How to Do Library Research

This set of pages has information on how to do library research. In all cases, once you have located sources, be sure to evaluate them, using the evaluation guides.

Call Numbers--Library of Congress

The bulk of Colorado State University's collection is shelved in Library of Congress (LC) classification call numbers. Most of the rest have Superintendent of Documents numbers (SuDocs); these call numbers generally indicate a government document (federal or state). See Finding a Book or Journal on the Shelf for how to read LC call numbers so that you can locate what you need.

Below is an outline of the Library of Congress Classification scheme. The arrangement groups materials on the same subject together on the shelf. A more detailed Library of Congress Classification Outline is on the Library of Congress cataloguing site. Click on the letter to see subclass, and on the subclass for additional detail (or scroll down through the PDF document).

See also the outline of the Superintendent of Documents Classification scheme.

Library of Congress Classification Outline
A	General Works
B-BJ	Philosophy. Psychology
BL-BX	Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	History : General and Old World (Eastern Hemisphere)
E-F	History : America (Western Hemisphere)
G	Geography. Anthropology. Recreation
H	Social Sciences
J	Political Science
KD	Law of the United Kingdom and Ireland
KF	Law of the United States
L	Education
M	Music. Books on Music
N	Fine Arts
P-PA	General Philology and Linguistics. Classical Languages and Literatures
PA	Supplement Byzantine and Modern Greek Literature. Medieval and Modern Latin Literature
PB-PH	Modern European Languages
PG	Russian Literature
PJ-PM	Languages and Literatures of Asia, Africa, Oceania. American Indian Languages. Artificial Languages.
P-PM	Supplement Index to Languages and Dialects
PN, PR,/	General Literature. English and American
PS, PZ	Literature. Fiction in English. Juvenile Literature
PQ, Part 1	French Literature
PQ, Part 2	Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese Literature
PT, Part 1	German Literature
PT, Part 2	Dutch and Scandinavian Literatures
Q	Science
R	Medicine
S	Agriculture
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Naval Science
Z	Bibliography. Library Science

Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Outline

Colorado State University's government documents are shelved in Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification call numbers. Materials are arranged by issuing agency, not by subject. See Finding a Document on the Shelf for how to read these numbers.

A
AE
C
C 3
CR
CS
D
E
ED
EP
FR
FT
FTZ
GA
GP
GS
HE
HH
I
I 19
IC
J
Ju
L
LC
LR
NA
NAS
NS
P
PE
Pr
PrEx
S
SBA
SE
SI
T
T 22
TD
VA
X and Y
Y 1
Y 4

Agriculture Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Commerce Department
Census
Civil Rights Commission
Civil Service Commission
Defense Department
Energy Department
Education Department
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Reserve System Board of Governors
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Zone Board
General Accounting
Government Printing Office
General Services Administration
Health and Human Services Department
Housing and Urban Development Department
Interior Department
U.S. Geological Survey
Interstate Commerce Commission
Justice Department
Judiciary (Courts of the United States)
Labor Department
Library of Congress
National Labor Relations Board
National Academy of Sciences
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Science Foundation
United States Postal Service
Peace Corps
President of United States
Executive Office of the President
State Department
Small Business Administration
Securities and Exchange Commission
Smithsonian Institution
Treasure Department
Internal Revenue Service
Transportation Department
Veterans Administration
Congress
House and Senate Reports and Documents
Congressional Committees, Hearings