The Library of Congress control number (LCCN) and/or canceled or invalid LCCNs. The LC control number was formerly called the LC card number, and they were first issued in 1898. Before January 2001, LCCNs consisted of a three-character prefix (often containing blanks), a two-digit year, a six-digit serial number, and a trailing blank. This number was often displayed with a hyphen separating the year and the serial number. After December 2000, LCCNs consist of a two-character prefix (often containing blanks), a four-digit year, and a six-digit serial number.
Guidelines
Data entry
Use the following guidelines to enter LCCNs in subfields ǂa, ǂb, or ǂz:
Post-2000 LCCNs. Enter a new LCCN or edit an existing LCCN with or without blanks in the prefix followed by the four-digit year, an optional hyphen, and the serial number. OCLC displays the LCCN without a hyphen.
Example
Enter post-2000 LCCNs
Display
No prefix
2001-234 or 2001-000234 or 2001000234 or __2001000234
__2001000234
1 character prefix
a2002-3456 or a2002-003456 or a2002003456 or a_2002003456
a_2002003456
2 character prefix
sn2003-45678 or sn2003-045678 or sn2003045678
sn2003045678
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Pre-2001 LCCNs. Enter a new LCCN or edit an existing LCCN with or without blanks in the prefix followed by the two-digit year, an optional hyphen, the serial number, and an optional trailing blank at the end. OCLC displays the LCCN without a hyphen.
Example
Enter pre-2001 LCCNs
Display
No prefix
34-5678 or 34-005678 or 34005678 or ___34005678
___34005678_
1 character prefix
e45-67 or e45-000067 or e45000067 or e__45000067
e__45000067_
2 character prefix
sn85-678 or sn85-000678 or sn85000678 or sn_85000678
sn_85000678_
3 character prefix
agr25-3 or agr25-000003 or agr25000003
agr25000003_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Prefixes. Enter alphabetic prefixes with or without trailing blanks as lowercase letters immediately preceding the number. Do not enter LCCNs with the prefix nuc. Prefixes can be no longer than three characters in pre-2001 LCCNs and no longer than two characters in post-2000 LCCNs.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
E25-20
e25-20 or e25-000020 or e25000020
e__25000020_
SA68-11761
sa68-11761 or sa68-011761 or sa68011761
sa_68011761_
Agr22-346
agr22-346 or agr22-000346 or agr22000346
agr22000346_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Prefixes with four or more characters. Alphabetic prefixes with four or more characters are not valid. If such a prefix is found in LC copy, substitute the corresponding three-character equivalent in place of the original prefix as shown.
Original prefix
Enter prefix
AFLN
afl
CA Dupl
cad
MicA
mid
Micp
mie
MicpA
mif
PhoM
php
PhomA
phq
Single-digit years. If a pre-2001 LCCN contains a single-digit year, enter an initial 0 to produce a two-digit year. If you do not enter an initial 0, but do add a hyphen following the year, the system supplies the initial 0 in LCCNs without a prefix. If the LCCN contains an alphabetic prefix and a single-digit year, you must enter the initial 0 to produce a two-digit year.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
2-8520
2-8520 or 02-8520 or 02-008520 or 02008520
___02008520_
Agr3-1285
agr03-1285 or agr03-001285 or agr03001285
agr03001285_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Leading zeros following the hyphen. When the hyphen is present, you may enter or omit leading zeros in the serial number following the hyphen. If you do not enter the leading zeros, the system supplies them. If you do not enter the hyphen, you must enter the leading zeros.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
74-01513
74-1513 or 74-001513 or 74001513
___74001513_
2001-34
2001-34 or 2001-000034 or 2001000034
__2001000034
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Entering pre-1902 LCCNs. Before 1902, LC used various styles for LCCNs. For information about pre-1902 LCCNs that are not described here, contact the Library of Congress (LC Policy and Standards Division) or OCLC.
Cards issued in 1898. Some LCCNs issued in 1898 lack the year or have the prefix C and no year. Enter such LCCNs with the prefix and year as c98.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
398
c98-398 or c98-000398 or c98000398
c__98000398_
C-245
c98-245 or c98-000245 or c98000245
c__98000245_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Cards issued in 1901. Some LCCNs issued in 1901 have no year but have alphabetic prefixes other than C. Others may be preceded by 1. Enter the alphabetic prefix in lowercase letters followed by 01, the optional hyphen, and the rest of the number.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
F-3144
f01-3144 or f01-003144 or f01003144
f__01003144_
Rc-2100
rc01-2100 or rc01-002100 or rc01002100
rc_01002100_
1-Rc-990
rc01-990 or rc01-000990 or rc01000990
rc_01000990_
D-245
d01-245 or d01-000245 or d01000245
d__01000245_
1-Z-245
z01-245 or z01-000245 or z01000245
z__01000245_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Suffixes printed after or below the LCCN. Do not enter suffixes.
