How to read a Library of Congress (LC) Call Number
At the Porter Henderson Library, books are shelved according to the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system. Each book in the library has a unique “call number”, which is a combination of letters and numbers. A call number is like an address; it describes the exact location of the book and tells you where to find the book on the shelves. It also tells you something about the subject matter of the book. Each call number may contain three, four or five lines.
Line 1: Defines the general subject class and subclass [B = Philosophy/Religion; BF = Psychology]
Line 2: Classification number - defines a narrower subtopic within the specified class [1078 = Dreams]
Line 3: Cutter number - represents the author’s name or the title of the work [.S5 = Ella Freeman Sharpe]
Line 4: Publication Year [1978 - Usually the year the book was published, but could be the copyright date]
Line 5: Copy number [c.1 - If a library has multiple copies of the same book, these will be identified by a copy number.]
LC call numbers are read from left to right, and from top to bottom. The letters at the beginning of the call number are alphabetical. The numbers immediately following are in basic numerical order, i.e., 5 then 6, 50 is after 49 and before 51, and 100 is after 99. The cutter numbers are sorted first by the letter and then by the number as a decimal.
Location Prefixes
Some call numbers are preceded by a location prefix indicating that the item is shelved in a specific location and may have loan restrictions. For example:
REF - Reference item located in the Reference Collection in the southeast corner of the Learning Commons on the First floor of the Library (non-circulating).
RAD - Reference item located on the corner of the Research Assistance Desk (non-circulating).
Juv - Item located in the Juvenile Collection in the southwest corner of the Basement of the Library
Use the major classification headings listed below as a basic guide to browse shelves in the Porter Henderson Library.
Library of Congress Classification System
| A - General Works | |
| AE - Encyclopedias | |
| AG - Dictionaries and other general reference works | |
| AI - Indexes | |
| AM - Museums. Collectors and collecting | |
| AN - Newspapers | |
| AP - Periodicals | |
| AS - Academies and learned societies | |
| AY - Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories | |
| AZ - History of scholarship and learning. The humanities | |
| B - Philosophy, Psychology, Religion | |
| BC - Logic | |
| BD - Speculative philosophy | |
| BF - Psychology | |
| BH - Aesthetics | |
| BJ - Ethics | |
| BL - Religions. Mythology. Rationalism | |
| BM - Judaism | |
| BP - Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc. | |
| BP - Buddhism | |
| BR - Christianity | |
| BS - The Bible | |
| BT - Doctrinal Theology | |
| BV - Practical Theology | |
| BX - Christian denominations | |
| C - Auxiliary Sciences of History | |
| CB - History of Civilization | |
| CC - Archaeology | |
| CD - Diplomatics. Archives. Seals | |
| CE - Technical Chronology. Calendar | |
| CJ - Numismatics | |
| CN - Inscriptions. Epigraphy | |
| CR - Heraldry | |
| CS - Genealogy | |
| CT - Biography | |
| D - History: General & Outside of the Americas | |
| DA - Great Britain | |
| DB - Austria, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Czechoslovakia | |
| DC - France | |
| DD - Germany | |
| DE - Greco-Roman world | |
| DF - Greece | |
| DG - Italy, Malta | |
| DH - Low Countries, Benelux Countries | |
| DJ - Netherlands (Holland) | |
| DJK - Eastern Europe (general) | |
| DK - Russia, Soviet Union, Former Soviet Republics - Poland | |
| DL - Northern Europe, Scandinavia | |
| DP - Spain, Portugal | |
| DQ - Switzerland | |
| DR - Balkan peninsula | |
| DS - Asia | |
| DT - Africa | |
| DU - Oceania (South Seas) | |
| E - History: United States | |
| F - History: United States - Local & Americas | |
| G - Geography (General), Atlases, Maps | |
| GA - Cartography | |
| GB - Physical geography | |
| GC - Oceanography | |
| GE - Environmental Sciences | |
| GN - Anthropology | |
| GR - Folklore | |
| GT - Manners and customs | |
| GV - Recreation, Leisure | |
| H - Social Sciences | |
| HA - Statistics | |
| HB - Economic theory, Demography | |
| HC - Economic history and conditions | |
| HD - Industries, Land use, Labor | |
| HE - Transportation and communications | |
| HF - Commerce | |
| HG - Finance | |
| HJ - Public Finance | |
| HM - Sociology | |
| HN - Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform | |
| HQ - The family. Marriage. Women | |
| HS - Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. | |
| HT - Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. | |
| HS - Communities. Classes. Races | |
| HV - Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology | |
| HX - Socialism. Communism. Anarchism | |
| J - Political Science | |
| JA - Political science (General) | |
| JC - Political theory | |
| JF - Political institutions and public administration | |
