Call Number System - Library of Congress

Library of Congress call numbers

A call number is similar to a street address, it helps you to find an item in a specific spot on the shelf, on a specific floor in our library. Each item has a unique call number based on the subject, but items on the same subject have similar call numbers. This means that related items are shelved together, making it easy for you to discover them by browsing the shelves.

The call number is usually located on (or near) the lower spine of the item.

Read call numbers from left to right, Example: D810.S7M577 2004

On the shelf, read call numbers from top to bottom

810

S7M577

2004

Below is an outline of the Library of Congress Call Number Classification System used by Carleton and most academic libraries.

A-HN: Floor 5 in our Library

A: General Works

AE: Encyclopedias (General)
AI: Indexes
AM: Museums
AP: Periodicals
AS: Academies and learned societies
AY: Yearbooks, Almanacs, Directories

B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

B: History and systems of philosophy
BC: Logic
BD: Speculative philosophy
BF: Psychology
BH: Aesthetics
BJ: Ethics
BL: Religions, Mythology
BM: Judaism
BP: Islam
BQ: Buddhism
BR: Christianity
BS: Bible
BT: Doctrinal theology
BV: Practical theology
BX: Denominations and sects

C-F: History, Description and Travel

CB: History of civilization and culture
CC: Archaeology (General)
CD: Diplomatics, Archives, Seals
CE: Chronology
CJ: Numismatics
CN: Epigraphy
CR: Heraldry
CS: Genealogy
CT: Biography (General)

D: History (General)
DA: Great Britain
DB: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary
DC: France
DD: Germany
DE: Classical Antiquity
DF: Greece
DG: Italy
DK: Russia, Poland
DL: Northern Europe
DP: Spain, Portugal
DQ: Switzerland
DR: Eastern Europe; Turkey
DS: Asia
DS520-DS689: Southeast Asia
DT: Africa
DU: Oceania, Australia, New Zealand

E: America (General), United States
F1-975: United States (local)
F1201-1392: Mexico
F1401-3799: Central and South America, the Caribbean area
FC: Canada

G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

G: Atlases, Globes, Maps
GA: Mathematical geography, Cartography
GB: Physical geography
GC: Oceanography
GF: Human ecology
GN: Anthropology
GR: Folklore
GT: Manners and customs
GV: Sports and recreation
GV1580-GV1799: Dance

H - HN: Social Sciences and Business

H: Social sciences (General)
HA: Statistics
HB: Economic theory, Population
HC: Economic history, Development
HD: Land, Agriculture, Labour, Industry
HE: Transportation and communication
HF: Commerce, Accounting, Marketing
HG: Banking, Finance
HJ: Public finance
HM: Sociology
HN: Social history, Social problems

HQ-PR: Floor 3 in our Library

HQ-HX: Social Sciences and Business

HQ: Family, Marriage, Women
HS: Societies and clubs
HT: Urban Studies, Social Classes, Races
HV: Social work, Criminology
HX: Socialism, Communism, Anarchism

J: Political Science, International Affairs, Public Administration

J: Official documents
JA: Collections and general works
JC: Political theory
JF: Constitutional history and administration
JK: United States
JL: Canada
JN: Europe
JQ: Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania
JS: Local government
JV: Colonies
JX: International affairs, International law

K: Law

K: Law (General)
KD: United Kingdom and Ireland
KE: Canada
KF: United States
KG: Latin America, Mexico and Central America
KH: South America

L: Education

L: Education (General)
LA: History of education
LB: Theory and practice
LC: Social aspects

M: Music

M: Music (General), Scores
ML: Literature of music
MT: Theory of music

N: Fine Arts and Architecture

N: Visual arts (General)
NA: Architecture
NB: Sculpture
NC: Drawing, Design, Illustration
ND: Painting
NE: Print media
NK: Industrial design, Applied arts
NX: Arts in general

P-PR: Languages and Literature

P: Philology and linguistics
PA: Classical languages and literatures
PB: Modern European languages (general)
PC: Romance languages: Italian, French Spanish
PD: Old Germanic and Scandinavian languages
PE: English language
PF: German language
PG: Slavic languages and literature
PH: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literature
PJ: Middle Eastern languages and literature
PK: Indo-Iranian languages and literature
PL: Asian and African languages and literature
PM: American Indian languages
PN: Literature (general and comparative), Broadcasting, Film, Journalism
PN1993-PN1996: Motion Pictures
PQ: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish
PR: English Literature

PS-Z: Floor 1 in our Library

PS-PZ: Languages and Literature

PS: American literature
PS8000 Canadian literature (French and English)
PT: German literature
PZ: Juvenile literature

Q: Science

Q Science (General)
QA: Mathematics, Computer science, Artificial intelligence
QB: Astronomy
QC: Physics, Meteorology
QD: Chemistry
QE: Geology
QH: Natural history, Biology
QK: Botany
QL: Zoology
QM: Human anatomy
QP: Physiology
QR: Microbiology

R: Medicine

R: Medicine (General)
RA: Public health
RB: Pathology
RC: Neurology, Psychiatry, Geriatrics
RD: Surgery
RG: Gynecology and obstetrics
RJ: Pediatrics
RM: Pharmacology
RT: Nursing

S: Agriculture

S: Agriculture (General)
SB: Plant culture
SD: Forestry
SF: Animal culture
SH: Aquaculture, Fisheries, Fishing
SK: Hunting

T: Technology

T: Technology (General)
TA: Engineering (General), Civil engineering, Soil mechanics
TC: Hydraulic engineering
TD: Environmental technology
TE: Highway engineering
TF: Railroad engineering
TG: Bridge engineering
TH: Building construction
TJ: Mechanical engineering and machinery
TK: Electrical engineering, Electronics, Computer science
TL: Motor vehicles, Aeronautics
TN: Mining and metallurgy
TP: Chemical technology
TR: Photography, Cinematography
TS: Manufactures
TT: Handicrafts, Arts and crafts
TX: Home economics, Cooking

U: Military Science

UA: Armies
UB: Military administration
UG: Military engineering
UH: Other services

V: Naval Science

Z: Book industries and trade, Libraries and library science. Bibliography

Note: Here is a more detailed version of the Library of Congress classification system. Their FAQ's will help explain how call numbers are created.