The Library of Congress Classification System is used to organize books on the shelves in many college and university libraries throughout the United States and the world, including right here at Cerritos College. The LC Classification System organizes material in libraries according to twenty-one branches of knowledge called "classes". The system uses letters to represent these 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 example:
P LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
P Linguistics
PA Classical Languages
PD–PF Germanic Languages
PJ–PL Oriental Languages
PN General & Comparative Literature
PQ Romance Languages
PR English Literature
PS American Literature
PT Germanic Literature
Q SCIENCE
QA Mathematics
QA75 Computers
QC Physics
QD Chemistry
QH Natural History, Biology
QK Botany
QL Zoology
QM Human Anatomy
R MEDICINE
R General, Medical Records
RC Internal Medicine, Diagnosis
RG–RJ Gyn/Obs, Pediatrics
RK Dentistry
RM–RS Pharmacology
RT Nursing
For a detailed breakdown of all subjects, go to the Library of Congress web page.