Twenty-Minute Library Tips

A presentation about the Library of Congress classification system and how you can use it to find books in our library!

Beth Given15th November, 2008

What is LC Classification?

• LC stands for Library of Congress, which along with the Dewey classification system is one of the major ways in which libraries classify and shelve books

• LC assigns call numbers by subjects

• Libraries also use LC Subject Headings in online catalogs

LC classification

How do you use LC classification to find books?

You can use the LC to browse for books:

• Find a book you want by using a keyword search in the online catalog• Or you can look at the list of major subject classifications and find your topic• Another way to find books on a topic is to find the call number for a subject area you’re interested in and browse the shelves in this range

Performing a catalog search

Why use LC?

• As a library patron, you can use minimal knowledge of LC to more effectively find the resources you need.

•Knowing how to use LC is a great way to find more resources. For example, if you search the online catalog for “subject keywords” and then view the catalog record for additional related Subject Headings you may uncover more topics to search for than you may have originally considered

For more information check out:

•The Library of Congress Classification Outline: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/

• This site compares the Dewey classification scheme with the LC system: http://kcfac.kilgore.edu/library/dewey_lc.htm

E-mail: lgiven@iupui.edu

Any questions?