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The Library of Congress classification system is used by many academic libraries throughout the world. It is an alpha-numerical system that is used to organise the books in the library. Books are shelved according to this system not for example by author, size or colour.

• The Laucala Campus, PIMRIS and Alafua Campus Libraries use the Library of Congress classification system. 
• Emalus Campus Library uses Dewey Decimal Classification and Moys Classification Scheme.
• The rest of the regional libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification.

Compare Library of Congress with Dewey Decimal Classification below:

Library of Congress & Moys are alphanumeric i.e. letters and numbers. 

The first line is the broad subject area i.e. LB = Education, the second line is the narrower area i.e. 2337 = student loans, the third line refers to the author; and the fourth line is the year of publication.

Dewey Decimal Classification is numeric i.e. numbers only though there are some authorship letters at the end NOTE: at USP our Dewey numbers do begin with letters, which tell you which campus library they belong to.

The first line contains a lot of information.  300 = Social sciences 370 = Education 378 = Higher education.  The second line is the specific number for student loans.