What it is: The Library of Congress Classification System was created in the late 1890s due to the increasing amount of materials and the need for a new system that would be able to organize the growing collection more effectively. Both Charles Cutter's classification system and the Dewey Decimal System were considered, but were found unsuitable for the collection of the Library of Congress. Thus, the Library of Congress Classification System came into existence. Due to the large expanse of their collection and the amount of materials that were also available in other libraries, this system has become one of the most popular systems in use to this day (Intner & Weihs, 2015).
How it Works: There are eight principles that sum up the basis of categorization and arrangement in the LC system:
Discipline Classification
Close classification, meaning the topics are narrow
Literary Warrant
Enumeration
Alphabetic Arrangement through Cutter Numbers (For more information on Cutter numbers, see the additional resources at the bottom of this page)
Geographic Arrangement
Relative Location
Mixed Notation for flexibility and better representation of materials
(Intner & Weihs, 2015)
Advantages of LC:
Enables the categorization of large collections
Seldomly change the meanings of existing numbers and the division of topics
Considered to have more logical arrangment of topics than the Dewey Decimal System
Prepares students for using the libraries in their communities and for going on to higher education
Many libraries use it, creating a large support system for librarians
(Intner & Weihs, 2015)
Disadvantages of LC:
More expensive than Dewey
Close classification not as advantageous for smaller libraries due to fragmentatin of related subjects
More than one alphabetic index system
Inconsistent arrangement of subtopics in main classes
Groups arranged alphabetically instead of hierarchically
Can be difficult if no other libraries use this system, as copying and sharing classification numbers can be a major advantage in saving time and consistency
(Intner & Weihs, 2015)
Additional Resources and More In-depth Explanations of the Library of Congress Classification System