Beginner’s Guide to Library of Congress Classification & Call Numbers
Adjunct Librarian OrientationSaturday January 9, 2015
Siew-Ben Chin
• To identify the different elements & components in LC Call #.• To identify call numbers that are incomplete or not properly formatted in
our bib. Records.• To identify some “unusual” call numbers in bib. Records.• To explain why two books on similar subjects are cataloged in different
classifications.• A look at the call numbers of literary works of American individual
authors to see how Cutter numbers are used and assigned.
What this presentation is not:It is not meant to show you how to assign LC call numbers or how to catalog
Objectives of the Presentation
QA76.B375201221 Main
Classes
Sub- Classes Sub- Classes with
divisions 1-9999
LC classification is Hierarchical – from very broad to very specific
Structure of a Library of Congress Call Number:• 21 Main classes using letters (except for I, O, W, X, Y)• Sub-classes with letters and numbers• subdivisions with Arabic numerals 1-9999• 2 parts
class # or subclass # (sometimes with decimal extension)the book cutter number by main entry (author or title)
• Can have single or double cutters
BL311 .H345 2013
GV884.J63H2821989
single cutter
double cutters
A Few Bare-bone Facts …
True or falseAll LC Classification main classes are represented by the letters of the alphabets except the following:• O• W• X• Y
05000 |a Q171 |b .N69 20111001_ |a Novak, Igor.24510 |a Science : |b a many-splendored thing650 _0 |a Science.
Q Main Class (one letter)for Science171 Subclass “General”.N69 Cutter by main entry (creator)2011 pub. year
Call Number with a Single Letter for Main Class and a single cutter
050 00 |a ML100 |b .N48 2001245 04 |a The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians / |c edited by Stanley Sadie ; executive editor, John Tyrrell.
ML100.N48 2001
single cutter by main entry (title)
Call Number with Double Letters for Subclass & a Single cutter
050 00 |a ZA3075 .B87 2010100 1_ |a Burkhardt, Joanna M.
650 _0 |a Information literacy |x Study and teaching (Higher) |v Problems, exercises, etc.
245 10 |a Teaching information literacy : |b 50 standards-based exercises for college students
ZA information resources3075 .B872010
Z for Bibliography & library scienceZA for information resources
260 __ |a Chicago : |b American Library Association, |c 2010.
Call Number with a Double Letters for Sub-class and single cutter
The single cutter in the call number below is derived from:A. CreatorB. Subdivision of Subclass TLC. TitleD. LC Subject Headings
TL521.312.N3332012
245 00 |a NASA / |c Margaret Haerens, book editor.610 10 |a United States. |b National Aeronautics and Space Administration.651 _0 |a Outer space |x Exploration |z United States.650 _0 |a Astronautics |z United States.
Multiple choice Question
CALL NUMBER WITH DOUBLE CUTTERS
GV Recreation & Leisure
884 Biography (basketball)
.J63 1st Cutter number: subdivision of biography for Johnson
H382 2nd for Main entry (creator)
1989 Pub. year
050 00 |a GV884.J63 |b H38 1989100 1_ |a Haskins, James, |d 1941-2005.245 10 |a Sports great Magic Johnson / |c James Haskins.
1001_ |a Nabokov, Peter, |e author.24510 |a How the world moves : |b the odyssey of an American Indian
family / |c Peter Nabokov.650 _0 |a Pueblo Indians |x History |y 19th century.
050 _4 |a E99.P9 |b N236 2015
E History of AmericaE99 Native of American Indians.P9 Pueblo Indians (subtopic cutter)N236 Author’s Cutter2015
Call Numbers with Double Cutters
Cutter Numbers can be used to provide subdivisions for a subclass.
050 00 |a F548.33 |b .T39 2011100 1_ |a Taylor, Judy Sutton.245 10 |a Chicago
651 _0 |a Chicago (Ill.) |v Juvenile literature.260 __ |a New York : |b DK, |c 2011.
F local history of U.S. …548.33 Class number with decimal extension for Chicago .T39 Book cutter (by creator)2011 Year of pub.
Main Class number with decimal for extension
050 00 |a Z657 |b .G73 2005100 1_ |a Green, Jonathon, |d 1948-245 14 |a The encyclopedia of censorship.650 _0 |a Censorship |v Encyclopedias.
050 00 |a Z658.U5 |b C395 2007245 00 |a Censorship / |c Julia Bauder, book editor.
650 _0 |a Censorship |z United States.
Z657 Censorship (general).G73 2005
Z658 Censorship by country.U5 (United States)C3952007
Call Numbers with Double Cuttering for geographic cutter
050 00 |a HV7435 |b .G857 2010245 00 |a Gun control / |c Christina Fisanick, book editor.650 _0 |a Gun control .
050 00 |a KF3941 |b .H46 2005100 1_ |a Henderson, Harry, |d 1951-245 10 |a Gun control650 _0 |a Firearms |x Law and legislation |z United States.650 _0 |a Gun control |z United States.
HV Subclass for social pathology7435.G8572010
KF Law of U.S.3941 Federal law gun control.H462005
Similar topic with different Classifications
50 00 |a JK526 2008 |b .W56 2009245 00 |a Winning the White House 2008 : |b the Gallup poll, public opinion,
and the presidency
650 _0 |a Presidents |z United States |x Election |y 2008.
