How to Read an LC Call Number

Barbara BeraLIS 457

What is an LC call number?

• LCCN stands for Library of Congress Call Number• It is a classification system used to organize books

on a library shelf.• Books are arranged using letters and/or numbers

that group books together according to topics.

Who uses LC call numbers?

• Libraries in the United States use either the Library of Congress Classification System or the Dewey Decimal Classification System.• Most academic libraries use LC• Most public libraries and K-12 school libraries use

Dewey

How are LC call numbers organized?

• Books are grouped together on similar subjects • There are 21 main LC classes• Each class is given a letter of the alphabet

Examples of classes• A. General Works• B. Philosophy, Psychology,

Religion• C. Auxiliary Sciences of History• D. World History and History of

Europe• E. History of the Americas• K. Law

• L. Education• M. Music• N. Fine Arts• P. Language and Literature• Q. Science• R. Medicine• T. Technology

Subclasses of main classifications

• Within each of the main classes are subclasses • Subclasses are indicated when the call

number begins with two or more letters

Examples of subclasses for the main class H. Social Sciences

• HA-HJ Business and Economics

• HA Statistics• HB Economics• HC Economic Policy and

Conditions• HD Management

• HE Communications and Transportation

• HF Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources

• HG Finance• HJ Public Finance• HT Communities; Classes;

Races

Let’s break down a call number

The Making of America: the Substance and Meaning of the Constitution by W.

Cleon SkousenKF 4541 .S55 1985 HCC

KF

• K is the classification for Law• KF is the subclass meaning United States

• Therefore, KF is the Law of the United States

4541

• KF 1 – 9827 is Federal Law, Common and Collective State Law

• KF 4541 – 4545 is Constitutional History of the United States

.S55

• The third line of a call number is the Cutter Number. It usually indicates the author or the title of the book if there is no specific author.

• The S stands for Skousen, the author of this book.• Cutter Numbers are taken from a table created by Charles

Cutter. In the table, letters are replaced by numbers according to the rules of the table. The numbers 55 are from the table and distinguish the author’s name.

1985

•The final line of numbers gives the year of publication of the work.

HCC

• The last line of this particular LC call number is unique to this library

• HCC stands for Harnett County Campus, a branch of Central Carolina Community College

• This college library is the home of this book

KF 4541 .S55 1985 HCCThe call number should

make perfect sense for this book now

Thank you very much for viewing this slide presentation

• I hope you now have a better understanding of the Library of Congress Classification System and LC call numbers in general.