Library of Congress Classification

Updated on Oct 27, 2023

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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.

LCC should not be confused with LCCN, the system of Library of Congress Control Numbers assigned to all books (and authors), which also defines URLs of their online catalog entries, such as "82006074" and "http://lccn.loc.gov/82006074". The Classification is also distinct from Library of Congress Subject Headings, the system of labels such as "Boarding schools" and "Boarding schools—Fiction" that describe contents systematically. Finally, the classifications may be distinguished from the call numbers assigned to particular copies of books in the collection, such as "PZ7.J684 Wj 1982 FT MEADE Copy 1" where the classification is "PZ7.J684 Wj 1982".

The classification was invented by Herbert Putnam in 1897, just before he assumed the librarianship of Congress. With advice from Charles Ammi Cutter, it was influenced by his Cutter Expansive Classification, the Dewey Decimal System, and the Putnam Classification System (developed while Putnam was head librarian at the Minneapolis Public Library). It was designed specifically for the purposes and collection of the Library of Congress to replace the fixed location system developed by Thomas Jefferson. By the time Putnam departed from his post in 1939, all the classes except K (Law) and parts of B (Philosophy and Religion) were well developed.

LCC has been criticized for lacking a sound theoretical basis; many of the classification decisions were driven by the practical needs of that library rather than epistemological considerations. Although it divides subjects into broad categories, it is essentially enumerative in nature. That is, it provides a guide to the books actually in one library's collections, not a classification of the world.

In 2007 the Wall Street Journal reported that in the countries it surveyed most public libraries and small academic libraries used the older Dewey Decimal Classification system.

The National Library of Medicine classification system (NLM) uses the initial letters W and QS–QZ, which are not used by LCC. Some libraries use NLM in conjunction with LCC, eschewing LCC's R for Medicine. Others use LCC's QP–QR schedules and include Medicine R.

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

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

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

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 – History of the Romani people

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

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 and Sexuality

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

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

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 KBS – Canon law of Eastern churches

Subclass KBT – Canon law of Eastern Rite Churches in Communion with the Holy See of Rome

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 KU/KUQ - Law of Australia and New Zealand

Subclass KZ – Law of nations

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

Class M – Music

Subclass M – Music

Subclass ML – Literature on music

Subclass MT – Instruction and study

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

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 and literature

Subclass PC – Romanic languages

Subclass PD – Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages

Subclass PE – English language

Subclass PF – West Germanic languages

Subclass PG – Slavic languages and literatures. 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, Native American, 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

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

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

Class S – Agriculture

Subclass S – Agriculture (General)

Subclass SB – Horticulture. Plant propagation. Plant breeding

Subclass SD – Forestry. Arboriculture. Silviculture

Subclass SF – Animal husbandry. Animal science

Subclass SH – Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling

Subclass SK – Hunting

Class T – Technology

Subclass T – Technology (General)

Subclass TA – Engineering Civil engineering (General).

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 – Bridges

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 – Manufacturing engineering. Mass production

Subclass TT – Handicrafts. Arts and crafts

Subclass TX – Home economics

Class U – Military Science

Subclass U – Military science (General)

Subclass UA – Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation

Subclass UB – Military administration

Subclass UC – Military maintenance and transportation

Subclass UD – Infantry

Subclass UE – Cavalry. Armor

Subclass UF – Artillery

Subclass UG – Military engineering. Air forces

Subclass UH – Other military services

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

Class Z – Bibliography, Library Science

Subclass Z – Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography

Subclass ZA – Information resources/materials

References

Library of Congress Classification Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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