In-Depth Peek:

Library of Congress Classification System

Use this table to decipher the two- and three-letter codes that call numbers in the Library of Congress classification system begin with.

Library of Congress Main Classes Click a letter to jump to see more details
A	General Works
B	Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	History, General and old World
E-F	History, America
G	Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H	Social Sciences
J	Political Science
K	Law
L	Education
M	Music and Books on Music
N	Fine Arts
P	Language and Literature
Q	Science
R	Medicine
S	Agriculture
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Naval Science
Z	Bibliography. Library Science

A: GENERAL WORKS
AC	Collections. Series. Collected works
AC	Collections. Series. Collected works
AE	Encyclopedias (General)
AG	Dictionaries; general reference books
AI	Indexes (General)
AM	Museums
AN	Newspapers
AP	Periodicals (General)
AS	Academics and learned societies (General)
AY	Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories
AZ	History of scholarship and learning. The humanities; Popular errors, delusions, superstitutions

B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
B	Philosophy (General)
BC	Logic
BD	Speculative Philosophy
BF	Psychology
BH	Aesthetics
BJ	Ethics. Social Usages. Etiquette
BL	Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
BM	Judaism
BP	Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.
BQ	Buddhism
BR	Christianity
BS	The Bible
BT	Doctrinal theology
BV	Practical theology
BX	Christian denominations

C: Auxiliary Sciences of History
C	Auxiliary sciences of history (General)
CB	History of civilization
CC	Archaeology (General)
CD	Diplomatics. Archives. Seals
CE	Technical chronology. Calendar
CJ	Numismatics
CN	Inscriptions. Epigraphy
CR	Heraldry
CS	Genealogy
CT	Biography

D: History: General and Old World
D	History (General)
DA	Great Britain
DB	Austria. Liechtenstein. Hungary. Czechoslovakia
DC	France. Andorra. Monaco
DD	Germany
DE	The Mediterranean. Greco-Roman World
DF	Greece
DG	Italy
DH	Netherlands (Holland)
DJK	Eastern Europe
DK	Soviet Union
DL	Northern Europs. Scandinavia
DP	Spain. Portugal
DQ	Switzerland
DR	Balkan Peninsula
DS	Asia
DT	Africa
DU	Oceania (South Seas)
DX	Gypsies

E - F History: America
E 11-29	America (General)
E 31-46	North America
E 51-99	Indians. Indians of North America
E 101-135	Discovery of North America. Early Explorations
E 151	United States (General)
E 184-185.98	Elements in the population
E 184.5-185.98	African-Americans
E 186-199	Colonial History
E 201-298	Revolution
E 301-453	Revolution to the Civil War
E 351-364.9	War of 1812
E 401-415.2	War with Mexico
E 441-453	Slavery
E 456-655	Civil War
E 482-489	Confederate States of America
E 600-738	Late nineteenth century
E 714-735	Spanish-American War
E 740-	Twentieth Century
F 1-975	United States local history
F 1001-1140	British America. Canada
F 1202-2191	Mexico. Latin America. Central America. West Indies
F 2201-3799	South America

G: Geography (General) Atlases, Maps
GA	Mathematical geography. Cartography
GB	Physical geography
GC	Oceanography
GF	Human Ecology. Anthropogeography
GN	Anthropology
GR	Folklore
GT	Manners and customs (General)
GV	Recreation. Leisure

H: Social Sciences
H	Social Sciences (General)
HA	Statistics
HB	Economic Theory. Demography
HC	Economic history and conditions
HD	Industries. Land Use. Labor
HE	Transportation and communication
HF	Commerce
HG	Finance
HJ	Public Finance
HM	Sociology (general and theoretical)
HN	Social history/problems/reform
HQ	The family. Marriage. Women
HS	Societies: secret, benevolent, etc. Clubs
HT	Communities. Classes. Races
HV	Social pathology/public welfare. Criminology
HX	Socialism. Communism. Anarchism

J: Political Science
J	General legislative and executive papers
JA	Collections and general works
JC	Political theory
JF	General works
JK	United States
JL	British America. Latin America
JN	Europe
JQ	Asia. Africa. Australia. Oceania
JS	Local government
JV	Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration
JX	International law. International relations

L: Education
L	Education (General)
LA	History of Education
LB	Theory and Practice of Education (LB 1140-1602: Early Childhood Education)
LC	Special Aspects of Education
LD	Schools: United States
LE	Schools: America, except United States
LF	Schools: Europe
LG	Schools: Asia. Africa. Oceania
LH	College and school magazines and papers
LJ	Student fraternities and societies, U.S.
LT	Textbooks

M: Music and Books on Music
M	Music (General)
ML	Literature of Music
MT	Musical instruction and study

N: Fine Arts
N	Visual Arts
NA	Architecture
NB	Sculpture
NC	Drawing. Design. Illustration
ND	Painting
NE	Print media
NK	Decorative and applied arts. Decoration and ornament
NX	Arts in general

P: Language and Literature
P	Philology and linguistics (General)
PA	Classical languages and literatures
PB	Modern European languages
PC	Romance languages
PD	Germanic languages
PE	English
PF-PM	Other languages
PN	Literature
PQ	Romance literatures
PR	English literature
PS	American literature
PT	Germanic literature
PZ	Juvenile literature

Q: Science
Q	Science (General)
QA	Mathematics
QB	Astronomy
QC	Physics
QD	Chemistry
QE	Geology
QH	Natural History (General) Biology (General)
QK	Botany
QL	Zoology
QM	Human anatomy
QP	Physiology
QR	Microbiology

R: Medicine
R	Medicine (General)
RA	Public Aspects of Medicine
RB	Pathology
RC	Internal medicine
RD	Surgery
RE	Opthamology
RF	Otorhinolaryngology
RG	Gynecology and obstetrics
RJ	Pediatrics
RK	Dentistry
RL	Dermatology
RM	Therapeutics. Pharmacology
RS	Pharmacy and materia medica
RT	Nursing
RV	Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine
RX	Homeopathy
RZ	Other systems of medicine

S: Agriculture
S	Agriculture (General)
SB	Plant culture (317.5-450.87: Horticulture)
SD	Forestry
SF	Animal Culture
SH	Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
SK	Hunting

T: Technology
T	Technology (General)
TA	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TC	Hydraulic engineering
TD	Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
TE	Highway engineering. Roads and pavements
TF	Railroad engineering and operation
TG	Bridge engineering
TH	Building construction
TJ	Mechanical engineering and machinery
TK	Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
TL	Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
TN	Mining engineering. Metallurgy
TP	Chemical technology
TR	Photography
TS	Manufacturers
TT	Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
TX	Home economics (TD341-840: Nutrition through Cookery)

U: Military Science
U	Military Science (General)
UA	Armies: Organization, description, facilities, etc.
UB	Military administration
UC	Maintenance and transportation
UD	Infantry
UE	Cavalry. Armored and mechanized cavalry
UF	Artillery
UG	Military engineering. Air forces. Air warfare
UH	Other services

V: Naval Science
V	Naval Science (General)
VA	Navies: Organization, description, facilities. etc.
VB	Naval administration
VC	Naval maintenance
VD	Naval seamen
VE	Marines
VF	Naval ordnance
VG	Minor services of navies
VK	Navigation. Merchant marine
VM	Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering (VM975-989: Diving)

Z: Library Science