Cuttering and shelflisting are often local policies, but generally they do
follow the same framework in most libraries, especially if they are trying to
stay compatible with Library of Congress Classification and call numbers.
Because cutter numbers are only synthesized when the filing order of the
existing works in a catalog will fit the work in the correct place in the
shelflist. Thus when you see a cutter that doesn't match the synthesis rule
it often means that the work was then manually filed into the shelflist.
Cutters
The source for Library of Congress Classification cuttering and shelflisting
lives in the Library of Congress' Classification and Shelflisting Manual
(available in Cataloger's Desktop) the general instructions for Cutter
Numbers are in G63. The cutter number appears in a number of places in LCC
call numbers:
Book number: Which are organized to ensures that books on a shelf are filed
in a logical and consistent order according to the arrangement dictated by
the classification schedule. Typically alphabetical by main entry (or
authorized access point for the work)
.C87 = Curtis, James
.V57 = Virtual reality for beginners.
Geographic or topical numbers: Which are used within LCC to subdivide a
topic by a facet. Examples include
.U55 = United States
.T7 = Toy Piano
.N83 = Nuclear power industry
These are already often dictated by the schedules, but generally they are
formulated according to the synthesis instructions below. One area that is
sort of also prearranged in the Classification and Shelflisting Manual are
geographical cutters, which are important since sometimes names of
jurisdictions change, and we sometimes want to keep putting them together.
Other subdivisions: Which include areas within a LC Classification number
to ensure that certain forms or formats are filed before other material
within a given classification. These cutter numbers are prescribed by the
classification schedule. Examples:
.A6 = Conferences, Congresses etc. (in some K tables)
.Z46 = Autobiographies, journals, memoirs. By Date (P-PZ40 table)
Description of LC Call Numbers
A normal LCC call number can have up to two cutter numbers, in addition to the
classification. So a typical example for a single authored literary work,
using Reamde by Neal Stephenson:
| element | note |
|---------+-------------------------|
| PS | Class |
| 3569 | Class Number |
| .T3868 | Cutter for Author |
| R43 | Cutter for Work (title) |
| 2011 | Date of Publication |
Shelflisting
G63 describes the steps for shelflisting and using Cutter numbers:
Finding the filing position in the shelflist. Consult the class number
in the shelflist. Find the proper location for the work being shelflisted.
That is, determine where the work is to file according to standard
shelflisting practices. In many cases, this will be in alphabetical order
by main entry or title.
Cuttering for words. After determining the filing position of the work,
consider whether use of the following table to create the Cutter will
achieve the proper position. If so, use the table. If not, complete the
Cutter in order to fit in alphabetically with works already shelflisted.
Cuttering for numerals. When Cuttering for Roman or Arabic numerals,
use the Cutters .A12 - .A19. However, if entries already in the shelflist
have been assigned "documents numbers" (e.g. .A5 for the corporate heading
United States. Dept. of ...) Cutter numerals to file directly after those
entries. Because of the infinite range of numbers, choose a Cutter toward
the center of the available span when Cuttering for the first numeral in a
class. This will allow room for both smaller and larger numbers. Follow
this practice even with relatively low numbers since decimal fractions are
filed in numeric order before the number 1.
Cutter Table
When synthesizing a number follow the cutter table.
After initial vowels
| for the second letter: | b | d | l-m | n | p | r | s-t | u-y |
|------------------------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+-----+-----|
| use number: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
After initial letter S
| for the second letter: | a | ch | e | h-i | m-p | t | u | w-y |
|------------------------+---+----+---+-----+-----+---+---+-----|
| use number: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
After initial letters Qu
| for the second letter: | a | e | i | o | r | t | y |
|------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| use number: | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
For initial letters Qa-Qt
| use numbers | 2-29 |
After other initial consonants
| for the second letter: | a | e | i | o | r | u | y |
|------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| use number: | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
For expansion
| for the letter: | a-d | e-h | i-l | m-o | p-s | t-v | w-z |
|-----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| use number: | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Synthesis
Example: Reamde / Neal Stephenson
100 1# $a Stephenson, Neal.
245 10 $a Reamde / $c Neal Stephenson.
250 ## $a 1st ed.
260 ## $a New York : $b William Morrow, $c c2011.
300 ## $a 1044 p. ; $c 24 cm.
- Classification number for a 20th century American writer is PS3569.
050 #4 $a PS3569
Instructions in the LC Classification Schedule for PS3569 says:
The author number is determined by the second letter of the name
- Start with T
- Second letter E. Look under After other initial consonants: E
maps to 4. Our cutter so far is T4.
- Expand one more letter for the third letter P. Look under For the
expansion: P maps to 7. Our cutter now is T47.
- Extend out the cutter more using the expansion table if needed in order
to file within the existing shelflist. Going one more we have H which
maps to 4 making. Out cutter now is T474 with a corresponding
050
field of:
050 #4 $a PS3569.T474
- Looking at the Library of Congress Record
we see however that the class number is something a bit different
050 ##
$a PS3569.T3868 This implies that this cutter was modified in order to fit
the names in the existing arrangement. Which is likely since many last
names begin with S and literary fiction is a fairly crowded part of the
shelflist.
The call number is not complete however, there is a second cutter that the
instructions in the PS classification schedules (PS3550-3576) direct us to:
Subarrange individual authors by Table P-PZ40 unless otherwise specified
Including usually authors beginning to publish about 1950, flourishing
after 1960
Table P-PZ then in turn instructs the cutter to be created for separate
works, by the title of the work, filed between the cutters A61 and
Z458. Following our tables:
- First letter of Reamde is R.
- Second letter is E. We look in the After other initial consonants
table: and see that E corresponds to 4. That makes our cutter so far
R4.
- Third letter is A. We now look in the expansion table: See that A maps
to 3. That makes our cutter now: R43.
- Usually we stop at the third letter (second number of the cutter). Most
authors are not prolific enough to justify needing to cutter out to a
third level.
Note here that if you had a work like 245 10 $a Zodiac / $c Neal
Stephenson that it would go in the same classification PS3569.T3868
but would then get cuttered differently by its title Zodiac. However, we
can not follow the synthesis rules since they would create a cutter of
Z63 which does not fall in the permitted range for separate works that
the P-PZ40 table instructs us is between A61 and Z458. In that case
we then would toss the tables out and then manually file the title starting
with Z but giving ourselves a bit of space in the advent we get another
work with a title that files after Zodiac.
Ambiguity
Unfortunately as you can probably see from the table not all letters are
explicitly listed out. And in addition with the expansion table, a range of
numbers are listed which leaves some issues with creating the appropriate
number. In those case you then attempt to file in a way that will fit the
item in alphabetically with works already cuttered.
Note About Filing
Yes libraries like filing. And they've got rules about them. They are
extremely detailed. But generally we are filing on the first element of the
string, in order to get an alphabetical arrangement. This is documented in the
Library of Congress Filing Rules and the G100 instruction sheet
outdated version here. Some
important things to note when filing.
- File as-is.
- Ignore diactrics.
- Ignore initial articles.
- Hyphens break words.
- Initialisms are complicated.
File titles until the end of the first significant punctuation {'.','/','('}
Education today / 1966
Education today. 1966
Education today / by John Smith. 1969
Education today. 1977
Education today (Boston) [serial]
Education today--and how it works. 1970
Education today : language teaching. 1966
Numbers before letters
- Ampersand is the only character that has a value.
Single surnames before compound surnames:
Ho, Chien Min
Ho, Tien
Ho Tang, Marsha
