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; for example, Australia^[1]^[2] and Taiwan, R.O.C.^[3] 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).^[4]^{[citation needed]}

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 his Cutter Expansive Classification and by the DDC, and was designed specifically for the purposes and collection of the Library of Congress. The new system replaced a 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. It has been criticized as 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. 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

Main article: Library of Congress Classification: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

Main article: Library of Congress Classification: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)

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class C -- Auxiliary Sciences of History

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)

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class D -- History, General and Old World

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

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class E -- History of America

[edit] Class F - Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

Main article: Library of Congress Classification:Class F -- Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America

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

Main article: Library of Congress Classification: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

Main article: Library of Congress Classification: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