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Comparing DDC and LCC shelf
arrangement
Julianne Beall
Assistant Editor, DDC
Library of Congress
July 4, 2006
Vienna
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Outline
 Notation
 Differences in arrangement of material
 Practical considerations
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Main classes and subclasses
 DDC: 10 main classes
 Each with up to 10 subclasses
 LCC: 21 main classes
 Each with up to 20+ subclasses
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DDC class numbers
 Decimal numbers
 Logically, the decimal point belongs at the start of
the number, though for ease of reading it is placed
after the third digit
 Only rare, optional recommendations to
subarrange alphabetically, e.g., for name
or make of specific named passenger
automobiles
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LCC class numbers
 1-3 letters
 Followed by whole numbers 1-9999
 Followed in many cases by decimal
extensions
 Followed in many cases by subject Cutter
numbers
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Abridgment
 DDC class numbers can be abridged at
many levels to fit different sized
collections
 LCC notation cannot easily be abridged
(except to cut back to the initial 1-3
letters)
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DDC and book numbers
 Methods of subarranging alphabetically
by author are not part of DDC proper
 Many different methods are used by
Dewey libraries; no one method is
prescribed
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LCC and book numbers
 A specific kind of Cutter number is
prescribed for subarranging
alphabetically by author
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LCC subject Cutter lists: example
 SD397.A-SD397.Z Forestry—Sylviculture—Natural
history of forest trees—Description, value, and
culture of individual species or groups, A-Z . . . .
 SD397.M3
Maple
Maple, Sugar see SD397.S775
 SD397.M4
Mesquite
Metasequoia glyptostroboides see SD397.D37
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LCC subject Cutter lists: example (2)
 SD397.M65
Mopane
 SD397.M84
Mulanje cedar
 SD397.P6112
Pinus patula
 SD397.P61124
Pinus pinea. Italian
stone pine
 SD397.P6114
Pinyon pines
 SD397.P6115
Ponderosa pine
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DDC classified arrangement of kinds of
trees in forestry
 630
 634
 634.9
 634.97
Agriculture
Orchards, fruits, forestry
Forestry
Kinds of trees
 634.972
Dicotyledons
 634.973
Other dicotyledons
 634.974
Monocotyledons
 634.975
Gymnosperms
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634.972 Dicotyledons

634.9721
†Oaks

634.9722
†Maples

634.9723
†Poplars

634.9724
†Chestnuts

634.9725
†Beeches

634.9726
†Birches

634.9727
†Lindens

634.9728
†Elms
† Add as instructed under 634.97
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634.973 Other dicotyledons
 Add to base number 634.973 the numbers
following 583 in 583.2-583.9 , e.g.,
eucalyptus 634.973766
 634.973+[583]766= 634.973766
 583.766
Eucalyptus (Gum trees)
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634.975 Gymnosperms (1)
 634.9751-634.9758
Coniferous
trees
 634.9751
†Pines
 634.9752
†Spruces
 634.9753
†Hemlocks
 634.9754
†Firs
† Add as instructed under 634.97
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634.975 Gymnosperms (2)
 634.9755
†Cypresses
 634.9756
†Cedars
 634.9757
†Larches
 634.9758
†Sequoias
† Add as instructed under 634.97
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634.9759 Other gymnosperms
 Add to base number 634.9759 the
numbers following 585 in 585.2-585.9 ,
e.g., kauris (dammar pines) 634.97593
 634.9759+[585]3=634.97593
 585.3
Podocarpaceae, Araucariaceae,
Cephalotaxaceae (plum-yew family)
Including Huon pine, kauris (dammar pines) . . . .
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Example of DDC and LCC class numbers
 Genetic variation in seedling progeny of
ponderosa pine provenances
 DDC: 634.97517
 LCC: SD397.P6115
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More on DDC example
 634.9751 Pines + 7 Varieties and kinds
from add table at 634.97 = 634.97517
 Libraries that have few books in this area
can drop the final 7 and put all the books
about pines together
 The abridged DDC stops at 634.9 Forestry
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More differences in arrangement of
material
 There are so many differences that I
cannot possibly list them all; I can only
give some examples.
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CLASS G - GEOGRAPHY.
ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION (1)
 G1-9980
Geography
 GA1-1776
Mathematical geography.
Cartography
 GB3-5030
Physical geography
 GC1-1581
Oceanography
 GE1-350
Environmental sciences
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CLASS G - GEOGRAPHY.
ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION (2)
 GF1-900
Human ecology.
Anthropogeography
 GN1-890
Anthropology
 GR1-950
Folklore
 GT1-7070
Manners and customs
(General)
 GV1-1860
Recreation. Leisure
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DDC in 300s corresponding to LCC G
 300
 301
 304
 304.2
Social sciences
Sociology and anthropology
(GN)
Factors affecting social
behavior
Human ecology (GF)
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DDC in 300s corresponding to LCC G (2)
 330
 333
 333.7
Economics
Economics of land and
energy
Land, recreational and
wilderness areas,
energy
Class here interdisciplinary works on the
environment (GE)
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DDC in 300s corresponding to LCC G (3)
 390
 398
Customs, etiquette & folklore
(GT)
Folklore (GR)
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DDC in 500s corresponding to LCC G
 500
Science
 520
Astronomy and allied
sciences
 526
Mathematical
geography (GA)
Class here cartography (GA)
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DDC in 500s corresponding to LCC G (2)
 550
Earth sciences & geology
 551
Geology, hydrology,
meteorology
 551.4
Geomorphology and
hydrosphere
 551.46
Hydrosphere and
submarine geology Oceanography
(GC)
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DDC in 700s corresponding to LCC G
 700
 790

