Overview: LC practice should be followed by CUL catalogers as much as possible. This document is meant to supplement & clarify LC guidelines, as well as to provide CUL-specific instructions.
Contacts: Sarah Ross
Unit: Cataloging
Date last updated: 08/06/15
Date of next review: August 2016
Scope
Classifications shelved in Olin and Uris
Classifications located in Annex
Kroch
ILR
Engineering Call Number Distribution
Materials out of scope
Obsolete and locally invented class numbers
Call numbers: General Considerations
Cuttering
General considerations
RMC exception
Subarrangement by main entry
Established Cutters or Cutters limited by LC convention
Topical Cutters in the narrow sense
Cutters specified in the classification schedules but not established
Topical/geographical Cutters as part of the classification
Creating Cutters when LC Cutter Table cannot be used
Double and complex Cuttering: Biography and criticism
Creators of literary, artistic and musical works
Individual artists
Ancient Greek and Latin authors
Literary works: Cuttering for words beginning with "A" when cuttering begins at "A6"
Individual biography
Biography and criticism of literary authors, Z5-999
Dates in Call Numbers
Multivolume works
Congressional hearings
Continuing resources
Series
Series classed together and series classed separately
Series classed together vs. multivolume monographs
Volume Enumeration
Multivolume monographs
Series classed together
Letter extensions in existing call numbers
Oversize Notation
General rule
Exceptions
Adding the oversize symbol
Filing Shelflist Temps & Using CLAMSS
Appendix
Cutter Sanborn Cutters and LTS Olin Historical Practices
When to use pre-October 1997 practice for cuttering
Using pre-existing Cutter Sanborn cutters on new items
Scope
As a general rule, do not use obsolete or locally invented class numbers. For later editions of works originally classified at these numbers, use the call number of the earlier edition OR assign a new, valid call number, whichever is easiest. If all works by an author previously processed at Cornell are in the cancelled ranges of PR for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India or Africa, you have the option of continuing to use that classification.
Historically, LTS Olin catalogers constructed skeletal call numbers consisting of classification letters for the areas of law not yet developed by LC and added a cutter for the main entry. These call numbers should now be used only for later editions of works originally classified at the skeleton K numbers.
See Call Number Examples for the format of a skeletal call number.
Do not use this procedure to classify and shelflist the following types of materials:
| Category | Comments |
|---|---|
| Accession numbers | Some types of materials (e.g. microforms, videorecordings, and sound recordings) are assigned "accession type" numbers at certain locations. When assigning accession numbers, catalogers should use the automated media shelflisting system, CLAMSS. See also Procedure 24 , Computer Disk Processing, Procedure 33, Processing Videorecordings, Procedure 17, Sound Recordings Processing and Procedure 28a, Microform Processing for details. |
| Archival materials | RMC and Kheel Center use local classification systems. |
| Congressional hearings | See Exception in LTS Procedure #4 |
| Cornell theses | See Procedure 16, Theses Processing |
| Materials eligible for fast processing or fast cuttering | Refer to the Fastcat and Non-Fastcat Copy Cataloging procedures as appropriate. |
| Selected materials in GV1580-GV1799.4 (Dance), M (Music) | Call numbers in the range GV1580-GV1799.4 should not be added to the Olin collection, but rather should be cataloged for the Music Library. Also for Music Library, see exception for certain call number ranges. Books classed in GV and M/ML in vernacular Asian languages (e.g. Tagalog, Indonesian, Chinese) should be cataloged for Kroch Asia. All materials in the scores format are sent to Music Library regardless of the language of the text. |
Gujarati literature PK1859 Kanarese literature PL4659 Konkani literature PK2238.9 Malayalam literature PL4718.9 Marathi literature PK2418 Panjabi literature PK2659 Telugu literature PL4780.9
b. The default location for all K classifications for Asia collections is to catalog them directly for the Annex.
c. The default location for all non-English titles for ILR materials is ILR,ANX. Selectors may designate individual non-English titles for ILR not Anx on a case-by-case basis.
Call numbers: General considerations
As a classification tool, use ClassWeb exclusively. It is kept current at all times. Paper schedules are not reliable and should not be used.
The maximum that our spine labelleing system will allow is 10 characters across, including an initial period, and 10 lines down.
Once you have created a call number, check it against the online call number index in Voyager. If the call number created by the cataloger is identical to a call number already assigned to an item appearing in the index for the location in hand, modify the new call number by the addition of another digit (the expansion line in the LC Cutter Table may be used as a guide). This call number should be used both in the 050: 4: on the bib record and on the item in hand, with the exception noted in the Appendix for certain PCC records.
Filing arrangement is according to ALA filing rules, available from Cataloger's Desktop.
