Library Growth

As the library grows over the years, the relative proportion of subject areas shifts. End of the year statistics, given below, show this change between December 31, 1994 and December 31, 2008, two years for which nearly complete statistics are available. The library has been kept in classified order since first systematized in college days according to the Library of Congress (LC) classification. However, a major departure from LC is to place works of literature that are individual, that is not anthologized, in one alphabetical order at the end of the classification. The alphabetical sequence follows from the main entry - the author chiefly responsible or the title or form title when the work is otherwise anonymous.

Many classes stay relatively consistent in proportion, but a few show substantial change. Major change shows in the philosophy and religion divisions of the B class, more than doubling. Shifts in history divisions, the D-F classes, follow next in rate of increase. Most class shifts upward come at the decline of the non-classified works of literature. This section, though the greatest in absolute growth, declines in percentage of the total.

Note that the brief titles of the LC classes are collective and do not detail all the subordinate topics in those classes.

LC CLASS, SUBJECT NAME: 1994 COUNT - PER CENT 2008 COUNT - PER CENT

A, Genera: 109 - 2.60% 169 - 1.28%

B-BJ, Philosophy: 61 - 1.46% 650 - 4.93%

BL, Religion: 36 - 0.86% 175 - 1.33%

BM-BP, Non-Xtian: 13- 0.31% 49- 0.37%

BR-BX, Christianity: 120 - 2.86% 696 - 5.28%

(B Total): 230 - 5.49% 1570 - 11.91%

C, Aux to History: 76 - 1.81% 190 - 1.44%

D, History in General: 92 - 2.19% 234 - 1.77%

DA-DR, Europe: 161 - 3.84% 533 - 4.04%

DS, Asia: 47 - 1.12% 161 - 1.22%

DT, Africa: 21 - 0.50% 69 - 0.52%

DU, Oceania: 2 - 0.05% 9 - 0.07%

(D Total): 323 - 7.71% 1006 - 7.63%

E, United States: 183 - 4.37% 758 - 5.75%

F, States & Canada: 58 - 1.38% 232 - 1.76%

F, Latin America: 11 - 0.26% 49 - 0.37%

D-F (Total): 575 - 13.72% 2045 - 15.51%

G, Geography & Anthropology: 70 - 1.67% 238 - 1.81%

H, Social Sciences: 294 - 7.01% 910 - 6.90%

J, Political Science: 79 - 1.88% 288 - 2.18%

K, Law: 40 - 0.95% 116 - 0.88%

L, Education: 51 - 1.22% 200 - 1.52%

M, Music: 13 - 0.31% 75 - 0.57%

N, Art: 28 - 0.67% 164 - 1.24%

P-PM, Languages: 115 - 2.74% 333 - 2.53%

PN1-4888, Communication: 95 - 2.27% 470 - 3.56%

PN6014-PZ, Literatures: 216 - 5.15% 721 - 5.47%

P (Total): 426 - 10.16% 1524 - 11.56%

Q, Science: 141 - 3.36% 345 - 2.62%

R, Medicine: 31 - 0.74% 99 - 0.75%

S, Agriculture & Gardening: 153 - 3.65% 225 - 1.71%

T, Technology: 94 - 2.24% 177 - 1.34%

U-V, Military & Naval: 28 - 0.67% 67 - 0.51%

Z, Books & Libraries: 48 - 1.15% 108 - 0.82%

Individual Works of Literature: 1707 - 40.72% 4672 - 35.44%

Grand Total: 4192 (1994) 13184 (2008)