Library Instruction: Library of Congress Call Numbers
Arthur Lakes Library
Colorado School of Mines
1400 Illinois Street
Golden, Colorado 80401
Phone: (303) 273-3911
Fax: (303) 273-3199
www.mines.edu/library

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Books and other materials in the Library are organized by call number into specific groups according to the Library of Congress (LC) classification system.

  • A call number is a combination of numbers and letters that indicates the address or location of an item in the Library.
Library of Congress Call Numbers:

The books in the Arthur Lakes Library are arranged by Library of Congress Call Numbers.  This system separates all knowledge into 21 main classes, as outlined below.  It can be helpful to learn the call numbers used for your area of study.  This allows you to physically or virtually (using Catalyst) browse the Library's shelves.

To view a breakdown of the main class subclasses, see the Library of Congress Classification Outline (you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents).

For further assistance on this or any other library-related topic, contact a Reference Librarian.

A: General Reference Works
  • Encyclopedias, almanacs and other general reference works.
B: Philosophy and Religion
  • B : Philosophy (General)
  • BC: Logic
  • BF: Psychology
  • BL: Religion/Mythology
  • BM: Judaism
  • BP: Islam
  • BQ: Buddhism
  • BR: Christianity
C: Auxiliary Science of History
  • CB: History of Civilization
  • CC: Archaeology
  • CD: Archives
  • CR: Heraldry
  • CS: Genealogy
  • CT: Biography (General)
D: History
  • D: World History, including the World Wars
  • DA: Great Britain
  • DB: Austria
  • DC: France
  • DD: Germany
  • DE: Mediterranean region
  • DS: Asia
  • DT: Africa
  • DU: Oceania, Australia & New Zealand
E to F: History
  • E: America (General)
  • F: Local and Regional History: United States, Canada & Latin America
G: Geography, Anthropology, Folklore
  • G: Geography (General)
  • GB: Physical Geography
  • GC: Oceanography
  • GN: Anthropology
  • GR: Folklore
  • GV: Recreation
H: Social Sciences
  • HA: Statistics
  • HB: Economics
  • HF: Commerce
  • HG: Finance
  • HM: Sociology
  • HQ: Family. Marriage. Women
  • HV: Social pathology. Social service. Criminology
J: Political Science
  • JA to JC: Political Science
  • JF to JQ: Constitutional History and Public Administration
  • JS: Local Government
  • JX: International Law

K: Law

L: Education

  • L: Education (General)
  • LA: History of Education
  • LB: Theory and Practice of Education
  • LC: Special Aspects of Education
  • LD to LG: Individual Institutions: Universities, Colleges and Schools
  • LH: College and School Magazines and Papers
  • LJ: U.S. Fraternities and Sororities
M: Music
  • M: General Music/Scores
  • ML: Literature of Music
  • MT: Music Instruction
N: Fine Arts
  • NA: Architecture
  • NB: Sculpture
  • NC: Graphic Arts
  • ND: Painting
  • NK: Decorative Arts
P: Languages and Literature
  • P: Philology and Linguistics
  • PA: Classical Languages and Literature
  • PC: Romance Languages
  • PD to PF: Germanic Languages
  • PE: English
  • PG: Slavic Languages and Literatures
  • PJ to PL: Oriental Languages and Literatures
  • PN: General and Comparative
  • PQ: Romance Literature
  • PR: English Literature
  • PS: American Literature and Juvenile Literature
  • PT: Germainc Literature
  • PZ: Fiction in English and Juvenile Literature
Q: Sciences
  • QA: Mathematics
  • QB: Astronomy
  • QC: Physics
  • QD: Chemistry
  • QE: Geology
  • QH: Natural History
  • QK: Botany
  • QL: Zoology
  • QM: Human Anatomy
  • QP: Physiology
  • QR: Bacteriology

R: Medicine

S: Agriculture

  • SB: Plant Culture and Horticulture
  • SD: Forestry
  • SF: Animal Culture
  • SH: Aquaculture and Fisheries
  • SK: Hunting Sports
T: Technology
  • TA: General Engineering, including General Civil Engineering
  • TC: Hydraulic Engineering
  • TD: Sanitary and Municipal Engineering
  • TE: Highway Engineering
  • TF: Railroad Engineering
  • TG: Bridge Engineering
  • TH: Building Construction
  • TJ: Mechanical Engineering
  • TK: Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering
  • TL: Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics, Astronautics
  • TN: Mining, Engineering, Mineral Industries & Metallurgy
  • TP: Chemical Technology
  • TR: Photography
  • TS: Manufactures
  • TT: Handicrafts, Arts and Crafts
  • TX: Home Economics

U: Military Science

V: Naval Science

Z: Bibliography and Library Science