Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Library Policies • Bindery • Database Management

Library of Congress Classification

Term from Library Services industry explained for recruiters

Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is the main system used by academic and research libraries to organize books and materials. Think of it as a filing system that helps librarians and library staff put materials in the right place so they can be easily found. It uses letters and numbers to create unique "addresses" for books - similar to how streets have house numbers. For example, books about history start with letter 'H', while science books start with 'Q'. Other similar systems include Dewey Decimal Classification, but LCC is particularly common in college and university libraries. When you see this on a resume, it means the person knows how to organize and find materials using this standard system.

Examples in Resumes

Organized 10,000+ books using Library of Congress Classification system

Trained student workers in LCC shelving procedures

Maintained accuracy of Library of Congress Classification records in online catalog

Typical job title: "Librarians"

Also try searching for:

Academic Librarian Cataloging Librarian Technical Services Librarian Metadata Librarian Collections Manager Library Assistant Library Specialist

Where to Find Librarians

Professional Organizations

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Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you manage a large-scale reclassification project from Dewey Decimal to Library of Congress Classification?

Expected Answer: Should discuss project management skills, team coordination, timeline planning, maintaining access during transition, and quality control measures. Should mention staff training and patron communication strategies.

Q: How do you stay current with changes to Library of Congress Classification and implement updates?

Expected Answer: Should mention monitoring LC updates, professional development, training staff on changes, and maintaining consistency in cataloging practices while implementing updates.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you handle materials that could fit into multiple Library of Congress Classification categories?

Expected Answer: Should explain decision-making process for choosing the most appropriate classification, using LC subject headings, and maintaining consistency with existing collection organization.

Q: Explain how you would train new staff members on using the Library of Congress Classification system.

Expected Answer: Should discuss creating training materials, hands-on practice methods, common mistakes to watch for, and how to verify understanding of the system.

Junior Level Questions

Q: Can you explain the basic structure of Library of Congress Classification?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain the basic letter categories, number subdivisions, and how call numbers are constructed and arranged on shelves.

Q: What steps do you take to ensure books are shelved correctly using LCC?

Expected Answer: Should describe shelf-reading process, understanding call number order, and basic quality control measures to maintain accurate shelf organization.