790.1
Arts & recreation
Recreational and performing
arts (GV)
General kinds of
recreational activities
Class here leisure (GV)
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DDC in 900s corresponding to LCC G
 900
 910
 910.02
History & geography
Geography and travel (G)
The earth (Physical
geography) (GB)
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GV Recreation. Leisure (1)
 363.14 Hazards in sports and recreation
 790-790.1 Recreation. . . General kinds of
recreational activities
 791.1-791.3 Traveling shows; minstrel
shows; circuses
 791.8 Animal performances
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GV Recreation. Leisure (2)
 792.62 Dancing
 792.78-792.8 Theatrical dancing; ballet
and modern dance
 793-797 Indoor games and amusements;
athletic and outdoor sports and games;
aquatic and air sports
 799.3 Shooting other than game
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Individual literary authors and works in
DDC (1)
 Classed by language, form, and literary
period; no class numbers devoted to
specific authors. Examples:
 831.914 German poetry—1945-1990
 832.914 German drama—1945-1990
 833.914 German fiction—1945-1990
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Individual literary authors and works in
DDC (2)
 Individual works by the same author in
more than one form are separated
according to form
 Comprehensive collections of an author’s
works are classed with the author’s
predominant form, if there is a
predominant form
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Individual literary authors and works in
DDC (3)
 If there is no predominant form,
comprehensive works are classed in a
special number for individual authors not
limited to or chiefly identifiable with one
specific form. Example:
 838.91409 German authors of the period
1945-1990 not identified with a specific
form
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Individual authors and works in DDC (4)
 You can use book numbers to bring
together works of an author in the same
form and editions of a work. There are
several ways to do it; here’s one.
 Example: Böll, Heinrich, 1917 833.914.B6333z 1963
Der Zug war pünktlich
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Individual literary authors and works in
LCC (1)
 LCC has specific class numbers devoted to
specific authors
 Works in all forms by the author are
classed in subdivisions of the number
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Individual literary authors and works in
LCC (2)
 Example:
 German literature—Individual authors or
works—1860/70-1960—B-Bz—Böll,
Heinrich, 1917 PT2603.O394
 PT2603.O394Z45 1973
Der Zug war pünktlich
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Editions of DDC and LCC
 DDC:
 4 volumes in full edition
 1 volume abridged edition
 Full and abridged web versions
 LCC:
 41 volumes
 No abridged edition
 Full web version
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Translations
 DDC has been translated into more than thirty
languages (not all of these are current)
 There is a current German translation of the full edition,
but no German translation of the abridged edition
 There is a web version of the German full edition
 There is no translation of all of LCC
 There are translations of some parts into a few
languages (e.g., Spanish), but I am not aware of any
German translation
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Up to date
 Both DDC and LCC are actively being kept
up to date
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Users of DDC
 Used by a wide range of sizes and types
of libraries in 138 countries
 School libraries
 Public libraries
 Special libraries
 College and university libraries
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Users of LCC
 Primarily large and medium-sized
academic and research libraries in
English-speaking countries
 Some specialized collections that are part
of a larger general library, e.g., a
university law library, may be classed in
LCC when the rest of the collection is not
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A final practical consideration
 What classification is used by the
majority of the libraries whose records
you want to use for copy cataloging?
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Resources and links
 ddc-deutsch:
 http://www.ddc-deutsch.de/
 Library of Congress Cataloging
Distribution Service:
 http://www.loc.gov/cds/classif.html
 OCLC Dewey Services:
 http://www.oclc.org/dewey/