Library of Congress Call Numbers : Introduction

Most call numbers have four parts :

• General / Broad Subject

• Narrower subtopic

• Cutter Number (represents author, corporation, or title)

• Year of Publication 

Some call numbers will also list volume or copy number as well. 

Most academic libraries including the Millsaps-Wilson Library use the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System to arrange books and other items on the the library shelves. This system allows each item to be assigned a unique call number. A call number is like an address; it indicates where the item is located on the library shelves. 

The LC system arranges materials into classes based on subject.  Each class contains multiple subclasses. 

Click on any of the LC classes below for more information.  

A—GENERAL WORKS

B—PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION

C—AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY

D—WORLD HISTORY AND HISTORY OF EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, ETC.

E—HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS

F—HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS

G—GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION

H—SOCIAL SCIENCES

J—POLITICAL SCIENCE

K—LAW

L—EDUCATION

M—MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC

N—FINE ARTS

P—LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Q—SCIENCE

R—MEDICINE

S—AGRICULTURE

T—TECHNOLOGY

U—MILITARY SCIENCE

V—NAVAL SCIENCE

Z—BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE. INFORMATION RESOURCES (GENERAL)

"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." 

(Library of Congress,  https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcc.html)