Library of Congress Control Number facts for kids
The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a special number given to items in the Library of Congress. Think of it like a unique ID for books and other materials. This number helps librarians around the world find and keep track of different items, especially books published in the United States.
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What is the Library of Congress Control Number?
The Library of Congress Control Number is a unique code. It helps identify specific books or other materials. It's not a way to group books by topic. Instead, it's just a number to tell one item apart from another.
Why is it important?
Librarians use these numbers all the time. They help libraries organize their collections. When a new book comes out, it often gets an LCCN. This makes it easier for libraries everywhere to order and catalog the book. It helps everyone use the same system.
How did it start?
The system for these numbers began a long time ago. It started in 1898. Back then, it was called the Library of Congress Card Number. The Library of Congress used to print physical cards for its catalog. They also sold these cards to other libraries. The number was created to identify these sets of cards.
How the numbers work
Each LCCN has two main parts. The first part is a number that shows the year. For example, it might be '98' for 1998. The second part is a unique number in a series. This second part is usually six digits long. Since 2001, the year part has been written with four digits, like '2001'.
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