Practical Guide to Library of Congress Classification

by Karen Snow

A Practical Guide to Library of Congress Classification is a hands-on introduction to LC Classification. The book examines each part of the LCC call number and how it is assembled and guides the reader through each step of finding and constructing LCC class numbers in Classification Web (the primary resource used to access LCC). Chapter coverage is complete: 1. Introduction 2. Library of Congress Classification in a Nutshell 3. Breaking Down the Library of Congress Call Number 4. Dates 5. Cutters 6. LCC in Classification Web 7. Basic LCC Call Number Building 8. Advanced Call Number Building 9. Classifying Fiction in LCC 10. Finding and using LCC Resources Exercises at the end of most chapters give readers immediate practice with what they just learned. Answers to the exercises are provided at the end of the book. By the end of the book readers will be able to build an LCC call number on their own.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science

172 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2017

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a fellow (anonymous/Facebook) cataloguer when I needed help wrapping my head around the differences between Dewey Decimal Classification (which I'd been using professional for nearly two decades) and Library of Congress Classification (which is used in academic libraries) -- specifically issues understanding Cutter tables.

Even though it is an introductory/basic book, it's been a fantastic help to me! My borrowed copy has many flags sticking out and my own copy is currently being shipped from Amazon.

Highly recommend this as a professional resource.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my cataloging professor recommended this, I immediately asked our library to buy it--after all, we had an LCC homework assignment due soon!  This book was so incredibly valuable.  From outlining the differences and necessities of so many subject headings, and the reasoning for their breakdown, and how ClassWeb functions, and how to input this catalog in MARC formatting, there was just so much that I didn't even realized needed reinforcing.  She even includes cutters and what years to include when you have a few dates listed for a text!

Not only that, but this book was so readable.  Everything is broken into nice chunks of text, and Snow includes various photographs of websites, examples, and hypothetical books to catalog.  It was all so helpful and necessary for such a confusing system, and she did a great job of making it much more understandable and palatable.  I definitely recommend this if you're thinking about being a cataloger, or if you're interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes work of librarianship!

Review cross-listed here!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is concise and outcome-focused. For an entry-level cataloging student, this is the perfect introduction to LCC. The practice problems with rich, explanatory answer keys help readers apply classification rules and raise further lines of inquiry. I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in LCC and I insist all Dominican University MLIS candidates read this book at least once.