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LC classification,
Subclass KE
The
Library of Congress Classification,
Class K, Subclass KE: Law of Canada was first published in 1976. Under
this
scheme, legal materials are classified more by jurisdiction than by
subject or
area of law. Also, the Canadian legal system is quite different from
that of
the U.S., as previously explained. In the province of Québec, where
civil law applies, there is likely to be more use of LC classification.
However,
this is less suitable for the rest of Canada.
KF
Classification
Modified for Use in
Canadian Law Libraries
Although
the UBC Law Library still
classifies using Moys, other large academic institutions have adopted
the KF
Modified system, which is an adaptation of the LC classification Class
K,
Subclass KF (Law of the United States).
This
system was originally developed for
academic law libraries in Canada but has since been adopted by other
law
libraries.
It dates back to 1968, when four academic law librarians met to discuss
the
modification of the LC classification KF to suit common law
jurisdictions and
to enable subject based classification. The scheme is arranged by
subject
rather than jurisdiction, according to the needs of academic libraries
in Canada,
and includes supplementary tables to enable further building of
classification
numbers where necessary.
KF
Modified is edited by a member of staff
at York University Law Library, which also handles subscriptions to the
textbook KF Classification Modified for
Use in Canadian Law Libraries. The Canadian Association of Law
Libraries
has a Subcommittee on Classification, which exists to support users of
KF
Modified in Canada, providing training and acting as a forum for queries or
issues
related to its use. This subcommittee also looks at possible future
amendments.
The use of this scheme has increased in Canada since its inception and it is clear that
there is
strong support for
this
system.
Other
classification schemes
A source
of information on other schemes in
use in Canada is an article entitled “The Future of KF Modified in
Canadian Law
Libraries.”(34)
Although
this article is focused on the development of KF Modified, it does
include
information about other schemes in use in Canadian law libraries
following a
survey conducted during the summer of 2001. These include DDC and local
schemes.
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