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Why do university and research libraries often use the Library of Congress Classification?

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British Museum: Reading Room — library Reading Room of the British Museum, designed by Sidney Smirke in collaboration with Anthony Panizzi and built in the 1850s. Illustration by Smirke, from the *Illustrated London News*, 1857.

University and research libraries often favor the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system for several key reasons:

Depth and Specificity: Because the system was developed based on the extensive collection of the Library of Congress, it offers a high degree of detail and minute groupings of subjects that are well-suited for large, scholarly collections.12
Pragmatic Design: The system uses a mixed notation of capital letters and Arabic numerals, allowing for greater specificity without resulting in excessively long call numbers. It was designed to be expansive, leaving room for new subjects to develop within the classification structure.12
Efficiency: The system provides a logical arrangement from general to specific and theoretical to practical. Furthermore, LCC notations are readily available on the library’s catalog cards and digital records, which simplifies the cataloging process for other institutions.12

By providing a robust framework for organizing vast amounts of information, the LCC helps research institutions maintain control over their diverse materials.3