ABSTRACT
There have been a number of different classification systems developed for use in map librarianship over the years. The one commonality most of these systems share is that maps are classified first by area covered, and then by subject, followed often by scale or date. Currently, the classification probably most widely used that follows this theoretical basis is the Library of Congress' Library of Congress Classification, Class G: Geography, Maps, Anthropology, Recreation, most often referred to as the "G schedule." The G schedule was first published in 1910, but this first edition did not include a classification schedule for atlases or maps (Chan 1990, p. 166). The second edition of the schedule, published in 1928, included a provisional scheme for atlases. The third edition, published in 1954, included a provisional scheme for maps that had been drafted in 1945. The fourth edition-as noted earlier, Library of Congress Classification, Class G: Geography, Maps, Anthropology, Recreation-was released in 1976, and included major revisions to both the atlas and maps portion. The Library of Congress has been converting the schedules into the USMARC Format for Classification Data and should have the complete G schedule in digital format sometime in 2000.
