| |
| The library
reclassification has been completed |
| |
| What this means to you: |
| While the majority of the collection is now in Library of Congress order, not every single book has received a new LC call number yet. For about a year or so, we will have books filed in both Dewey and LC order, in two separate locations. Over the course of the next year, we expect to recatalog all existing Dewey books into LC numbers. Book records in TomCat will reflect whatever the current call number of each book is (i.e. we'll be changing the records in TomCat as we recatalog each book). Please ask
at a librarian if you have any questions and/or can't
find what you're looking for. |
| |
| Explaining the Mysteries of LC |
|
| |
| Library
of Congress (LC) v. Dewey Decimal (Dewey) |
| Virtually every library in the United
States uses one of these two classification schemes to
organize their materials by subject and assign call numbers. |
| |
| Library
of Congress |
Dewey
Decimal |
- 21 broad categories, A-Z (skips I, O, &
W)
- Literature (P) is arranged by nationality
and time period; all work by or about an author
is grouped together.
|
- 10 broad categories, 100, 200... 900
- Public and school libraries usually keep Fiction
in a single A-Z run by author rather than using
the 800s (literature) classification.
|
|
| How Call Numbers Work: LC v
Dewey |
| (for the book Heroes, Rogues and Lovers:
Testosterone and Behavior by James Dabbs, 2000) |
| LC # |
LC Details |
Dewey # |
Dewey Details |
QP 572
.T4
D33
2000
|
Q: Science
QP: Physiology
QP572: Hormones
T4: Testosterone
D33: for author (Dabbs)
2000: publication |
612.61
D111h
|
600s: Technology
610s: Medicine
612: Human Physiology
612.6: Reproduction
612.61: Testosterone
D 111: for author (Dabbs)
h: for title (Heroes...) |
|
| |
| LC and Dewey in a Nutshell |
| LC |
Dewey |
A: General Works
B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C: Genealogy, Biography
D: History, Culture - "Old World"
E-F: History, Culture - Americas
G: Geography
H: Social Sciences
J: Political Science
K: Law
L: Education
M: Music
N: Fine Arts
P: Language & Literature
Q: Science
R: Medicine
S: Agriculture
T: Technology
U-V: Military Science
Z: Library Science |
000: Computers,
information, & general reference
100: Philosophy & psychology
200: Religion
300:Social sciences
400: Language
500: Science
600: Technology
700: Arts & recreation
800: Literature
900: History & geography |
|
| |
| Adapted from: http://www2.clackamas.edu/library/Tutorials/Libraries/ClassifCompare.htm |
| |
| Reasons
for the Conversion |
- Ninety-eight percent of academic libraries in the
United States use the Library of Congress (LC) classification
scheme; it’s the “national standard. It’s
authoritative and efficient… Most academic libraries
with collections larger that 100,000 volumes use LC.”
Converting our collection will bring us in line with
our peer institutions and national standards.
- Because most academic libraries use LC, Aquinas
students who go on to graduate school are likely to
encounter LC at whatever institution they attend.
An LC collection at Aquinas would better prepare students
for that library environment.
- Because most faculty members used LC at the undergraduate
and graduate institutions they attended, they are
already familiar with the system.
- LC is more appropriate for the scholarly resources
the library collects. Because of the way it is structured,
it more easily accommodates scientific and scholarly
titles and more nimbly allows for the inclusion of
new subjects.
- LC classifications do not change like the Dewey
numbers do over time. Therefore, once this conversion
is completed, future classification changes will be
rare.
- LC makes finer distinctions among disciplines and
subjects than Dewey, making it more likely that books
on the same or similar topics will be found near each
other. This will make it easier for our students to
find books on their topics.
- Browsing the stacks for a language or literature
book will be easier because all of an author's works
will be shelved together. For example, if an author
wrote both poetry and fiction, these works will be
together rather than shelved separately as they would
be under a Dewey number (which separates) poetry or
fiction.
- The Library of Congress usually supplies a complete,
unique LC call number for each book it catalogs. Using
the number provided by the Library of Congress would
save time in the cataloging process. Dewey does not
provide a complete call number and time must be spent
creating one.
- LC call numbers are shorter and fit better on library
books. Dewey Decimal Classification call numbers often
require lengthy numbers to the right of the decimal
point. The full number is hidden from view when shelved
because it wraps around the book’s spine.
- LC call numbers include the book’s publication
year. This is extremely helpful when looking for the
most current publications while browsing the collection.
|
| Steps for conversion |
- Weed and inventory collections
- Clean up missing/lost items in database
- Send the database to Marcive for call number conversion
and label making
- Place new LC labels on books and reshelve
- Import the database with converted call numbers
back into Innovative
|
| Time Line |
- Begin cataloging new books in LC - May 2005
- Complete weeding and inventory - December 2005
- Send database to Marcive - mid-December 2005
- Begin conversion - May 2006
- Finish conversion - mid-August 2006
- Flip database - mid-August 2006
|
| In Conclusion |
- Converting to LC will save us money and time, and
books will get on the shelves more quickly.
- LC will better serve the needs of our students and
faculty
- LC is the national standard for academic libraries
and converting will put us on par with our peer institutions.
|
LC places
related subjects together.
Example: Books
about abortion |
Browsing
the stacks for a language or literature book will
be easier because all of an author’s works
will be shelved together in LC. Example: Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow |
| Dewey |
LC |
Dewey |
LC |
Religious aspects
241.6976
A154 |
Religious aspects
HQ
767.3
.A24
1992 |
Poetry
811.34
L853 |
Poetry
PS
2250
.E99
1922 |
Social aspects
363.47
T671
|
Social aspects
HQ
767.3
.T66
1983 |
Essays
818.34
L853
|
Essays
PS
2250
.F29
1909 |
|
