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 the following terms to search by SUBJECT for books on your topic. This list is by no means conclusive.
Here are a few E-books which may help with your research:
Case Closed: Holocaust survivors in postwar America by 
Identity Politics in the Age of Genocide: the Holocaust and Historical Representation by 
Studying the Holocaust: issues, readings and documents by 
Understanding Genocide: the Social Psychology of the Holocaust by Here are some books available in the library which may help you with your research:
The Complete History of the Holocaust by 
Hitler, the Germans, and the Final Solution by 
The Holocaust: a German historian examines the genocide by 
The Holocaust and History : the known, the unknown, the disputed, and the reexamined by 
The Years of Extermination : Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945 by 
Escape-Teens on the Run: primary sources from the Holocaust by 
Hidden Teens, Hidden Lives: primary sources from the Holocaust by 