Ever wonder how books are shelved?
In this library we use The Library of Congress Classification System to organize books on the shelves. The LC SYSTEM organizes material in libraries according to twenty-one branches of knowledge called classes. The system uses letters to represent the twenty-one broad branches of knowledge. The letters I, O, W, X AND Y are not used.
The twenty-one classes are:
A – GENERAL WORKS
B – PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION
C – AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
D – HISTORY: GENERAL & OUTSIDE THE AMERICAS
E – HISTORY: UNITED STATES
F – HISTORY: UNITED STATES LOCAL & AMERICAS
G – GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY, RECREATION
H – SOCIAL SCIENCE
J – POLITICAL SCIENCE
K – LAW
L – EDUCATION
M – MUSIC & BOOKS ON MUSIC
N – FINE ARTS
P – LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
Q – SCIENCE
R – MEDICINE
S – AGRICULTURE
T – TECHNOLOGY
U – MILITARY SCIENCE
V – NAVAL SCIENCE
Z – BIBLIOGRAPHY, LIBRARY SCIENCE & INFORMATION RESOURCES
These twenty-one broad subject areas are further divided into more specific subject areas by adding one or two additional letters as well as some numbers. For a more detailed breakdown of any subject, go to the Library of Congress web page.
So, How Do I Find a Book on the Shelf?
Try this exercise, which was put together by the librarians at Kent State University, to see if you have figured out the Library of Congress system!
Finding Books on Your Topic
Once you have chosen a topic and done your background research you will be ready to conduct more comprehensive research using books.
Use the Library Catalog to find books available in the Cerritos College Library. Books can provide a broad overview of a topic or in-depth information. You can search for books by author, title, subject, or keyword.
Use these Subject Headings to start a Cerritos Catalog Book search under that Subject Heading.
African American art
African American art -- Exhibitions.
African American artists
African American arts
African American dance
African American painting
African American photographers
African American theatre
African American women artists
African Americans -- music
African Americans in art -- Exhibitions.
African Americans in the performing arts
Afrofuturism
American Literature -- African American authors
Art and race
Black Arts Movement
Harlem Renaissance
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
Women, Black, in art.
Women, Black, in art -- Exhibitions.
Have you tried Electronic Books for your research?
Electronic Books or eBooks are simply the digital versions of published print materials. They are available and searchable 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Most of the eBooks owned by the library can be found on our Library catalog. You can also browse or search one of the many Cerritos College Libary eBook collections listed below to access a wide range of research, reference, and reading materials.
To search for specific eBooks in the library collection: Use the Library Catalog to search by subject, keyword, author, or title. Watch this video to learn how to limit your catalog search to eBooks. To download EBSCO eBooks view these instructions: Document or Slideshow |
Below you will find a list of the library's eBook Collections and the type of sources they contain.
eBook collection containing encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and guides from ABC-CLIO, Greenwood Press, Libraries Unlimited, and Praeger. These ebooks complement the library collection of ABC-CLIO databases.
Access more that 12,700 new books and classic titles or search for eBooks in our catalog by author, title or subject.
Scholarly and popular ebooks.
Provides access to more than 270 reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Provides access to reference sources in African American studies featuring the Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-1895; the African American National Biography project; the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present; Black Women in America; and Africana.
Comprehensive reference resource for all aspects of the visual arts worldwide, from prehistory to the present day. Library subscribes to content with a green unlocked icon