Library of Congress Classification

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The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress. It is used by most research and academic libraries in the U.S. and several other countries. It is not to be confused with the Library of Congress Subject Headings or Library of Congress Control Number. Most public libraries and small academic libraries continue to use the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

The classification was originally developed by Herbert Putnam in 1897, just before he assumed the librarianship of Congress. With advice from Charles Ammi Cutter, it was influenced by Cutter Expansive Classification, and the DDC, and was specially designed for the special purposes of the Library of Congress. The new system replaced a fixed location system developed by Thomas Jefferson. By the time of Putnam's departure from his post in 1939, all the classes except K (Law) and parts of B (Philosophy and Religion) were well developed. It has been criticized as lacking a sound theoretical basis; many of the classification decisions were driven by the particular practical needs of that library, rather than epistemological considerations.

Although it divides subjects into broad categories, it is essentially enumerative in nature. It provides a guide to the books actually in the library, not a classification of the world.

The National Library of Medicine classification system (NLM) uses the classification scheme's unused letters W and QS–QZ. Some libraries use NLM in conjunction with LCC, eschewing LCC's R (Medicine). Others prefer to use the LCC scheme's QP-QR schedules and include Medicine R.

[edit] The system

Java programming books in the QA subclass.

Letter	Subject area
A	General Works
B	Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	General and Old World History
E	History of America
F	History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America
G	Geography, Anthropology, and Recreation
H	Social Sciences
J	Political Science
K	Law
L	Education
M	Music
N	Fine Arts
P	Language and Literature
Q	Science
R	Medicine
S	Agriculture
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Naval Science
Z	Bibliography, Library Science, and General Information Resources

[edit] Class A - General Works

Subclass AC Collections. Series. Collected works
Subclass AE Encyclopedias
Subclass AG Dictionaries and other general reference works
Subclass AI Indexes
Subclass AM Museums. Collectors and collecting
Subclass AN Newspapers
Subclass AP Periodicals
Subclass AS Academies and learned societies
Subclass AY Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories
Subclass AZ History of scholarship and learning. The humanities

[edit] Class B - Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

Subclass B Philosophy (General)
Subclass BC Logic
Subclass BD Speculative philosophy
Subclass BF Psychology
Subclass BH Aesthetics
Subclass BJ Ethics
Subclass BL Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
Subclass BM Judaism
Subclass BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.
Subclass BQ Buddhism
Subclass BR Christianity
Subclass BS The Bible
Subclass BT Doctrinal Theology
Subclass BV Practical Theology
Subclass BX Christian Denominations

[edit] Class C - Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)

Subclass CB History of Civilization
Subclass CC Archaeology
Subclass CD Diplomatics. Archives. Seals
Subclass CE Technical Chronology. Calendar
Subclass CJ Numismatics
Subclass CN Inscriptions. Epigraphy
Subclass CR Heraldry
Subclass CS Genealogy
Subclass CT Biography

[edit] Class D - World History (except American History)

Subclass D History (General)
Subclass DA Great Britain
Subclass DAW Central Europe
Subclass DB Austria - Liechtenstein - Hungary - Czechoslovakia
Subclass DC France - Andorra - Monaco
Subclass DD Germany
Subclass DE Greco-Roman World
Subclass DF Greece
Subclass DG Italy - Malta
Subclass DH Low Countries - Benelux Countries
Subclass DJ Netherlands (Holland)
Subclass DJK Eastern Europe (General)
Subclass DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics - Poland
Subclass DL Northern Europe. Scandinavia
Subclass DP Spain - Portugal
Subclass DQ Switzerland
Subclass DR Balkan Peninsula
Subclass DS Asia
Subclass DT Africa
Subclass DU Oceania (South Seas)
Subclass DX Gypsies

[edit] Class E and F - American History

[edit] Class G - Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

Subclass G Geography (General). Atlases. Maps
Subclass GA Mathematical geography. Cartography
Subclass GB Physical geography
Subclass GC Oceanography
Subclass GE Environmental Sciences
Subclass GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography
Subclass GN Anthropology
Subclass GR Folklore
Subclass GT Manners and customs (General)
Subclass GV Recreation. Leisure

[edit] Class H - Social Sciences

Subclass H Social sciences (General)
Subclass HA Statistics
Subclass HB Economic theory. Demography
Subclass HC Economic history and conditions
Subclass HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Subclass HE Transportation and communications
Subclass HF Commerce
Subclass HG Finance
Subclass HJ Public finance
Subclass HM Sociology (General)
Subclass HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Subclass HQ The family. Marriage. Women
Subclass HS Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
Subclass HT Communities. Classes. Races
Subclass HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Subclass HX Socialism. Communism. Anarchism

[edit] Class J - Political Science

Subclass J General legislative and executive papers
Subclass JA Political science (General)
Subclass JC Political theory
Subclass JF Political institutions and public administration
Subclass JJ Political institutions and public administration (North America)
Subclass JK Political institutions and public administration (United States)
Subclass JL Political institutions and public administration (Canada, Latin America, etc.)
Subclass JN Political institutions and public administration (Europe)
Subclass JQ Political institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area, etc.)
Subclass JS Local government. Municipal government
Subclass JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
Subclass JX International law, see JZ and KZ (obsolete)
Subclass JZ International relations

