Single Cutter Authors
As indicated above, most twentieth and twenty-first century authors writing will have a single Cutter number. Different works are distinguished by a 3rd line Cuttered to the book’s title. An example of an author with a single number is the 20th century novelist D.H. Lawrence. Here, a 1996 edition of his novel Sons and lovers has the call number:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ǂa PR6023.A93 ǂb S6 1996 |
| PR6023 | In the LC classification, PR6000-6049 is English literature, 1900-1960 is for English literature, 1900-1960 for authors with last name beginning with the letter L. |
| .A83 | Author Cutter (to the 2nd letter of the author’s name, Lawrence) |
| S6 | Book number/Cutter for title of work: Sons and loves |
| 1996 | Date of publication. (The practice of adding a date to the call number dates from the ‘70’s) |
All fiction, drama, poetry, correspondence and autobiography by D.H. Lawrence, and all books about D.H. Lawrence will have the same class number (PR6023) and the same author Cutter (A93).
A 1978 edition of his Women in love has the call number:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ǂa PR6023.A93 ǂb W6 1998 |
Amores, collection of poems by D.H. Lawrence published in 1916:
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ǂa PR6023.A93 ǂb A7 1916 |
Selected letters of D.H. Lawrence, 1997 (letters get a special Z48 notation):
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ǂa PR6023.A93 ǂb Z48 1997 |
Literary criticism about D.H. Lawrence, 2005 (literary criticism/biography gets special notation in the range Z5-Z9999):
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ǂa PR6023.A93 ǂb Z955 2005 |
For a more detailed table of example for D.H. Lawrence, refer to the P-PZ40 Examples Document.
NOTE: Beginning in Feb. 2005, the literature class number PZ (juvenile belles lettres) has been accepted and applied in SML cataloging. Prior to Feb. 2005 SML catalogers always converted PZ numbers to the more detailed nationality numbers in the literature schedules. For current practice, go to the section PZ Call Numbers.
The main objectives in shelflisting literature call number are:
- Keep all of the literary works by the same author together
- Keep al editions of individual works by the same author together (in chronological order)
However, in Feb. 2005 SML began to accept LC 050 00 literature class call numbers "as is." The "as is" numbers are designated locally by adding a capital X ("trailing X"), generally at the end of the book number. (The trailing X practice has been relatively longstanding for other class numbers in the schedules.) As a result, the objective is somewhat modified:
- Keep all of the literary works by the same author together under the SML assigned number of the LC number (if known)
- Keep all editions (expressions and manifestations) of individual works by the same author together (in chronological order) under the SML assigned number of the LC number (if known
- If both the SML assigned number and the LC number are known, prefer the LC number
Note that this means literature call numbers assigned by libraries other than LC or SML will continue to be modified to be consistent with our online files.
The new 2008 policy to accept member copy without shelflisting was modified in the case of belletristic works. The 2005 policy to adjust the author Cutter has not changed. However, the book number can now be accepted "as is". If a new call number needs to be constructed, either fit the new book number into the existing sequence or construct the number from a table, whichever is easier.