NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE (NLM)

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

The NLM Classification is an example of a special-subject classification system designed by the

National Library of Medicine of the United States to be fully compatible with an extensive, existing
general classification system, i.e. the Library of Congress Classification (LCC).
The original designers of the NLM scheme proposed a classification system that would (1) follow
LCC in both style of classification and general pattern of notation , (2) develop its own classification
system for medicine and related subjects, fitting it into LCCs vacant class W, and (3) develop its own
scheme for the preclinical sciences, using LCCs vacant subclasses QS through QZ (in LCC main class Q for
science). In response, the Library of Congress agreed with NLM that the main class W and subclasses QS
to QZ would be permanently excluded from LCC.
For any material in its collection that would not be classed appropriately under either medicine
or the preclinical sciences, NLM uses the LCC scheme except for class R (Medicine), subclasses QM, QP,
and QR (Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology, respectively), and the class Z provisions for medicine-
related bibliographies.

Basic Principles and Structure

The NLM Classification comprises two major subject groups, the pre-clinical sciences and
medicine. The first group is divided into eight subclasses, QS through QZ. The second group, class W,
contains thirty-two major divisions within medicine and related subjects. An outline of the first-order
divisions of the NLM Classification is shown below.

PRECLINICAL SCIENCES
QS Human anatomy QW Microbiology and immunology
QT Physiology QX Parasitology
QU Biochemistry QY Clinical pathology
QV Pharmacology QZ Pathology

MEDICINE AND RELATED SUBJECTS

W Medical profession WK Endocrine system
WA Public health WL Nervous system
WB Practice of medicine WM Psychiatry
WC Infectious diseases WN Radiology
WD100 Deficiency diseases WO Surgery
WD200 Metabolic diseases WP Gynecology
WD300 Diseases of allergy WQ Obstetrics
WD400 Animal poisoning WR Dermatology
WD500 Plant poisoning WS Pediatrics
WD600 Diseases by physical agents WT Geriatrics. Chronic disease
WD700 Aviation and space medicine WU Dentistry. Oral surgery
WE Musculoskeletal system WV Otorhinolaryngology
WF Respiratory system WW Ophthal mology
WG Cardiovascular system WX Hospitals
WH Hemic and lymphatic systems WY Nursing
WI Gastrointestinal system WZ History of medicine
WJ Urogenital system
 Within a particular schedule for a subclass and, in some cases, under a main subject, the
numbers 1-33 (e.g. WI 1-33.1 and WO 201-233.1) are used for form divisions such as collections, history,
dictionaries and encyclopedias, tables and statistics, and atlases. In the schedules for physiologic
systems, form divisions are followed by general divisions and then divisions by organ. At the beginning
of each class, a brief outline of the class is given (see example below).

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM
WI 1-250 General
WI 300-387 Stomach
WI 400-575 Intestines
WI 600-650 Anus and Rectum
WI 700-770 Liver and Biliary Tract
WI 800-820 Pancreas
WI 900-970 Abdomen and abdominal surgery

Divisions by organ have priority over diseases, which are subsumed under the organ or region
chiefly affected, regardless of special emphasis on diet, drug, or other special form of therapy.
Books treating several subjects that fall into different areas of the classification are classed by
emphasis. If no emphasis is apparent, they are classed with the first subject treated.

NOTATION

Class Numbers
A typical class number consists of one or two capital letters followed by an Arabic number of up
to three digits with possible decimal extensions, e.g. W 1, QS 221, QY 350, W 40.1, and WK 700. Triple
capital letter combinations are used in classifying some nineteenth-century publications. Also, in some
cases, Cutter numbers are used for subject subdivision. With respect to notational capacity, the NLM
scheme allows a range of 1 to 999 integers under each main class or subclass. The NLM Classification is a
relatively broad classification system, leaving specificity in subject analysis to the Medical Subject
Headings system and its tree structures.

Cutter Numbers
NLM scheme uses the detailed Cutter-Sanborn Three-Figure Author Table for book numbers.
Work letters, taken from the first word in the title, disregarding initial articles, are added to distinguish
works on the same subject by the same author, and publication dates are routinely added to records for
monographs, as they are in LC cataloging. NLM does not use a period before the book number, even
though the numbers are read decimally.
Cutter numbers used for subject subdivisions are based from the simpler Cutter number table
used in LCC. Below are examples of Cutter numbers used for subject subdivisions.

QW MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

138 Enterbacteriaceae
138.5 Specific organisms, A-Z
.E8 Escherichia
.K5 Klebsiella
.P7 Proteus
.S2 Salmonella
.S3 Serratia
 Cutter numbers are not used as item numbers for nonprint materials. Instead, a medium code
consisting of a serial number following a brief alphabetical notation representing type of materials (e.g.,
AC for sound recordings, SL for slides, VC for videorecordiings, etc.), is used. For example, see page 5.

