Subject analysis, library of congress classification, part 1
- 1. Library of Congress Classification (Part 1) November 19, 2012 1
- 2. Overview History Characteristics System Structure Notational Structure Double Cutters Tables Demo in Classification Plus 2
- 3. History LC Classification schedules developed 1898- 1910 Emphasized LC’s collection strengths: social sciences (political science, law, history) Originally, little emphasis on humanities, religion & philosophy 3
- 4. History (cont.) Inearly years, schedules revised periodically Today, schedules are revised continuously Some schedules only recently published: – KIA-KIX, Law of the Indigenous Peoples in the Americas, currently in draft form (2013?) – KBS, Canon Law of Eastern Churches, 2012 – L, Education, revised 2012 – S, Agriculture, revised 2012 4
- 5. Characteristics Enumerative - every topic explicitly listed No synthetic features 3½ shelf feet long in paper! 5
- 6. Characteristics (cont.) Nonexpressive: notation does not reflect hierarchical relationships Example: QH501-531 Life QH540-549.5 Ecology QH573-671 Cytology 6
- 7. Hospitality Very hospitable: ability to accommodate changes is very great – Gaps in lettering & numbering used for new topics – Decimal numbers can be added Examples: Subclass ZA (information resources) added to Z class in 1996 DB919.2.C94 History of Hungary—Ethnography— Elements in the population—Czechs (added October 15, 2012) Monthly lists: http://classificationweb.net/approved/1210.html 7
- 8. System Structure 21 classes using letters A General works B Philosophy. Religion C History: Auxiliary sciences … U Military science V Naval science Z Bibliography. Library science. Info resources 8
- 9. System Structure (cont.) Subclasses usually designated by a second letter (exceptionally by a third) Q Science (general) QA Mathematics QB Astronomy QC Physics 9
- 10. System Structure (cont.) 7 categories provide structure within each schedule as well as within subcategories • Physical format • Philosophy • Study and teaching • General works • Laws and regulations • Juvenile works • Topical subdivisions 10
- 11. Notational structure Alphabetic subclasses are further divided by sequential cardinal numbers from 1 to 9999 Example: QC 1-75 Physics in general QC 81-114 Weights and measures QC 120-168.85 Descriptive and experimental mechanics 11
- 12. Notational structure (cont.) Decimal numbers are sometimes used when topics are added Example: QC 814 Early works through 1800 General works, treatises, and textbooks QC 815 1801-1969 QC 815.2 1970- 12
- 13. Cutter Numbers in Classification Cutter numbers developed for shelflisting – Arranges all works in a class by main entry (author or title) In LCCS, cutter numbers are sometimes used to subdivide classes 13
- 14. Cutter Numbers in Classification (cont.) Examples: Geomagnetism QC 811-QC 849 Observatories QC 818.A2 General works QC 818.A5-Z By region or country, A-Z A work on geomagnetism observatories in Poland would be classed in QC818.P7 14
- 15. Cutter Numbers in Classification (cont.) This results in two cutter numbers: 1. Subclass division 2. Cutter for main entry Example: The geomagnetism observatories of Poland / by I.C. Magnetyt. QC818.P7 $b M34 2012 15
- 16. Cutter Numbers in Classification (cont.) Except in Class G, no more than two cutter numbers are allowed In some cases, two cutter numbers are used in the classification tables. – The 1st cutter is for a topical subclass – The 2nd cutter is for a geographic country or locality or name of a corporate body, etc. – A digit is added to the second cutter for the main entry 16
- 17. Cutter Numbers in Classification (cont.) Example: Propaganda and censorship during Canada’s great war / by Jeff Keshen, 1996. D639 class number for World War I .P7 subclass for propaganda C24 sub-subclass for Canada; added digit for Keshen 1996 year of publication 17
- 18. Tables in LCCS Recurring patterns of subdivisions appear in tables References to tables appear in the schedules Tables may contain: – Cutter numbers to be added to a base class, or – Arabic numbers to be added to a base number 18
- 19. Classification Web Demo Classificationschedules and tables Classificationweb.net 19
- 20. In-class exercise: classifying beavers (bobry) Classify the following topics: Mammals of the world Mammals of Poland Beaver reproduction Rodent reproduction Ecology of beavers Aquatic mammals of Central Europe Fossil beavers 20