JK526 2008.W562009
The weirdo: Two years appears in the call number!
Election year
Publication year
100 1_ |a Hopkinson, Nalo.245 14 |a The Chaos / |c Nalo Hopkinson.
050 00 |a PZ7.H778127 |b Ch 2012
650 _0 |a Interpersonal relations |v Juvenile fiction.
650 _1 |a Interpersonal relations |v Fiction.
PZ7.H778127Ch (no number!)2012
Another weirdo: 2nd Cutter with two letters without number!
050 00 |a PZ7.Z837 |b Boo 2007100 1_ |a Zusak, Markus.245 14 |a The book thief / |c by Markus Zusak.651 _0 |a Germany |x History |y 1933-1945 |v Juvenile fiction
PZ7.Z837 Boo2007
What is unique about PZ7 cutting?
A. The first cutter does not have a number.B. The second cutter does not have a number.C. Year of publication is excluded.D. All the above.
PS American LiteraturePS3550-3576 Individual authors 1961-2000
PS American literature3568 Individual authors 1961-2000 whose last name begins with “O”A Second letter of her last name (Oates)8 Cutter by third letter of author’s last name (Oates)
Example of How an Author Number is Assigned – Joyce Carol Oates
PS3568.A8
PS3563.O8749
PS 3550-3576 American individual authors 1961-2000
Toni Morrison, 1931-
PS3561.I483
PS3573.A425
PS3568.O243
PS3607.I28
Who doesn’t belong here?
PS American LiteraturePS 3600-3626 Individual authors 2000-
PS3607.I28
Born in 1972First novel 2004
PS3619.T636
Born in 1969First novel 2009
PS 3563.O8749 B4 2000 PS 3563.O8749 J38 2004
PS 3563.O8749 T37 1981
PS3563.O8749 H66 2013
PS 3563.O8749 A6 2000
PS3563 .O8749 Z565 2001
PS3563.O8749 Z6 1994 PS3563.O8749 Z753
2009
All works by and about an author have the same number up to the first Cutter. .All sub-arrangement of works, biography, & criticism are accomplished by using the second Cutter and the date.
Critical essays on Toni Morrison's BelovedBy Barbara SolomonPS3563.O8749 B434 1998
Toni Morrison's Beloved and the apotropaic imaginationBy Kathleen MarksPS3563.O8749 B435 2002
Toni Morrison, BelovedBy Carl PlasaPS3563.O8749 B436 1998
Toni Morrison’s Beloved: a casebookBy William C. Andrews, Nellie Y. McKayPS3563.O8749 B438 1999
PS 3563.O8749 B4 2000
Call numbers for books on Critiques of “Beloved”
050 00 |a PS3565.A8 |b A6 2014b100 1_ |a Oates, Joyce Carol, |d 1938- |e author.240 10 |a Short stories. |k Selections245 10 |a Lovely, dark, deep : |b stories / |c Joyce Carol Oates.
Collected works [H R N]Including collected works in specific genres
1 No. 1 Cutter No.
By date [H R N] .A1 .x dateBy editor [H R N]Subarrangement by editor has been discontinued by the Library of Congress. Beginning in 2005, all collected works are subarranged by date
(.A11-.A13) (.xA11-.xA13)
Collected prose, poetry, plays, etc. [H R N]For collected genres see .A1
(.A14-.A19) (.xA14-.xA19)
Translations (Collected or selected) [H R N] Modern versions of early authors in the same language. By date [H R N]
.A199 .xA199
Polyglot. By date [H R N] .A1995 .xA1995English. By date [H R N] .A2 .xA2French. By date [H R N] .A3 .xA3German. By date [H R N] .A4 .xA4
Other. By language (alphabetically) and date [H R N].A5-.A59 .xA5-.xA59
Selected works. Selections. By date [H R N] .A6 .xA6Separate works. By title [H R N]Subarrange each work by Table P-PZ43
.A61-.Z48 .xA61-.xZ458
Biography and criticism [H R N] Periodicals. Societies. Serials [H R N] .Z481-.Z489 .xZ4581-.x
Z4589
Using Cutter to organize materials
References: LC Classification & Call Numbers (Slideshare)
Library of Congress Call Numbers: A Guide for Non-catalogers Who Suddenly Find Themselves with a Cataloging Jobhttp://www.slideshare.net/akroeger/kroeger-lcclassification?related=1
Subject Analysis, Library of Congress Classification, Part I.http://www.slideshare.net/Richard.Sapon-White/subject-analysis-library-of-congress-classification-part-1
References : Cutter TablesBiographical Table –Yale Universityhttp://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/Orbis2Manual/biography
LC utter Table from Yale University Libraryhttp://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/cuttertable.htm
Nebraska Library Commissionhttps://nlc.nebraska.gov/cataloging/cutter.aspx
More than what you want to know…
Call Number Shelflisting (Cutter Number, Dates etc.)https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Call+Number+Shelflisting+(Cutter+Number%2C+Dates+etc.
Cutter Tables for Literacy Authors with one cutter numberhttp://www2.hawaii.edu/~chopey/PPZ40.htm
The End Thank you for your attention!
Siew-Ben Chin Library Faculty Associate ProfessorRichard J. Daley College [email protected]/9/2016