author's surname, title, or topic Term Three Letter or letters representing one of the ANSCR categories Initial letters of the first three significant words of the title, or the first three consecutive letters of a one-word title Term Four First letter of the performer's surname (or production company if a children's recording) followed by the last two digits of the recording company's production number ANSCR Sample ANSCR call number: B PUCC BOH S82 ANSCR Term One: Opera (B) Term Two: Puccini (PUCC) Term Three: La Boheme (BOH) Term Four: Tullio Serafin, Decca 0082 (S82) SUDOCS The Superintendent of Documents classification system was developed in the Library of the Government Printing Office between 1895 and 1903. SuDocs is a classification system created for the many articles that are published by the US Government. SUDOCS The Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification system is designed to group together publications by the same government author. Within an agency or department, publications are grouped according to the subordinate organization. The purpose of this system is to uniquely identify, logically relate, and physically arrange each publication so that all publications of a single agency or department may be found together. SUDOCS Each executive department and agency, the Judiciary, Congress, and other major independent establishments are assigned a unique alphabetical identifier, based on the name of the organization, e.g., "A" for Agriculture Department, "JU" for Judiciary, and "NS" for National Science Foundation. However, the letters "X" and "Y" are reserved for Congress. The designation "Z" is not used. SUDOCS Unlike other classification systems, SuDocs does not use the author’s name as a classification tool. Further since government documents are rarely in book form, each individual document has its own call number. SUDOC SuDoc call numbers are divided into two parts: 1.) The stem (the part of the call number to the left of the colon), and 2.) The individual item or book number (the part of the call number to the right of the colon). For example: I 19.3:1565 SUDOCS I 19.3: 1565 is the stem is the book number for this item I Interior Department 19. U.S. Geological Survey 3: Bulletins 1565 1565 [Department] [Sub-agency] [Series Designation] [Book number] CALL NUMBERS AGAIN Call Numbers are the primary access point for finding library materials. Call numbers provide a lot of information to patrons and Library staff members that help each successfully locate books and other library materials. CALL NUMBER AGAIN No matter what type of classification system your library uses, if materials are not put back in the proper order materials can be lost forever! CALL NUMBERS AGAIN For example: What will happen if the catalog says a books call number is 398.2 CAY, but the label reads 389.2 CAY? CALL NUMBERS AGAIN Example: A thin book, who’s spine is too small for the label is incorrectly shelved. The book is now missing. How will the library staff members find this book?