[edit] Class K - Law

Subclass K Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
Subclass KB Religious law in general. Comparative religious law. Jurisprudence
Subclass KBM Jewish law
Subclass KBP Islamic law
Subclass KBR History of canon law
Subclass KBU Law of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy See
Subclasses KD-KDK United Kingdom and Ireland
Subclass KDZ America. North America
Subclass KE Canada
Subclass KF United States
Subclass KG Latin America - Mexico and Central America - West Indies. Caribbean area
Subclass KH South America
Subclasses KJ-KKZ Europe
Subclasses KL-KWX Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Area, and Antarctica
Subclass KZ Law of nations

[edit] Class L - Education

Subclass L Education (General)
Subclass LA History of education
Subclass LB Theory and practice of education
Subclass LC Special aspects of education
Subclass LD Individual institutions - United States
Subclass LE Individual institutions - America (except United States)
Subclass LF Individual institutions - Europe
Subclass LG Individual institutions - Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands
Subclass LH College and school magazines and papers
Subclass LJ Student fraternities and societies, United States
Subclass LT Textbooks

[edit] Class M - Music

Subclass M Music
Subclass ML Literature on music
Subclass MT Instruction and study

[edit] Class N - Fine arts

Subclass N Visual arts
Subclass NA Architecture
Subclass NB Sculpture
Subclass NC Drawing. Design. Illustration
Subclass ND Painting
Subclass NE Print media
Subclass NK Decorative arts
Subclass NX Arts in general

[edit] Class P - Language and Literature

Subclass P Philology. Linguistics
Subclass PA Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature
Subclass PB Modern languages. Celtic languages
Subclass PC Romanic languages
Subclass PD Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages
Subclass PE English language
Subclass PF West Germanic languages
Subclass PG Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian language
Subclass PH Uralic languages. Basque language
Subclass PJ Oriental languages and literatures
Subclass PK Indo-Iranian languages and literatures
Subclass PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
Subclass PM Hyperborean, Indian, and artificial languages
Subclass PN Literature (General)
Subclass PQ French literature - Italian literature - Spanish literature - Portuguese literature
Subclass PR English literature
Subclass PS American literature
Subclass PT German literature - Dutch literature - Flemish literature since 1830 -Afrikaans literature - Scandinavian literature - Old Norse literature: Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian - Modern Icelandic literature - Faroese literature - Danish literature - Norwegian literature - Swedish literature
Subclass PZ Fiction and juvenile belles lettres

[edit] Class Q - Science

Subclass Q Science (General)
Subclass QA Mathematics
Subclass QB Astronomy
Subclass QC Physics
Subclass QD Chemistry
Subclass QE Geology
Subclass QH Natural history - Biology
Subclass QK Botany
Subclass QL Zoology
Subclass QM Human anatomy
Subclass QP Physiology
Subclass QR Microbiology

[edit] Class R - Medicine

Subclass R Medicine (General)
Subclass RA Public aspects of medicine
Subclass RB Pathology
Subclass RC Internal medicine
Subclass RD Surgery
Subclass RE Ophthalmology
Subclass RF Otorhinolaryngology
Subclass RG Gynecology and obstetrics
Subclass RJ Pediatrics
Subclass RK Dentistry
Subclass RL Dermatology
Subclass RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Subclass RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Subclass RT Nursing
Subclass RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine
Subclass RX Homeopathy
Subclass RZ Other systems of medicine

[edit] Class S - Agriculture

Subclass S Agriculture (General)
Subclass SB Plant culture
Subclass SD Forestry
Subclass SF Animal culture
Subclass SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
Subclass SK Hunting sports

[edit] Class T - Technology

Subclass T Technology (General)
Subclass TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering
Subclass TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
Subclass TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
Subclass TE Highway engineering. Roads and pavements
Subclass TF Railroad engineering and operation
Subclass TG Bridge engineering
Subclass TH Building construction
Subclass TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
Subclass TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
Subclass TL Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
Subclass TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy
Subclass TP Chemical technology
Subclass TR Photography
Subclass TS Manufactures
Subclass TT Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
Subclass TX Home economics

[edit] Class U - Military Science

Subclass U Military science (General)
Subclass UA Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation
Subclass UB Military administration
Subclass UC Maintenance and transportation
Subclass UD Infantry
Subclass UE Cavalry. Armor
Subclass UF Artillery
Subclass UG Military engineering. Air forces
Subclass UH Other services

[edit] Class V - Naval Science

Subclass V Naval science (General)
Subclass VA Navies: Organization, distribution, naval situation
Subclass VB Naval administration
Subclass VC Naval maintenance
Subclass VD Naval seamen
Subclass VE Marines
Subclass VF Naval ordnance
Subclass VG Minor services of navies
Subclass VK Navigation. Merchant marine
Subclass VM Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering

[edit] Class Z - Bibliography, Library Science

Subclass Z Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography
Subclass ZA Information resources (General)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Library of Congress classification outline

[edit] External links

Library of Congress - classification
Cataloging Distribution Services - source of Library of Congress Classification schedules
Classification outline
How to read LCC call numbers
How to use LCC to organize a home library

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