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Overview: LC practice should be followed by CUL catalogers as much as possible. This document is meant to supplement and clarify LC guidelines, as well as to provide CUL-specific instructions.

Contacts: Sarah Ross  

Unit: Cataloging

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   General considerations  
   
   • In general, create new main entry cutters using theLC Cutter Table. Refer to Call numbers: General considerations  (above) as needed. You may also use the Cutter Sanborn Table in some cases. Refer toCutter Sanborn Cutters and LTS Olin Historical Practicesin attached Appendix. Exception: RMC catalogers continue to use the Cutter-Sanborn tables for Cuttering all monographs that use LC classification.
   • Generally use at least two digits for a Cutter for main entry. (This differs from LC practice, where one digit book cutters are sometimes used.) This practice also applies when the main entry is a title.
   • If using the Cutter Sanborn table and historical practices, prefer one digit in an additional Cutter for title (i.e., not a Cutter for a title as main entry as in the previous paragraph) unless there is a conflict (e.g. P-PZ Table XL: Separate works. By title).
   • Prefer one digit for any other type of cataloger-supplied Cutter, but you may choose to use two digits, even in cases where there is no conflict, in order to avoid possible future conflicts (e.g. By city, A-Z).

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   Subarrangement by Main Entry  
   
   • Uniqueness: Generally, an item is given a unique call number by the addition of a Cutter for the main entry, also known as a book Cutter. The main entry may be a personal name, corporate name, title, or uniform title.
   • No additional subdivision by main entry: Most class numbers (including combinations of a class number plus one or two topical or geographic Cutters) should be further subarranged by main entry, although the schedules generally do not explicitly tell the cataloger to do this. However, if the schedule specifies subdivision "by date", there should not be any additional subdivision by main entry. Do not add an additional Cutter for main entry (nor expansion digits if there are already two Cutters).

     Example: By date of election: JK1968 |b 2000 (for the 2nd work published in 2000, use JK1968 2000b) See section on letter extensions in existing call numbers.)
                     Censuses, by date: HA944 |b 1991
     

   • Subarranged by date and main entry: In certain rare places in the LC schedules, the class number may be followed by the original date of publication or event, subarranged by author with a further date to indicate date of publication.

     Example: By original date of publication, then by author, with a further date for current date of publication: GV722 1904 |b .M38 2005

   • Expansion of second cutter: A call number may not include more than two Cutters (except for maps and atlases in the G schedule). If the schedule specifies two geographic and/or topical Cutters, items should be subarranged by main entry by the expansion of the second Cutter (addition of digits to the geographic or topical Cutter to represent the first letter(s) of the main entry). The additional digits are based on the "expansion" line of the LC Cutter Table (modified as necessary to avoid shelflist conflicts).

     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

   • Preferred Shelflist Order--Individual Authors: When works of an individual author are filed in a single class number, they are arranged in the order given in the Subject Cataloging Manual (SCM): Shelflisting, G60. The most common application of the Preferred Shelflist Order--Individual Authors occurs when someone writes two different works on the same topic.
     

     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)
     

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   Established Cutters or Cutters Limited by LC Convention  
   

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     Topical Cutters in the narrow sense -- e.g. "Special subjects, A-Z", "By subject, A-Z", etc.

     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.
     

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     Cutters specified in the classification schedules but not established  

     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.

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     Topical/Geographic Cutters that are part of the classification  

     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.

     Special geographic Cutters
     Table G300 -- Regions and countries ("By region or country A-Z")
     Table G302 -- American states and Canadian provinces

     "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.

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     Creating Cutters when the LC Cutter Table cannot be used  
     
     Numeric Cutters-- Cutters for main entries beginning with a numeral (i.e. "12" as opposed to "twelve").

     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.

    

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   Double and Complex Cuttering: Biography and Criticism
   Works by and about individual persons

   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:

   1. Works by an author precede works about the author
   2. Works by an author include some (though usually not all) of the following categories:
      collected works
      selected works
      individual works by title
      autobiography
      letters
   3. Criticism of individual works directly follows the works themselves in the "by author" area, rather than being included with general criticism in the "about author" area.

   The two general types of schemes and their subarrangements follow:

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   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.

    

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   Type 1. a.  "Individual artists, A-Z" -- See SCM: Shelflisting, G330 for arrangement of works by and about individual artists. Tables V and VI in G330 also accompany the N Schedule as Tables N5 and N6.

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   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  Scheme given in SCM: Shelflisting, G320 for "Individual biography, interviews and criticism, A6-Z" in the Biography Table

Separate works, by title: xA61-Z458

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5. 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  

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   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).

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   Type 2. a.  "Individual biography, A-Z" -- The classification of biographical works is discussed in the SCM: Shelflisting, section G320. The biography table in G320 should be used for works classed in individual biography class numbers in a schedule which does not have its own biography table. Biographical works classed in general class numbers are subarranged according to the Preferred Shelflist Order scheme in G60.

   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.
   
   

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   "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

    

    

    

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