Lost in Translation: The Treatment of Chinese Classics in the Library of Congress Classification

This paper describes the nature of the Chinese Classics and the inappropriateness of classifying the collection as literature within the Library of Congress Classification scheme. The practical and philosophical reasons for the inadequacy of Library of Congress Classification in comprehending and classifying the Chinese Classics are examined. A call is made to change the current treatment that classifies the Chinese Classics in “Class PL” (Literature) to “Class B” (Philosophy) along with modifications to relevant schedules and the addition of more sophisticated hierarchies and cross references for accuracy and consistency