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 Libraryschin@ccc.edu1/9/2016