LC Cutter Table

Taken from the Library of Congress Classification and Shelflisting Manual, G63, section 2, current as of July 2010.

Please note:

This table is somewhat different from the Cutter table used a number of years ago.
When conflicts exist between our shelflist and this table, our shelflist generally takes priority. See also "Verifying Call Numbers in the Shelflist (When Cataloguing)."

Cutter for 2nd letter Cuttering for numerals

Cutter for expansion (3rd letter, etc.)

Cutter Table

Type of initial letter Position Letter and numerical value

After initial vowels

for 2nd letter: b d   l-m n p r s-t u-y

use number: 2 3    4   5 6 7    8      9

After initial S

for 2nd letter: a ch   e h-i m-p t u w-z

use number: 2 3    4      5 6   7    8      9

After initial Qu

for 3rd letter: a e   i o r    t y

use number: 3 4    5 6 7 8    9

For initial Qa-Qt

for 2nd letter: a-t

use numbers: 2-29

After other initial consonants
(i.e., not S or Q)

for 2nd letter: a e   i o r    u y

use number: 3 4    5 6 7 8    9

Cutter for expansion (3rd letter, etc.)

For expansion (3rd letter, etc.) Letter and numerical value

for letter: a-d e-h i-l m-o p-s t-v w-z

use number 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Cuttering for numerals:

Use .A12-.A19.

When assigning a numeral cutter for the first time under a particular class number, generally tend to use a cutter towards the middle of the .A12-.A19 span, to leave room for numeral cutters for subsequent records to file on both sides of that cutter.

(The only exception to using this span occurs under class numbers that use .A5 for documents; in the latter case, file cutters for numerals to be as close after .A5 as possible.)

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HTML document last reviewed: 20 July 2010

Cutter for 2nd letter		Cuttering for numerals
Cutter for expansion (3rd letter, etc.)

Type of initial letter	Position	Letter and numerical value
After initial vowels
	for 2nd letter:	b d l-m n p r s-t u-y
	use number:	2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
After initial S
	for 2nd letter:	a ch e h-i m-p t u w-z
	use number:	2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
After initial Qu
	for 3rd letter:	a e i o r t y
	use number:	3 4 5 6 7 8 9
For initial Qa-Qt
	for 2nd letter:	a-t
	use numbers:	2-29
After other initial consonants (i.e., not S or Q)
	for 2nd letter:	a e i o r u y
	use number:	3 4 5 6 7 8 9

For expansion	(3rd letter, etc.)	Letter and numerical value
	for letter:	a-d e-h i-l m-o p-s t-v w-z
	use number	3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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