 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 Collection
3. 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?