Page 119 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes Some books also have a publication year at the end of their call numbers. These are arranged
chronologically (2005 before 2008, etc.). Journals and books in series may also have volume
numbers. These are arranged sequentially (v.1, v.2, v.3...). When you find a book, look at the
ones shelved around it – because they’re arranged by subject, they should be similar. You can do
this virtually in the catalogue by clicking on the call number in the item record.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
4. Find the book you want in the Catalogue and get its ……………………number.
5. Go to the indicated ……………..then look for the call number.
6. Some books also have a ……………….year at the end of their call numbers.

6.3 Categories and Hierarchy of Call Number

Books and scores in the Library are organized on the shelves according to Library of Congress
(LC) Classification. LC Classification was originally designed to sort books at the Library of
Congress and developed specifically with reference to the published literature in each subject
area in that collection. Today it is used widely to organize collections in American academic and
research libraries.
The basic outline of LC classification divides the entire field of knowledge into main classes that
correspond largely to academic disciplines or areas of study. Main classes are denoted by single
capital letters.

Table 6.2: Classes of LC

A generalities M music
B phil., psych., religion N fine arts
C auxiliary sciences of history P philology and literature
D history, general/old world Q science
E-F history, America R medicine
G geography, anthropology S agriculture
H social sciences T technology
J political science U military science
K law V naval science

L education Z bibliography, library science

Source: http://library.pba.edu/How%20to%20Understand%20Call%20Numbers%20and%20LC%20
Classification.htm
The main classes are in turn divided into subclasses, designated by double or triple capital
letters, representing branches of the major disciplines. The outline of the individual classes have
been developed separately for each subject area—Class M, Music, for example, was first published
in 1902 and was largely the work of Oscar G. Sonneck, Chief of the Division of Music at the
Library of Congress. Nevertheless, the various classes are unified by a number of principles,
most notably in the patterned structure of the notation, or call numbers, used to identify each
class and the individual items within each class.

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