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SuDocs
SuDocs Classification is a unique system of classification used by US government documents. This is a brief explaination of the system. If you'd like more information to be included, please let Lauren know.
Information from Blackboard:
Superintendent of Documents Classification Explanation
Federal government documents are shelved by the Superintendent of Documents Classification scheme, or SuDocs number for short. The two major classification schemes used in libraries, the Dewey Decimal system and the Library of Congress system, are subject-based; that is the classification number is assigned based on the subject matter of the publication. The SuDocs number system, on the other hand, is author/producer based. Government publications are grouped by the agency that produces them. For example, call numbers that begin with the letter “A” are from the Agriculture Department, “D” from the Defense Department, “I” from the Interior Department and so on. Of course, Congressional publications are the exception to this rule: call numbers beginning Y 1 are House and Senate documents and reports; Y 3 call numbers are independent boards and commissions; Y 4’s are House and Senate hearings and publications.
Some sample SuDocs numbers:
- C 3.2:Ab 6
- D 101.22:150-33
- EP 1.23/5:600/S-5/182
- L 2.2:684
- PREX 2.8:989
- SI 8.11:33/5
- Y 1.1/7:103-88
- Y 4.Ap 6/2:S.HRG.103-55
The SuDocs number is composed of 2 main parts: the class stem and the book number.
The class stem is the part of the SuDocs number that appears before the colon. The class stem identifies the main government department, the subordinate agency and the general type of publication. For example, in the class stem C 3.2: the C stands for the Commerce Department, the 3 stands for the Census Bureau and the 2 tells us that the publication falls in to a catchall group called “general publications.” Slashes may be added to the publication-type number for related groups of publications. For example:
C 3.4: is for circulars from the Census Bureau
C 3.4/A: is for separates, or reprints, from the circulars (numbered)
C 3.4/B: is for separates from circulars (unnumbered)
C 3.4/2: is for administrative circulars
C 3.4/3: is for technical circulars
The book number is the part of the call number that appears after the colon. This is the number that identifies a unique publication. The book number might be a Cutter number (combination of letters and numbers – T 22), a date (989, 989/May), a volume and number for a periodical (83/4), a number for a consecutively numbered series (1350) , a report number (83-DFA-16), or another type of unique identifier.
Note on years: Prior to the year 2000, years were designated with 3 digits instead of 4 (888=1888, 979=1979).
This is a brief explanation of the SuDocs system. For a more detailed look at the classification scheme, take a look at the FDLP SuDocs explanation.
For the purposes of shelving, here are a few rules that should help you
- The SuDocs system is not a decimal system
- If the SuDocs system were a decimal system, this would be the correct order for these numbers:
- D 1.1:
- D 1.12:
- D 1.122:
- D 1.3:
- D 1.33:
However, the SuDocs system is a whole number system, so the correct order for these numbers is:
- D 1.1:
- D 1.3:
- D 1.12:
- D 1.33:
- D 1.122:
If the class stem is the same and there are several types of book numbers, the books are shelved in this order: years, letters, numbers
Contents
Example 1: [edit]
- A 135:993
- A 1.35:R 42
- A 1.35:R 42/995
- A 1.35:R 42/2
- A 1.35:321
Example 2: [edit]
- EP 1.23:998
- EP 1.23:A 62
- EP 1.23:91-44
- EP 1.23:600/998-103
- EP 1.23:600/R-98-23
If the class stem has numbers or letters slashed on to the base number, the base number comes first, followed by the slashed numbers in order. Or, in the words of the old filing rule: “nothing comes before something.”
Example 1: [edit]
- C 3.186:
- C 3.186/2:
- C 3.186/7:
- C 3.186/7-3:
- C 3.186/9:
Example 2: [edit]
- EP 1.23:
- EP 1.23/A:
- EP 1.23/A-2:
- EP 1.23/2:
- EP 1.23/2-2: