What is Library of Congress Classification?
Library of Congress Classification, or LCC, is a way many academic libraries choose to organize their collections by subject. Organizing materials by a call number makes an item easier for patrons to find on the shelf. Library of Congress call numbers use an alpha-numeric system, or a system using both letters and numbers, to classify items. Each LC call number begins with a letter of the alphabet, which identifies the broad subject category in which the item belongs. In order to determine what items go in which subject area and the divisions of that subject area, we use a Classification schedule. Classifying by Library of Congress As we mentioned above, each call number in the LC Classification scheme begins with a letter of the alphabet. This identifies the broad subject category in which the item belongs. Every letter or number following the first letter of the call number classifies the call number under more specific terms. Call numbers get more and more specific as you move furth
