Library of Congress
Classification System
This and other research guides are on the ACC Library web page,
http://library.sunyacc.edu,
under Research Guides & Tutorials.
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(518) 743-2260
Most college libraries in the United States, including the ACC Library, arrange books by the Library of Congress (LC) classification system. It uses both letters and numbers to create a call number. The call number, listed on a book’s spine, is a code for the main subject of the book. Books are therefore arranged by subject.
The Library of Congress developed this alphanumeric system in the early 1900s as a more precise way to find books than Dewey Decimal System, which uses numbers only. Created by Melville Dewey in 1876, the Dewey system is usually used in public and smaller school libraries.
To learn how to locate a book using the Library of Congress system, go to the ACC Library Web page > Research Guides & Tutorials > Finding a Book in the ACC Library.
The 21 main classes and selected subclasses are listed below. For a full list, see the “Library of Congress Classification System” charts posted in the ACC Library, or visit http://lcweb.loc.gov/cds/classif.html.
A GENERAL WORKS
| AC Collections | AG Dictionaries | AM Museums |
| AE Encyclopedias | AI Indexes | AY Yearbooks, Almanacs, Directories |
B PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION
| B Philosophy (General) | BJ Ethics, Social Usages, Etiquette | BR Christianity |
| BC Logic | BL Religion, Mythology, Rationalism | BS The Bible |
| BD Speculative philosophy | BM Judaism | BT Doctrinal theology |
| BF Psychology, Parapsychology, Occultism | BP Islam, Bahaism, Theosophy, etc. | BV Practical theology |
| BH Aesthetics | BQ Buddhism | BX Christian denominations |
C AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
| C History (General) | CD Diplomatics, Archives, Seals | CR Heraldry |
| CB History of civilization | CE Technical chronology, Calendar | CS Genealogy |
| CC Archaeology | CJ Numismatics | CT Biography |
D HISTORY: GENERAL AND EUROPE
| D General | DF Greece | DP Spain, Portugal |
| DA Great Britain | DG Italy | DQ Switzerland |
| DAW Central Europe | DH Low Countries, Benelux Countries | DR Balkan Peninsula, Turkey |
| DB Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia | DJ Netherlands (Holland) | DS Asia |
| DC France | DJK Eastern Europe | DT Africa |
| DD Germany | DK Russia, Soviet Union, Former Soviet Republics, Poland | DU Oceania, Australia, New Zealand |
| DE Greco-Roman World | DL Northern Europe, Scandinavia | DX Gypsies |
E-F HISTORY: AMERICA
| E United States (General) | F U.S. local history, Canada, Latin America |
G GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY, RECREATION
| G General, Atlases, Maps | GC Oceanography | GN Anthropology | |
| GA Mathematical geography, Cartography | GE Environmental sciences | GR Folklore | |
| GB Physical geography | GF Human ecology, Anthropogeography | GT Manners & Customs (General) | |
| GV Recreation, Sports, Games |
H SOCIAL SCIENCES
| H Social Sciences (General) | HF Commerce | HQ Family, Marriage, Women |
| HA Statistics | HG Finance | HS Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. |
| HB-HC Economics | HJ Public finance | HT Communities, Classes, Races |
| HD Land, Agriculture, Industry, Labor | HM Sociology | HV Social pathology, Social services, Criminology |
| HE Transportation and communications | HN Social history and conditions, Social problems & reform | HX Socialism, Communism, Anarchism |
J POLITICAL SCIENCE
| J General legislative & executive papers | JN - Europe |
| JA Political science (General) | JQ - Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific area |
| JC Political theory | JS Local government, Municipal government |
| JF Political institutions & public administration - General | JV Colonies and colonization, Emigration and immigration |
| JK - United States | JZ International relations |
| JL - Canada, Latin America |
K LAW
| K Comparative and uniform law, jurisprudence | KF United States | KL-KW Asia, Africa, Pacific Area, Antarctica |
| KD United Kingdom and Ireland | KG Latin America, Central America | KZ Law of nations |
| KDZ America, North America | KH South America | |
| KE Canada | KJ-KK Europe |
L EDUCATION
| L Education (General) | LD Individual institutions - United States | LH College and school magazines and papers |
| LA History of education | LE - America (except United States) | LJ Student fraternities & societies, U. S. |
| LB Theory and practice of education | LF - Europe | |
| LC Special aspects of education | LG - Asia, Africa, Oceania |
M MUSIC
| M Musical works | ML Literature on music | MT Musical instruction and study |
N FINE ARTS
| N Visual Arts (General) | NC Drawings, Design, Illustration | NK Decorative arts, Applied arts |
| NA Architecture | ND Painting | NX Arts in general |
| NB Sculpture | NE Print media |
P LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
| P Philology, Linguistics | PJ Oriental & Semitic languages and literatures | |
| PA Greek and Latin languages and literature | PL Languages, literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania | |
| PB Modern languages (General), Celtic languages | PK Indo-Iranian languages and literatures | |
| PC Romance languages | PM Hyperborean, Indian, and Artificial languages | |
| PD Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages | PN Literature (General) | |
| PE English language | PQ French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese literatures | |
| PF West Germanic languages | PR English literature | |
| PG Slavic, Baltic, Albanian languages, literature | PS American literature | |
| PH Uralic, Basque languages and literatures | PZ Fiction and Juvenile belles lettres |
Q SCIENCE
| Q Science (General) | QD Chemistry | QL Zoology |
| QA Mathematics | QE Geology | QM Human anatomy |
| QB Astronomy | QH Natural History, Biology | QP Physiology |
| QC Physics | QK Botany | QR Microbiology |
R MEDICINE
| R Medicine (General) | RF Otorhinolaryngology | RS Pharmacy and materia medica |
| RA Public aspects of medicine | RG Gynecology and obstetrics | RT Nursing |
| RB Pathology | RJ Pediatrics | RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine |
| RC Internal Medicine | RK Dentistry | RX Homeopathy |
| RD Surgery | RL Dermatology | RZ Other systems of medicine |
| RE Ophthalmology | RM Therapeutics, Pharmacology |
S AGRICULTURE
| S Agriculture (General) | SD Forestry | SH Aquaculture, Fisheries, Angling |
| SB Plant Culture | SF Animal culture | SK Hunting sports |
T TECHNOLOGY
| T Technology (General) | TK Electrical & nuclear engineering, Electronics |
| TA Engineering (General), Civil engineering | TL Motor vehicles, Aeronautics, Astronautics |
| TC Hydraulic engineering, Ocean engineering | TN Mining engineering, Metallurgy |
| TD Environmental technology, Sanitary engineering | TP Chemical technology |
| TE Highway engineering, Roads and pavements | TR Photography |
| TF Railroad engineering and operation | TS Manufactures |
| TG Bridge engineering | TT Handicrafts, Arts and crafts |
| TH Building construction | TX Home economics, Hospitality industry |
| TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery |
U MILITARY SCIENCE
| UE Cavalry, Armor | UG Military engineering, Air forces |
V NAVAL SCIENCE
| VE Marines | VM Shipbuilding, Marine engineering |
Z BIBLIOGRAPHY, LIBRARY SCIENCE, INFORMATION RESOURCES
| Z Books, Writing. Book Industries and Trade | ZA Information resources (General) |
Updated May 2008/JM