Library of Congress Classification
Listed below are the letters and titles of the main classes of the Library of Congress Classification. Click on any class to view an outline of its subclasses.
B -- Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion
C -- Auxiliary Sciences of History
E -- History of the Americas (United States)
F -- History of the Americas (US local history, North America, Latin America)
G -- Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
Z -- Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources
More Information
Books on LC Classification at the Whitman Library
Books on the history of the Library of Congress at the Whitman Library
What are Library of Congress Call Numbers?
Penrose Library organizes books using Library of Congress call numbers. Similar to the Dewey Decimal classification, Library of Congress call numbers act as a book's address on the shelf. Call numbers are made up of a combination of letters and numbers that represent specific subjects. Library of Congress uses the letters of the alphabet to represent broad subject categories and subdivisions. For example, J represents Political Science and R represents Medicine.
When you find a book you're interested in the catalog, you'll see a location and call number listed. Using The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson as an example, the catalog lists the call number as E185.6.W55 2011. Additionally it indicates the book is shelved on the 3rd Floor and is available for check out.
To understand the call number for this book, here's how to break it down:
E represents the broad subject of History of America. Books are shelved first by this section of the call number, in alphabetical order.
185.6. represents a further refinement of the subject. In this case it stands for African-American history and is treated as a whole number. For example, 185.6 comes after 185.18 but before 186.
.W55, the final element, usually represents the author's name. This section should be read alphabetically, then as a decimal number (not a whole number.) For example, .W55 will come after .W4 and before .W946.
2011 is the year the book was published. Dates do not always appear as part of a call number.
On the Penrose Library shelves, The Warmth of Other Suns is surrounded by these call numbers:
E185.6.W36 1969
E185.6.W4
E185.6.W55 2011
E185.6.W685 2010
E185.6.W7 2002
To help you find where a book is located, call number ranges appear on the end panel of each row of shelves. E185.6.W55 2011 will be in the range of shelving that is labeled E185.6.C534 1989 - E185.86.A3344 1995.
The catalog provides the ability to text message the call number to a personal cell phone. Standard text-messaging fees may apply.
Locations of Library Materials
Allen Room - 2nd Floor
Archives/Special Collections - 1st Floor
Atlases - 1st and 2nd Floor
Audio books - (accessible online)
Documents - 1st and 2nd Floor
eBooks - (accessible online)
General Collection - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floor
Juvenile - 1st Floor
Microforms - in Archives/Special Collections - 1st floor
Northwest Collection - 1st Floor
Oversize/Folio - 1st Floor
Reference - 2nd Floor
Reserves - Circulation desk
Serials - 1st Floor (some accessible online)
Video - 2nd and 3rd Floor
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