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5.1.6: How Libraries Organize Materials

  • Page ID
    241975
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    Two Systems

    There are two main systems that California community college libraries use to organize materials on the shelves: the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Library of Congress Classification (LCC, sometimes also informally called LC or LOC). Both classification systems provide a systematic way for the libraries to keep their materials organized.

    Which classification system a library uses depends on local preferences and practices, but in general: academic and research libraries typically use the Library of Congress Classification, while public libraries tend to use the Dewey Decimal Classification. While we will introduce you to both systems, please note that your community college library probably only uses one of these.

    A student walking through the library stacks


    Sources

    Image: “Man, Backpack, Books” by bantersnaps is in the Public Domain, CC0


    This page titled 5.1.6: How Libraries Organize Materials is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Daniel Wilson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.