| JJ - Political institutions and public administration (North America) | |
| JK - Political institutions and public administration (United States) | |
| JL - Political institutions and public administration (Canada, Latin America, etc.) | |
| JN - Political institutions and public administration (Europe) | |
| JQ - Political institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area, etc.) | |
| JS - Local government. Municipal government | |
|
JV - Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration JX - International law (This class was used by the Library of Congress until 1997. The Library has over 1,000 titles under JX, with no plans at this time to reclassify them into the new classes, JZ and KZ.) |
|
| JZ - International relations | |
| K - Political Science | |
| KB - Religious law in general. Comparative religious law. Jurisprudence | |
| KE - Canada | |
| KF - United States | |
| KG - Latin America - Mexico and Central America - West Indies. Caribbean area | |
| KH - South America | |
| KJ - KKZ - Europe | |
| KL - KWX - Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Area, and Antarctica | |
| KZ - Law of Nations | |
| L - Education | |
| LA - History of Education | |
| LB - Theory and practice of education | |
| LC - Special aspects of education | |
| LD - Individual institutions - United States | |
| LE - Individual institutions - America (except United States) | |
| LF - Individual institutions - Europe | |
| LG - Individual institutions - Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands | |
| LH - College and school magazines and papers | |
| LJ - Student fraternities and societies, United States | |
| LT - Textbooks | |
| M - Music | |
| ML - Literature on music | |
| MT - Instruction and study | |
| N - Fine Arts | |
| NA - Architecture | |
| NB - Sculpture | |
| NC - Drawing, Design, Illustration | |
| ND - Painting | |
| NE - Print Media | |
| NK - Decorative arts | |
| NX - Arts in general | |
| P - Language | |
| PA - Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature | |
| PB - Modern languages. Celtic languages | |
| PC - Romanic languages | |
| PD - Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages | |
| PD - English language | |
| PF - West Germanic languages | |
| PJ - Oriental languages and literatures | |
| PK - Indo-Iranian languages and literatures | |
| PL - Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania | |
| PN - Literature (General) | |
| PQ - French literature - Italian literature - Spanish literature - Portuguese literature | |
| PR - English literature | |
| PS - American literature | |
| PZ - Fiction and juvenile literature | |
| Q - Science | |
| QA - Mathematics | |
| QB - Astronomy | |
| QC - Physics | |
| QD - Chemistry | |
| QE - Geology | |
| QH - Natural history, Biology | |
| QK - Botany | |
| QL - Zoology | |
| QM - Human anatomy | |
| QP - Physiology | |
| QR - Microbiology | |
| R - Medicine | |
| RA - Public aspects of medicine | |
| RB - Pathology | |
| RC - Internal medicine | |
| RD - Surgery | |
| RE - Ophthalmology | |
| RF - Otorhinolaryngology | |
| RG - Gynecology and obstetrics | |
| RJ - Pediatrics | |
| RK - Dentistry | |
| RL - Dermatology | |
| RM - Therapeutics, Pharmacology | |
| RS - Pharmacy | |
| RT - Nursing | |
| RV - Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine | |
| RX - Homeopathy | |
| RZ - Other systems of medicine | |
| S - Agriculture | |
| SB - Plant culture | |
| SD - Forestry | |
| SF - Animal culture | |
| SH - Aquaculture, Fisheries, Angling | |
| SK - Hunting sports | |
| T - Technology | |
| TA - Engineering (General). Civil engineering | |
| TC - Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering | |
| TD - Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering | |
| TE - Highway engineering. Roads and pavements | |
| TF - Railroad engineering and operation | |
| TG - Bridge engineering | |
| TH - Building construction | |
| TJ - Mechanical engineering and machinery | |
| TK - Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering | |
| TL - Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics | |
| TN - Mining engineering. Metallurgy | |
| TP - Chemical technology | |
| TR - Photography | |
| TS - Manufactures | |
| TT - Handicrafts. Arts and crafts | |
| TX - Home economics | |
| U - Military Science | |
| UA - Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation | |
| UB - Military administration | |
| UC - Maintenance and transportation | |
| UD - Infantry | |
| UE - Cavalry. Armor | |
| UF - Artillery | |
| UG - Military engineering. Air forces | |
| UH - Other services | |
| V - Naval Science | |
| VA - Navies: Organization, distribution, naval situation | |
| VB - Naval administration | |
| VC - Naval maintenance | |
| VD - Naval seamen | |
| VE - Marines | |
| VF - Naval ordnance | |
| VG - Minor services of navies | |
| VK - Navigation. Merchant marine | |
| VM - Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering | |
| Z - Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography | |
| ZA - Information resources (General) | |