Research Tools & Tutorials

Guides/Tutorials

Crash Course

Library of Congress Classification

The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a classification system that was first developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to organize and arrange the book collections of the Library of Congress [located in Washington, DC]. Over the course of the twentieth century, the system was adopted for use by other libraries as well, especially large academic libraries in the United States. It is currently one of the most widely used library classification systems in the world.” (source The Library of Congress)

LCC is arranged by subject, an organization that will help you as you conduct research for your papers and projects. The arrangement encourages intelligent browsing and often results in serendipitous finds as you peruse the shelves. Researchers who engage in this behavior enjoy an advantage that online searching hasn’t been as successful in emulating. In addition, most academic libraries in the United States use LCC to arrange books. So, as you continue your academic career, the LCC skills you learn at Midland College should transfer to your future colleges and universities.

Research 101

A step-by-step guide to the research process from choosing your topic to citing your sources (created by Emily King and Caprice Roberson of the College of Southern Nevada)