Student Assistant Training: Module 5

LIBRARY of CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION TRAINING

What is Library of Congress Classification?

The Library of Congress classification system (LCC) is an alphanumeric system which groups books by subject categories, or classes. This is the system used by most academic and research libraries. In LCC, letters are assigned to each subject or class. The numbers following the letters describe the content of the book more specifically, and indicate the author and publication date.

Learning to work with this system will allow you to accurately locate books within the library, place books in order in the stacks or on reserve shelves, and shelf-read (check to make sure books are in the correct order).

From LoC.gov

The system (LCC) divides all knowledge into twenty-one basic classes, each identified by a single letter of the alphabet. Most of these alphabetical classes are further divided into more specific subclasses, identified by two-letter, or occasionally three-letter, combinations. For example, class N, Art, has subclasses NA, Architecture; NB, Sculpture, ND, Painting; as well as several other subclasses. Each subclass includes a loosely hierarchical arrangement of the topics pertinent to the subclass, going from the general to the more specific. Individual topics are often broken down by specific places, time periods, or bibliographic forms (such as periodicals, biographies, etc.). Each topic (often referred to as a caption) is assigned a single number or a span of numbers. Whole numbers used in LCC may range from one to four digits in length, and may be further extended by the use of decimal numbers. Some subtopics appear in alphabetical, rather than hierarchical, lists and are represented by decimal numbers that combine a letter of the alphabet with a numeral, e.g. .B72 or .K535

Online Training Module:

1. Go to the Kent Library LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TUTORIAL - CALL NUMBER AND SHELVING page at http://www.library.kent.edu/library-congress-tutorial-call-number-and-shelving#
2. Read the Library of Congress shelving rules and complete the training activities, following the link, on to the

Once you have completed this training:

Check in with a librarian to sort the returns cart or another selection of books and have your work checked.

Opening the Library:

Student Assistants may be asked to turn the elevator on during an opening shift.

**Prior to being assigned an opening shift, ensure that students are aware of this process as well as comfortable obtaining entrance to the building. (If they arrive before the doors are unlocked they should call ext. 3106).

Closing the Library:

Do an announcement and a final count a half hour before closing time, making sure to check in with patrons with headphones and students in rooms. Announcement script is located by the intercom.

Do a final announcement 15-10 minutes before closing and turn off lights and check who is left. Student assistants at the desk can keep count of students leaving and turn off the elevator. After everyone leaves, turn off final lights and shut the gate.

Demo: How to use the intercom, turn off the elevator, show where the light switches are and how to shut the gate.