Library of Congress

Most of the books in our library are classified using the Library of Congress system. Because this system arranges materials by subject, you can browse books by the call number that matches your topic area (i.e. Q = Science, N = Art, and F = History). This is a quick way to find books on a general subject and is often a good way to discover sources you wouldn't have thought to look for.

Call Number Letter	Subject
A	General works & Encyclopedias
B-BJ	Philosophy & Psychology
BL-BX	Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	History (European/Asian/African/Australian)
E-F	History (the Americas)
G	Geography. Maps. Anthropology. Recreation (and Physical Education)
H-HJ	Social Sciences: Economics
HM-HX	Social Sciences: Sociology
J	Political Science
K	Law
L	Education
M	Music
N	Fine Arts
P-PH	Languages
PG-PZ	Literature
Q	Science
R	Medicine & Nursing
S	Agriculture. Equine Science
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Naval Science
Z	Bibliography

The library uses the system to classify:	the majority of books, videos, DVDs, and CDs.
The system arranges books by:	letters signifying subjects, see table

To read an LC call number, look at it line by line, starting at the top:

The first line of the call number contains letters, arranged alphabetically, which indicate the subject of the work.
The second line contains numbers, arranged numerically (1,2,3, etc.) UNTIL there is a period or decimal point. The numbers further divide by subject.
The third line contains a mix of letters and numbers. Read the letters first, in alphabetical order, then read the number as a decimal (.B4 comes before .T4, and .B61 comes before .B65). The letters are usually the1st letter of the author's last name.
Often times the LC call number also contains a date (1983, 2002, etc.). This is the year the book was published.

LC Example Number: QC 467. M456 1999

This would be a book on the Physics of Light, probably written by someone with the last name beginning with the letter M, and published in 1999. The numbers represent more specific subject breakdowns, within the lettered categories. For example: E 456 through E 655 is the call number range for works on the US Civil War; HQ 12 through HQ 449 represents materials on the topic of Sexual Life; and PZ 3 through PZ 4 includes Modern Fiction.

This might seem confusing. If it is, consult a helpful Librarian for assistance.

To find items with LC call numbers in the Courtright Memorial Library, use the following chart:

A through K are located on the 2nd floor;

L and N through Z are located on the 3rd floor;

M are located on the lower level (in the Music Collection).

Anything with the designation Folio (too large for normal shelves) is located on the 3rd floor