Alphabetic or phrase identifiers. Do not enter the alphabetic identifier CD or phrases such as Additions, Exception, Provisional, Cancel, and Brief Cataloging.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
64-7345CD
64-7345 or 64-007345 or 64007345
___64007345_
2-10372 Additions
02-10372 or 02-010372 or 02010372
___02010372_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Trailing asterisks, single daggers, or double daggers. Enter the LCCN only.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
8-30156*
8-30156 or 08-30156 or 08-030156 or 08030156
___08030156_
4-26834 †
4-26834 or 04-26834 or 04-026834 or 04026834
___04026834_
63-29455 ‡
63-29455 or 63-029455 or 63029455
___63029455_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Additional hyphens and slashes with trailing characters. The LCCN may be followed by a second hyphen and a single digit, by a second hyphen with an M and a single digit, or by a slash and a single digit. Do not enter second hyphens, slashes, or any of the characters following second hyphens or slashes.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
1-6360-1
1-6360 or 01-6360 or 01-006360 or 01006360
___01006360_
F-795-7
f01-795 or f01-000795 or f01000795
f__01000795_
2-2628-M2
2-2628 or 02-2628 or 02-002628 or 02002628
___02002628_
3-1444/4
3-1444 or 03-1444 or 03-001444 or 03001444
___03001444_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
Revision information. Do not enter:
Rev or revised following the LCCN to the right of the printing symbol.
Unrev'd following the LCCN.
Revision dates. The printing symbol (located to the right of the rod hole on LC cards) may include the revision date.
LC copy
Enter LCCNs
Display
74-237323 rev
74-237323 or 74237323
___74237323_
74-5491 74[r75]rev
74-5491 or 74-005491 or 74005491
___74005491_
F-1260 Revised [r35b2]
f01-1260 or f01-001260 or f01001260
f__01001260_
1-1238 rev2
01-1238 or 01-001238 or 01001238
___01001238_
68-3612 R [r77]rev4
68-3612 or 68-003612 or 68003612
___68003612_
46-16977 rev2* ‡
46-16977 or 46-016977 or 46016977
___46016977_
CA8-3172 Unrev'd
ca08-3172 or ca08-003172 or ca08003172
ca_08003172_
Note: The underscore represents a blank space in this table.
CONSER LCCNs
Records for serials and integrating resources that are part of the CONSER database (field 042 subfield ǂa coded as pcc, msc, nlc, nsdp, etc.) must contain a valid LCCN. CONSER uses some special prefixes for LCCNs in some records.
Pseudo LCCNs
LC and CONSER participants used LCCNs prefixed with sc, sf, and sn, referred to as pseudo LCCNs, as follows:
LCCNs with the prefix sc were used prior to 2000 in records for serials authenticated by LC, but not held by LC.
LCCNs with the prefix sf were used prior to 2000 in records for serials authenticated by LC and held by LC, but given less-than-full cataloging.
LCCNs with the prefix sn were used prior to 2000 in records for serials authenticated by CONSER participants and the National Serials Data Program (NSDP). LCCNs with the prefix sn were also used prior to 1984 for serials authenticated by LC and held by LC, but given less-than-full cataloging. LCCNs with the prefix sn are currently used by LC and the United States Newspaper Program (USNP) for cataloging newspapers.
Prior to May 1999, LC assigned unprefixed LCCNs to records for serials previously authenticated with pseudo LCCNs. The unprefixed LCCN would be added to subfield ǂa and the pseudo LCCN moved to subfield ǂz. LC now retains the pseudo LCCN in previously authenticated records it uses for cataloging.
LAC LCCNs
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) records for serials that are part of the CONSER database use LCCNs prefixed with ce, cf, and cn as follows:
LCCNs with the prefix ce are used in records for bilingual serials cataloged in English
LCCNs with the prefix cf are used in records for bilingual serials cataloged in French
LCCNs with the prefix cn are used in records for non-bilingual serials cataloged in English or French
The LAC LCCNs used in the CONSER database are derived from the LAC control number in field 016. When a bilingual serial is cataloged in both English and French the same number will appear in each LCCN following the ce and cf prefixes.
1st Indicator
Undefined. The 1st indicator position is undefined and contains a blank.
Undefined
2nd Indicator
Undefined. The 2nd indicator position is undefined and contains a blank.
Undefined
Subfields
A canceled or invalid LCCN must be entered in subfield ǂz, not subfield ǂa. If in doubt, use subfield ǂz.
ǂa LC control number
Assume that the LCCN on LC cataloging copy or in a publication is valid unless one of the circumstances described in subfield ǂz applies.
010
51016967 ǂz sn 90000198
ǂb NUCMC control number
A valid number for the item as found in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). The form printed in NUCMC contains the prefix ms, two-digit year, hyphen, and serial number, e.g., ms70-491 or ms68-2403. The NUCMC control number is entered and displayed like all other LCCNs.
Any canceled or invalid NUCMC control numbers are in subfield ǂz. Pre-1988 records may have NUCMC control numbers in subfield ǂa.
010
ǂb ms 60002471
ǂz Canceled/invalid LC control number
Canceled or invalid LCCNs. Use also if the accuracy of the LCCN is in doubt. If one of the following conditions exists, the LCCN is invalid:
The item is a new edition but is printed with the LCCN of a previous edition.
The item is cataloged separately but is printed with the LCCN of the multipart monograph or series of which it is a part.
The printed LCCN has an obvious typographical error (e.g., the printed LCCN differs from the LCCN found in the LC catalog), but the LCCN is still structurally correct (e.g., a two- or four-digit year followed by a serial number of up to six digits).
LC used the same LCCN in a record for a different item.
OCLC also uses subfield ǂz to record the LCCN of former LC or CONSER records when they are deleted in merging records.
010
ǂz 82022174
[LCCN for an earlier edition in a record for a later edition]
010
ǂz 68013470
[LCCN for a print version in a record for a photocopy reproduction]