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How to Make a Database of Books With Subjects

While a simple alphabetical system may suit the needs of some book owners, often those with extensive collections may find it necessary to create a database of their books organized by subject. To make a database of books organized by subjects, you can use the Library of Congress Classification System. The chief advantage of using this system is that you can locate the Library of Congress call number for most recently published American books on their copyright pages.

Instructions

    • 1

      Open your book to the copyright page and locate the Library of Congress call number. Look near the bottom center of the page. If you do not see the call number listed, pull up the Library of Congress' website, where you can search for it manually. Type the name of your book in the search box and press the "Enter" key. Find your book among the search results and click on it. Write down the call number you find.

    • 2

      Open Microsoft Access or another database program you prefer. Enter the call number into the first field of your database.

    • 3

      Enter the following information in subsequent fields: author's last name and first name, book's title, book's year of publication, book's main Library of Congress Classification (e.g., Law, Military Science) and any other information you might like to include. For example, you can give a brief personal anecdote about a book such as "Found at the flea market in fall of '87."

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