Geographic Table

There is only one auxillary table in the NLM Classification system, Table G for geographic
subdivisions, which is based on a modified Cutter pattern. The world is divided into ten regions, each of
which is assigned a capital letter as follows:

A United States J Asia

D America K Australia
F Great Britain L Pacific islands
G Europe M International
H Africa P Polar Regions

Within each region, subdivisions are provided for subordinate units (see examples below).

AA1 United States

AA4 Alabama
AA5 Alaska

FA1 Great Britain

FE5 England
FS2 Scotland

Table G is used mainly with serial government publications and with hospital publications.
However, there are some numbers in the schedules that expressly call for the use of Table G. For
example:

QV PHARMACOLOGY
11 History (Table G)
11.1 General coverage (Not Table G)

In these cases, the decimal extension .1 is used for material covering areas broader than any of
the areas represented in Table G. A history of pharmacology in a particular geographic area is classed in
QV 11 plus a number from Table G, while a general history of pharmacology is classed in QV 11.1.

INDEX

There is a detailed index to the NLM schedules, with major terms chosen to conform with those
in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). In the index, major terms are arranged alphabetically with
subterms indented under them. Each major term or subterm is followed by a class number or range of
numbers, including numbers from LCC. Indented terms represent aspects of the subject that are more
specific or have their own numbers different from the general number. See also references and general
references follow the subterms. The following examples show these features.
 Lasers TK 1660-1750
Biomedical application WB 117
In dentistry (General) WU 26
In surgery (General) WO 500
Physics QC 454.L3
Used for other purposes, by subject
See also special topics under Radiation, Nonionizing

CLASSIFICATION OF SPECIAL TYPES OF MATERIALS

Certain types of materials receive special treatment in the NLM Classification. These include
bibliographies, serial publications, and early publications.

Bibliography

The call number for a bibliography in a topic listed in the NLM schedules begins with the letter Z,
followed by the class number for the particular subject of the bibliography. A bibliography outside the
scope of the NLM scheme is assigned a number from class Z of the LCC with a Cutter number for the
topic of the bibliography. Examples of class numbers for bibliographies are shown below.

Z 675.D3 A list of general holdings of a dental library

Z 7144.I8 A bibliography of isotopes
ZQT 35 A bibliography of biomedical mathematics
ZW 1 A bibliography of general medical serials
ZWB 100 A bibliography of monographic works on general medicine
ZWD 700 A bibliography of aviation and space medicine

Serial publications

Serial publications are given different treatment according to the type of publication they
represent. There are seven categories.

1. Biomedicine. Serials that are not restricted to medical topics but are important to medicine
and related fields are classed in W1.
2. Information science and general reference materials. These serials are classed in the
appropriate LCC numbers.
3. Congresses. Serial publications of numbered congresses are classed in W3, unless they fall
in category 2 or originate from the meetings of one society, in which case they are classed in
W1.
4. Hospitals. Serial publications of hospitals that do not contain clinical material are classed in
WX2. Reports of the government administration of hospitals are classed in W2.
5. Statistics and administrative reports. Serial government publications of an administrative or
statistical nature are classed in W2.
6. Schedule numbers for special forms. Some publication forms are individually listed in the
schedules with the numbers marked with an asterisk (*). They are used for both
monographs and serial publications (see following example).
 WB PRACTICE OF MEDICINE
*22 Directories (of health resorts and/or special systems of therapeutics)
(Table G)
*22.1 General coverage (Not Table G)

7. Indexes and bibliographies. Indexes or bibliographies issued serially are classed according to
the instructions for classing bibliographies given above.

Early Publications

1. Nineteenth century titles. A Special Schedule for 19th Century Publications, which is a
simplified version of the NLM scheme, is provided for the classification of such
publications, except 19th century bibliographies. This special schedule appears at the end
of the NLM schedules.
2. Early printed books. Books published before 1801 are classed in WZ 220-294, a section of
the classification specially designed for such works.

CATALOGING EXAMPLES

The following examples of books and nonprint material which are classified in the NLM scheme
include LC call numbers for comparison of the two systems.

Medical use of snake venom proteins / editor, Kurt F. Stocker. c1990

WD Animal poisoning
410 Reptiles
M489 Cutter number for the main entry, Medical use
1990 Date of publication
[LC call number: RM666.S52M43 1990]

Medical microbiology / Patrick Murray and John Adams. 1990

QW Microbiology and immunology
4 General works
M486 Cutter number for the main entry, Murray
1990 Date of publication
[LC call number: QR46.M4683 1990]

Evaluation and management of acid related disorders [videorecording] :

current trends and future directions / Gardiner-Caldwell SynerMed. 1990
WI Gastrointestinal system
350 Peptic ulcer
VC Medium code for videorecordings
no. 18 Serial number
1990 Date of manufacture

Reference:
Chan, Lois Mai. Cataloging and classification: an introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, c1994.