Libraries store and manage thousands materials.

These materials need to be organized in a manner that allows the easiest possible access for the end user.

Classification Systems are the tools Libraries use to organize books and other library materials.

Classification Systems consists of subjects that can be located by call number.

There are several different kinds of classification systems

LC ( Library of Congress Classification System) used mostly in Academic and research libraries. Meant for large libraries.

DDC (Dewey Decimal System) most widely used classification system. Used in small, medium public and school libraries.

SuDocs ( Superintendent Documents Classification) a specialized system of classification for Government Documents.

ANSCR( Alpha-Numeric System for Classification Recordings) Specialized system for classifying sound recordings.

NLM ( National Library of Medicine Classification) A Specialized classification system used in medical libraries.

Classification systems work by organizing like materials together by subject and author.

Within a subject area, materials are further classified by more specific information such as time period, or location.

Each Classification systems utilizes a call number which identifies the location of the book in the library

Classification Systems all use a system of letters and numbers to denote a particular subject.

All call numbers utilize the author’s last name as an access point

Call numbers can also contain the copy numbers, copyright date,

LC Call Number

The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a classification system that was first developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to organize and arrange the book collections of the Library of Congress. Over the course of the twentieth century, the system was adopted for use by other libraries as well, especially large academic libraries in the United States. It is currently one of the most widely used library classification systems in the world.

LCC call number is made up of three elements 1. Subject ( based on 21wide subject classes). 2. These classes are then further broken down by

subject. 3. author initial and numeric determination based on

alphabetic placement

Although all classification systems provide access to information. Some systems work better with specific types of information or in specific types of Libraries.

Libraries choose a classification system based on three factors

1. Collection Size 2. Subjects/ Materials in the Collection3. End User

For example, The DDC is a broad with classification system.

DDC categories encompass many subjects that are loosely related, but easy to search.

This system works well in library that have general subjects, or specific Academic subjects.

Libraries with Small to Medium collections, generally Public Libraries or School libraries favor this system for its ease of use of their patron base.

The Library of Congress Cataloging system is a much narrower system meant for use in libraries that have multiple subcategories.

Not all classification systems classify books.

Many Libraries use classification systems to classify:

Music Art Government Documents

Stands for Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings (ANSCR)

This system is used for sound recordings in Music Libraries and some academic and public libraries.

Like LCC and Dewey ANSCR is a Hierarchical system that uses 46 different subjects that encompass all sound recordings.

ANSCR call number composition ANSCR call number composition consists of four lines of information.

Each item of information is explained below. Term One Term Two Term Three Term Four

Term One Letter or letters representing one of the ANSCR categories

Term Two Based on the ANSCR category specified in Term One, Term Two will be the first

four consecutive letters of the composer's surname, performer's surname, author's surname, title, or topic

Term Three Initial letters of the first three significant words of the title, or the first three

consecutive letters of a one-word title

Term Four First letter of the performer's surname (or production company if a children's

recording) followed by the last two digits of the recording company's production number

Sample ANSCR call number: B PUCC BOH S82

Term One: Opera (B) Term Two: Puccini (PUCC) Term Three: La Boheme (BOH) Term Four: Tullio Serafin, Decca 0082 (S82)

The Superintendent of Documents classification system was developed in the Library of the Government Printing Office between 1895 and 1903.

SuDocs is a classification system created for the many articles that are published by the US Government.

The Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification system is designed to group together publications by the same government author. Within an agency or department, publications are grouped according to the subordinate organization. The purpose of this system is to uniquely identify, logically relate, and physically arrange each publication so that all publications of a single agency or department may be found together.

Each executive department and agency, the Judiciary, Congress, and other major independent establishments are assigned a unique alphabetical identifier, based on the name of the organization, e.g., "A" for Agriculture Department, "JU" for Judiciary, and "NS" for National Science Foundation. However, the letters "X" and "Y" are reserved for Congress. The designation "Z" is not used.

Unlike other classification systems, SuDocs does not use the author’s name as a classification tool. Further since government documents are rarely in book form, each individual document has its own call number.

SuDoc call numbers are divided into two parts:   1.) The stem (the part of the call number to the left of the colon), and   2.) The individual item or book number (the part of the call number to the

right of the colon).   For example: I 19.3:1565  

I 19.3: is the stem 1565 is the book number for this item

I Interior Department [Department] 19. U.S. Geological Survey [Sub-agency] 3: Bulletins [Series Designation] 1565 1565 [Book number]

Call Numbers are the primary access point for finding library materials.

Call numbers provide a lot of information to patrons and Library staff members that help each successfully locate books and other library materials.

No matter what type of classification system your library uses, if materials are not put back in the proper order materials can be lost forever!

For example: What will happen if the catalog says a

books call number is 398.2 CAY, but the label reads 389.2 CAY?

Example:

A thin book, who’s spine is too small for the label is incorrectly shelved. The book is now missing. How will the library staff members find this book?