Cuttering
Example: By date of election: JK1968 |b 2000 (for the 2nd work published in 2000, use JK1968 2000b) See section on letter extensions)
Censuses, by date: HA944 |b 1991
Example: By original date of publication, then by author, with a further date for current date of publication: GV722 1904 |b .M38 2005
Example: Katz, Elaine N. A trade union aristocracy. HD6870.5.Z8 T74 1976 T7 is for Transval; the cutter is extended with 4 for Katz
Example: HF5549.5.D7 F39 1999 (Fay, John. Drug testing)
HF5549.5.D7 F394 2000 (Fay, John. Workplace intervention)
In cases where the work arriving second happens to file alphabetically before the first work, the cutter is adjusted to preserve alphabetical order by title:
Example: HF5549.5.D7 H639 1997 (Hoffmann, John P. (John Patrick), 1962- An analysis of worker drug use and workplace policies)
HF5549.5.D7 H64 1996 (Hoffmann, John P. (John Patrick), 1962- Drug use among U.S. workers)
Current LC practice is to establish all topical Cutters of this type. (See SCM: Classification, F350)
It is no longer LC practice to use a representative sample of topical Cutters preceded by "e.g.". Ignore any remaining occurrences of "e.g.", and consider the Cutters that follow them to be established.
In case of conflict, a topical Cutter established in a schedule takes precedence over a Cutter from any other source. In rare instances, for example, if a new classification is being proposed in conjunction with an original SACO proposal, it may be desirable to submit a classification proposal to LC. Start here: http://classificationweb.net/Menu/proposal.html and ask NACO/SACO coordinator for further help as appropriate.
Personal names (except those literary authors required to be established by SCM: Classification, F632)
Corporate names
Geographic names
Names of languages (when a topic is subarranged by language)
Titles of individual works (except for literary works required to be established by F632)
Includes the captions: "Biography: Individual, A-Z", "Individual artists, A-Z", "Individual firms, A-Z", "By region or country, A-Z", "Other cities, towns, etc., A-Z", "By language, A-Z", etc.
Instructions to subdivide by these types of Cutters are given in the schedule, but generally the Cutters themselves are not given. It is not necessary to establish them.
Occasionally, Cutters of these types are given in the schedules. In case of conflict between the schedule and the LTS Olin shelflist, follow the schedule.
Topical Cutters are created using the LC Cutter Table (SCM: Shelflisting, G60.3), except for the following two categories of geographic Cutter which have their own tables. Other types of geographic Cutter, however, such as cities, provinces, or regions within a country, are created using the LC Cutter Table.
"Regions" in SCM: Shelflisting, G300 refers to regions that are larger than a single country, and to groups of islands, e.g. Galapagos Islands, that are isolated from the country that they belong to. "Countries" refers to sovereign nations, and includes historical entities that do not correspond to a current existing country, e.g. Byzantine Empire. G300 does not include regions or historical entities that fall entirely within a currently existing country.
The tables in G300 and G302, like the LC Cutter Table, are intended only as guides for shelflisting. If Cutters from the table are in conflict with Cutters already in the shelflist, the Cutters from the table should be modified.
The Cutter range A12-A19 is normally used for main entries that begin with numerals so that they will file before entries beginning with the letter A. They are arranged in numerical order (See filing rules SCM: Shelflisting, G100.13).
Cuttering ranges other than A-Z
There are many places in the schedules where Cutters are created in ranges other than "A-Z". Schemes for two of the most common cases are given below. In other cases, the arrangement of the Cutters must be estimated.
Works about individual persons may consist of biographical information, criticism of the person's literary, artistic or scholarly work, or a combination of both. It is frequently desirable to keep works by a person together with works about them, e.g. autobiographical works (diaries, correspondence, etc.) with biography of the person, or criticism of a literary or scholarly work with the work itself.
The classification schedules and the LC shelflisting manual contain various schemes for arranging works by and about individuals. All of them follow the same general pattern:
The two general types of schemes and their subarrangements follow:
Type 1. Creators of literary, artistic and musical works Class numbers for individuals belonging to classes of persons who are likely to appear as a main entry on works of their own creation and to have critical works written about them. Tables to arrange works by and about these people include collected, selected, individual and autobiographical works by them, and biographical and/or critical works about them.
Type 1. b. Ancient Greek and Latin authors
One exception to the general practice for authors is the case of individual ancient Greek and Latin authors, whose works are classed and cuttered according to the principles outlined in the explanatory note for the range PA3818-4500 and PA6202-6971. Works by and about these authors may be classed in PA as literature or in B-Z with the subject of the work, depending on the language (original or translation) and the nature of the criticism (general or textual). This treatment applies particularly to ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, whose work is extensively treated in the B Schedule.
