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Most
academic libraries, including the Hamersly
Library, categorize their collections
with a system developed by the Library
of Congress. Materials are classified
by subject, but unlike the Dewey Decimal
system (in which subjects are assigned
numbers), the subjects are assigned letters.
The first table below shows the general
outline of the scheme; the second provides
some detail. The Library
of Congress provides a further breakdown
of the subclasses.
|
|
|
| A |
General
Works, Encyclopedias |
N |
Fine
Arts, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture |
| B |
Philosophy, Psychology,
Religion |
P |
Language, Literature |
| C-F |
History, Biography |
Q |
Sciences |
| G |
Geography, Anthropology,
Folklore, Sports, Recreation |
R |
Medicine |
| H |
Business, Social
Sciences |
S |
Agriculture, Forestry |
| J-K |
Political Science,
Law |
T |
Technology |
| L |
Education |
U-V |
Military Science |
| M |
Music |
Z |
Bibliographies,
Library Science |
|
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| |
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|
| |
The broad
subject areas designated by the letters
are divided into smaller subject areas by
adding one or two additional letters and
a set of numbers. The call number of a book
or other item, based on this classification
scheme, determines the item's placement
in the shelves. |
|
| |
| A:
General Works |
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N:
Fine Arts |
| AE |
Encyclopedias |
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NA |
Architecture |
| AX |
Almanacs
& Directories |
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NB |
Sculpture |
| B:
Philosophy, Psychology, Religion |
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NC |
Drawing,
Design, & Illustration |
| B-BD |
Philosophy |
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ND |
Painting |
| BF |
Psychology |
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NE |
Print
Media |
| BL-BX |
Religion |
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NK |
Decorative
& Applied Arts |
| C-F:
History |
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P:
Language, Literature |
| CT |
Biography |
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PE |
English
Language |
| DA-DR |
Europe |
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PN |
Comparative
Literature |
| DS |
Asia |
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PQ |
French
& Spanish Literature |
| DT |
Africa |
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PR-PS |
English
& American Literature |
| E-F |
Americas |
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PT |
German
& Scandinavian Literature |
| G:
Geography, Anthropology, Folklore,
Sports, Recreation |
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Q:
Science |
| G-GF |
Geography |
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QA |
Math
& Computer Science |
| GN |
Anthropology |
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QB |
Astronomy |
| GR |
Folklore |
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QC |
Physics |
| GV |
Sports
& Recreation |
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QD |
Chemistry |
| H:
Business, Social Sciences |
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QE |
Geology |
| HB-HD |
Economics |
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QH-QR |
Biology |
| HE-HG |
Business
|
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R:
Medicine |
| HM-HX |
Sociology |
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S:
Agriculture & Forestry |
| HV |
Criminal
Justice |
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T:
Technology |
| J-K:
Political Science, Law |
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TD |
Environment |
| KF |
U.S.
Law |
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TK |
Electronics
& Computers |
| L:
Education |
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TR |
Photography |
| M:
Music |
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TX |
Nutrition |
| ML |
Literature
of Music |
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U-V:
Military Science |
| MT |
Musical
Instruction & Study |
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Z:
Bibliography & Library Science |
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| |
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| Letters
(as shown in the above two tables) are combined
with numbers to create call numbers, which
serve two purposes: to indicate where books
are located, and to group material on the
shelf by subject.
Example: A 1990 book by Cheryl Simon
Silver entitled One Earth, One
Future has the
call number GF 75 .S55 1990
| GF |
represents geography,
specifically human ecology. |
| 75 |
focuses on global
warming. |
| .S55 |
is based on the
author's last name, or (in some cases)
the title of a volume containing
works of many authors. The number
is treated as a decimal, so
GF 75 .S55 would come before
GF 75 .S6 on the shelf |
| 1990 |
represents
the year of publication. |
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