Biography

LCCS Training Sessions

OSU

Aug. 2007

Classifying Biographies

General rule: Class biographical works with the topic most closely identified with the biographee(s)

Biographies may be individual or collective Use special biography numbers if provided

(most common in D (History), N (Art/Architecture), and P (Literature))

Classifying Biographies – 2

CT (General Biography) is only for works on individuals not identified with a specific topic or an individual’s several careers

Example:CT948.K37 A3 1990Tomorrow will be better : a true story of love and

one family's triumph over the horrors of World War II / Zdena Kapral.

Tucson : Harbinger House, c1990.

Travel Accounts and Family Biographies Do not treat travel accounts as biographical or autobiographical

unless 50% or more is devoted to personal details of the life of the traveler

Class biographies of the members of one family as individual biography (unless there is a special provision in schedule)

Example: TA140.R7 S4 1931The Roeblings : a century of engineers, bridge-builders

and industrialists : the story of three generations of an illustrious family, 1831-1931, by Hamilton Schuyler.

Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)--Biography--Individual, A-Z [TA140]

Individuals with Multi-faceted Careers

If work emphasizes one career, class with that topic

Examples:Albert Schweitzer as musician: MLLeonardo da Vinci as scientist: Q If work discusses several careers, class with

topic most closely associated with biographeeExample: Da Vinci: N6923 (artists)

General Class Numbers vs. Biography Class NumbersBiography captions appear in broad disciplines

throughout LCCS:

Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)--Biography

TA139-140 Biography 

Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)--Surveying--Biography

TA532-533 Biography  

General Class Numbers vs. Biography Class Numbers (cont.) Narrower topics often do not have a

biography number Classification in general class numbers is

different from biography class numbers

Form of Biography Caption

Biography    Collective    Individual, A-Z

Use collective biography for works discussing 2+ individuals if a discrete section on each

Use individual biography for works on the life of one person, including autobiography

Biography Table

Works in biography numbers are further subarranged according to an individual biography table

[Some schedules (D, N, P) provide their own tables]

Biography Table - 2

.x Cutter for the individual

.xA2 Collected works. By date

.xA25 Selected works. Selections. By dateIncluding quotations

.xA3 Autobiography, diaries, etc. By date

.xA4 Letters. By date

.xA5 Speeches, essays, and lectures. By dateIncluding interviews

.xA6-Z Biography and criticismIncluding criticism of selected

works, quotations, autobiography, letters, speeches, etc.

Example 1

Example 2

QA29.B2 A3 1864a

Passages from the life of a philosopher / Charles Babbage.

QA29.B2 H91 1982

Charles Babbage, pioneer of the computer / Anthony Hyman.

Example 3

QA29.R3 A4 1995

Ramanujan : letters and commentary / Bruce C. Berndt and Robert A. Rankin. 1995.

Ramanujan Aiyangar, Srinivasa, 1887-1920 -- Correspondence.

General Classes

Where there is no explicit number for biography…

1. File all works about a person after all works by that person

2. Assign the same 1st Cutter to all biographies about a person and a 2nd Cutter for the main entry

General Classes Example 1

TS245 Powder metallurgy processes and manufactures 

TS245.S65 J64 2005

John Smith, king of powder metallurgists / Bob Johnson.

General Classes Example 2

TS886.5.C45 Manufactures--Wood technology. Lumber--Wood products. Furniture--Furniture--Special types of

furniture, A-Z--Chairs  

TS886.5.C45 N683 2005

A place to sit : a biography of Petr Novak, chair craftsman / Jan Cermak.