Cuttering for words beginning with "A" when cuttering begins at "A6" Scheme given in SCM: Shelflisting, G320 for "Individual biography, interviews and criticism, A6-Z" in the Biography Table Aa-Af A6-699 Ag-Alf A7-799 Am-Ar A8-899 As-Az A9-999 Separate works, by title: .xA61-Z458 Title beginning with: Use: a number A612-A618 Aa-Af A62-69 Ag-Al A7-79 Am-Ar A8-89 As-Az A9-99 Za-Zd Z2-29 Ze-Zl Z3-39 Zm-Zz Z4-458 A frequency weighted scheme for "Individual titles, A61-Z458" in the Individual Literary Author Table XL Aa-Ah A6-699 Ai-An A7-799 Ao-As A8-899 At-Az A9-999
Type 2. Individual biography class numbers Special biography class numbers for individuals who are likely to have biographical works written about them, but may or may not appear as main entry on works of their own creation or have critical works written about them (e.g. historical personages). Biography tables generally include collected and selected works, autobiographical works, biography and general criticism. Individual works by these people are classified with the subject of the work (along with criticism of the individual work).
Note that individual biography numbers occur in the P-PZ schedules for persons not covered by provisions for literary authors (critics, historians, actors, journalists, etc.). Works in these numbers are subarranged according to the Biography Table in G320.
A biography table accompanying a schedule takes precedence over the table in G320.
If works by and about an individual happen to be classified at the same number (including biographical works that are not in an individual biography class), they are arranged in the Preferred Shelflist Order--Individual Authors (SCM: Shelflisting, G60.2) by means of a series of successive Cutter numbers for works by the individual, with the last Cutter in the series used for biographical and critical works about the individual, subdivided by means of a second Cutter for the main entry of the work.
"Biography and criticism of literary authors, Z5-999" in P-PZ Table XL Table used at LC
| A-D | Z5 |
| D-H | Z6 |
| H-L | Z7 |
| M-T | Z8 |
| U-Z | Z9 |
Another scheme in use at LC Main entry beginning with: Use: A-B Z5-599 C-H Z6-699 I-N Z7-799 O-T Z8-89 U-Z Z9-99 Weighted scheme based on averages of actual usage in LC records Main entry Z Cutter A Z51-53 B Z54-56 C Z57-58 D Z59-62 E Z63 F Z64 G Z65-67 H Z68-72 I-J Z73 K Z74-76 L Z77-78 M Z79-82 N Z83 O Z84 P-Q Z85 R Z86 S Z87 T Z88-89 U-Z Z9-99
Dates in Call Numbers
Rules for adding dates to call numbers are given in SCM: Shelflisting, G140. Some additional practices not included in this section are:
The date in the call number for a multivolume work published over a span of years is taken from the imprint date of the earliest volume published, or from the earliest volume in hand, if the date of the earliest volume is not available at the time of cataloging.
For U.S. Congressional hearings, use the date of the hearing, not the imprint date.
Do not use dates in call numbers when cataloging continuing resources.
Series
Class volumes in a numbered series individually, each according to its own subject, or as a whole (CUL calls this a "series classed together" while LC calls it a "series classified as a collection, analyzed in full" or, if the series is projected to include a finite number of volumes, an "analyzed multipart item".)
If a series authority record already exists and indicates that the series is classed together (646 subfield c), you have the option to follow that decision. Use the call number given in the 050 of the series authority record or, if the call number is not recorded there, follow the treatment used on CUL holdings records of previous titles in the series. Long-established series may have a CUL standing order record with treatment information as well. If you suspect that a series may historically have been classed together at CUL even if the series authority record indicates a series classed separately, you may investigate CUL's holdings records and use the series classed call number, or you may class the title separately, whichever is easiest. However, now that CUL policy follows LC in generally not tracing series, use of a series classed call number is less advisable.
If the series title is new to CUL, classify the series separately.
Do not add local treatment information to series authority records. If you are editing the authority record in any way, update the national record.
Generally do not change a series treatment decision unless there is a serious problem with it. Note: Exception for particular series. However, give series decisions made by LC/DPCC special consideration, since they provide a large proportion of the copy used, and their decisions influence the decisions of other libraries. Therefore, catalogers may consider changing CUL classification decisions and call numbers to match those used by LC/DPCC, as follows:
If one or more, but not all parts of a multivolume work also form part of a CUL series classed together, class the work separately, and not with the series classed together
Example: Andersson, Efraim. Contribution ? l'ethnographie des Kuta. (Vol. 3: Occasional papers ; 15) (CUL call #: olin DT650.K8A54)
For Olin Library, LTS treats the series, Occasional papers (Uppsala universitet. Institutionen for allman och jamforande etnografi) as a series classed together (at GN2.U68). However, since only v. 3 of this multivolume work forms part of the series classed together, the multivolume work is classed separately.
