The document F 592 from the Library of Congress (LOC) Classification and Shelflisting Manual provides guidelines for classifying works on Foreign Relations within the LOC classification system (specifically schedules D, E, and F). These numbers are used for classifying works on the historical aspects of a region or country’s foreign relations.
Works on the more theoretical aspects of international relations, including those of individual regions or countries, are classed in JZ.
Contents:
- Library of Congress Classification
- Classification and Shelflisting Manual (CSM)
- Library of Congress Classification - F 592: Foreign Relations - A Guide for Catalogers
- Scope and Distinctions
- General Foreign Relations
- Relations Between Two Entities
- Specific Time Periods
- Summary Table of Classification Priority
- Examples
- See Also
- Reference
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION
The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress. It was developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to organize and arrange the book collections of the Library of Congress. Over the course of the twentieth century, the system was adopted for use by other libraries as well, especially large academic libraries in the United States. It is currently one of the most widely used library classification systems in the world. The Library's Policy and Standards Division maintains and develops the system. In recent decades, as the Library of Congress made its records available electronically through its online catalog, more libraries have adopted LCC for both subject cataloging as well as shelflisting.
CLASSIFICATION AND SHELFLISTING MANUAL (CSM)
The Classification and Shelflisting Manual (CSM) is a comprehensive set of policy guidelines and instruction sheets used by catalogers to assign Library of Congress Classification (LCC) numbers and manage the physical arrangement of library materials. It was created by combining the former Subject Cataloging Manual: Shelflisting with newer classification policies
The purpose of this publication is to provide guidelines for establishing Library of Congress classification numbers and assigning them to library materials, as well as for shelflisting materials collected by the Library of Congress. It is an accumulation of guidelines that have been formulated over several decades dealing with commonly recurring questions that arise when using the LC classification.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION
F 592: FOREIGN RELATIONS
A GUIDE FOR CATALOGERS
Below is a summary of the key instructions for catalogers:
1. Scope and Distinctions
Historical vs. Theoretical: This sheet applies to works discussing the historical aspects of a region or country's foreign relations (classed in D, E, and F). Works focusing on the theoretical aspects of international relations are instead classed in JZ.
Region Definition: For these purposes, a "region" is defined as any geographic area consisting of two or more countries (e.g., Africa, Scandinavia, South Asia).
2. General Foreign Relations
Works discussing the general foreign relations of a country or region should be placed in the specific "Foreign and General Relations" number for that entity.
If the work is limited to a specific time period, it is classed under the corresponding chronological number for that country's foreign relations.
3. Relations Between Two Entities
The manual provides a hierarchy for deciding where to class a book that discusses the relationship between two places:
Region vs. Country: If a work discusses the relations between a large region and a single country, it is always classed with the region (e.g., a book on U.S. policy toward Africa is classed with Africa).
Region vs. Region: Class based on the primary emphasis of the work.
United States vs. Another Country: Works discussing the U.S. and one other specific country are classed with the United States (Schedule E).
Country vs. Country (non-U.S.): For relations between two individual countries (neither being the U.S.), the cataloger chooses based on the emphasis of the work. This is determined by the title, the text, or the country of publication.
4. Specific Time Periods
Works should be classed in the specific time period number if one exists.
If a specific foreign relations number for a certain period does not exist, the work is classed in the next broader foreign relations number available for that country.
5. Summary Table of Classification Priority
| Relationship Type | Where to Class |
| Region + Country | Under the Region |
| U.S. + One Country | Under the United States |
| Two Regions | Under the Main Emphasis |
| Two Countries (No U.S.) | Under the Main Emphasis |