Volume Enumeration
If the numbers are too many to fit easily into the space provided in the 852, a cataloger may use: BR60 .C813 v.2, etc.
Letter extensions in existing call numbers
When creating a new call number, do not consider that a letter extension (x, w, or z after the final Cutter, or z after the date) in the existing call number is sufficient to distinguish the two call numbers. Modify the final Cutter so that it is different from the existing Cutter.
When subarranging by date, treat a date with a "z" extension as date alone. Add an appropriate work letter to the date to distinguish the call numbers ("a" for photocopies; b, c, d, etc. for additional works or editions)
Oversize Notation
CUL catalogers add a notation to the call number of a book that is oversize. For what constitutes an oversize item for a given location, consult the Oversize chart.
Use of oversize designation is in most cases determined by the largest size (i.e. height or width) of the item as it appears in the collation statement.
The position of the oversize symbol (+, ++, +++, tiny, #, flat, folio) in both the 852 field of the Mfhd and on the spine lable of the item, varies depending on the location. See the Oversize chart.
Using CLAMSS
When assigning accession numbers to videorecordings and microforms in designated locations, catalogers should use the automated media shelflisting system, CLAMSS.
The first indicator of the 852 field for accession-type call numbers should contain an 8 to indicate "other scheme."
Appendix
Cutter-Sanborn Cutters and LTS Olin Historical Practices
Before October 1997, most Cutters were created using the Cutter-Sanborn Table rather than the LC Cutter Table, and some CUL practices involving editions, translations, criticism and the Preferred Shelflist Order for Individual Authors differed from LC practice. For more information, consult the now defunct Procedure #11, Shelflisting: general cataloging and classification procedures, rev. March 1994 (paper copy available in the Catalog Reference Collection).
Use judgment and the guidelines in this section when deciding whether to continue using Cutters and patterns established in the shelflist before October 1997 to assign call numbers to new items.
A call number with non-standard elements, such as Cutter-Sanborn Cutters, should not be used in the 050: 4: field when the record is submitted through BIBCO.
Using pre-existing Cutter-Sanborn Cutters on new items
Judgment Calls
| Category | Comments |
|---|---|
| Literary author, artist and musician Cutters | If a Cutter-Sanborn Cutter for a literary author, artist or musician has been used in the local shelflist, you have the option of continuing to class works at the Cutter- Sanborn Cutter, even if the LC Cutter has also been used in the local shelflist. This includes cases where CUL has classified the individual at a different country or time period from the one chosen by LC (e.g. CUL classes Picasso with Spanish artists and LC classes him with French artists). |
| -Language Cutters -Corporate body main entry Cutters | If a Cutter-Sanborn Cutter of one of these types appears in the local shelflist, and the LC Cutter is not known (i.e. it does not appear in the classification schedule or in the 050 field of an LC record in the CUL online catalog), you have the option of continuing to class works at the Cutter-Sanborn Cutter rather than creating a new Cutter using the LC Cutter Table. |
| Editions | Class editions of a work at an existing Cutter-Sanborn call number for the work if the existence of the other edition in the shelflist is known, and if there are no editions in the shelflist classed at the number assigned by LC. |
| Editions and translations classed at the same Cutter | If both translations and editions of an individual work have been classed at the same Cutter, you have the option of classing additional translations at that Cutter. |
| Criticism and commentaries of individual works do not use "3" in Cutter | You have the option of classing additional criticism and commentaries on the work to fit the existing pattern. |
| Added Cutters for title where LC would use successive Cutters (using Preferred Shelflist Order for Individual Authors) | You have the option of using the Cutter- Sanborn Cutter for the author to assign call numbers to additional works at the same class number, if the LC Cutter for the author has not yet been used in the local shelflist. If the author Cutter is Cutter-Sanborn, use added Cutters for title rather than successive Cutters. |
| Works by literary authors in more than one language but classed in one place | For literary authors writing in more than one language, you have the option of classing editions and criticism of specific works at the existing Cutter for the work, even if it is classed with a language other than the one in which it is written (e.g. Nabokov's Lolita, classed in PG3476 with Russian literature, rather than PS3527 with English literature). |
| Cutter too long | If cutters created using the LC scheme are too long to fit on a single line of spine label tape (10 spaces including an initial period), you may use a second cutter for title or leave off translation/criticism extensions to get the cutter to fit. |