-  Home 
-                   Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines              

# Introduction to the Classification Guidelines

                - Last Updated:  July 26, 2023
                - Published:  April 08, 2021

The Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines were developed by staff in the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), Library Services and Content Management (LSCM), Library Technical Services section with assistance from staff throughout LSCM. These guidelines are a revision of the 1993 GPO Classification Manual. The ongoing maintenance and revision of the Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines are the responsibility of the Cataloging Policy and Documentation Committee, Superintendent of Documents Classification Subcommittee. The Subcommittee operates within LSCM’s Library Technical Services section.

GPO uses the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification system to classify Federal Government publications. The SuDocs Classification Guidelines describe how to apply that system to classify and organize Federal Government publications. The purpose of these guidelines is to convey the current policies for assigning SuDocs classification numbers. The principles of the SuDocs system apply to all U.S. Government publications, regardless of format.

The U. S. Government disseminates a large number of publications each year. These may be issued as books, serials, pamphlets, maps, or other document type and may be in paper, microfiche, tangible electronic (CDs, DVDs), digital and online, or other format. Under U.S.C. 44, all of these publications, with certain exceptions, are included in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). All U.S. documents that are identified, acquired, and processed through the Cataloging & Indexing (C&I) Program or the FDLP are assigned a unique SuDocs classification number and cataloged, whether or not they are distributed to Federal depository libraries.

The SuDocs system groups together the publications of all Government authors, with the various agencies, bureaus, and departments being considered the authors. It is based on the current organizational structure of the Federal Government; subordinate bureaus and divisions are grouped with the parent organization. Since the SuDocs system was introduced, new agencies have formed, older agencies have ceased, and organizational responsibilities have moved across agencies. Over time, the SuDocs system has been revised and expanded. As a result, publications of some issuing agencies may be located in multiple places in the scheme.

Guidelines covering the formation and structure of SuDocs classification numbers have also changed over time. Publications have been assigned SuDocs classification numbers based upon the guidelines in effect at the time of cataloging. The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications contains classification numbers created under different guidelines at different times.

The current SuDocs Classification Guidelines will be published online only. Each section will include the date published and date last updated for reference. If you choose to print individual sections, keep in mind that the online version remains the most current and authoritative source for classification policies. Select prior guidelines are available in the Resources section under ‘Superseded Guidance.’ The Resources section is available from the menu on every page of the Guidelines.

### Classification Guidelines

                  - Introduction to the Classification Guidelines
                  - The Classification System: A Brief History
                  - Structure of the Classification Number
                  Sorting in SuDocs Order
- Example of a SuDocs Sort

                  - Class Stems
                  Letter Author Symbols
New Agency Classes
Joint Publications from Different Agencies
Publications Prepared by One Agency for Another
Serials with Changing Publishers
Joint Publications Issued in Series
Subordinate Offices
- First and Second Levels
- Assignment of Classes 
- Third and Fourth Levels
- Joint Publications from Different Subagencies
- Name Changes and Reorganizations

                  - Category Classes
                  Most Frequently Used Category Classes
- .1 - Annual reports
- .2 - General publications
- .8 - Handbooks, manuals, and guides
- .11 - Maps and Charts
- .12 - Posters
Less Frequent Category Classes
- .3 - Bulletins
- .4 - Circulars
- .5 - Laws
- .6 - Regulations, rules, and instructions
- .7 - Press releases
- .9 - Bibliographies and Lists of Publications
- .10 - Directories
- .13 - Forms
- .14 - Addresses

                  - Cutter Numbers
                  Cutter Table and Its Use
- Filing Order for Cutter Numbers
- Slash Numbers
- Selecting Cutter Words
- Words to Avoid when Cuttering
- Sets With a Collective Title
- Foreign Language Editions
- Numbers in Titles
- Cuttering Acronyms and Initialisms
Cuttering: Geographic Topics  
- Cuttering Related Documents Covering the Same Subject but Different Geographic Area
- General Subjects and Geographic Terms
- Cuttering Geographic Terms Using Personal Names
- Maps
- Cuttering Multi-Part Geographic Names
- State Cutter Numbers
State Cutter Numbers

                  - Additions to Book Numbers
                  Dates
- Year Format
- Dates for Revised Editions
- Punctuation in Dates or Date Ranges
Volume, Part, Chapter, and Section Numbers
- Volume Number and Date: Which Comes First?
Words and Abbreviations
- Foreign-language Publications
Multiple Word Phrases in a Suffix
Multiple Versions of a Publication
- Corrected Copies of Numbered Volumes
Standard Abbreviations and Words
State Abbreviations

                  - Classes by Publication Type
                  Corrections
Errata
Preliminary, Initial, Draft, and Final Reports
Reprints
Preprints and Separates
Summaries and Executive Summaries
Electronic Products
Sets with Multiple Publication Types

                  - Monographic Series
                  Identifying a Monographic Series
Assigning New Series Classes
- Series Related to Existing Classes by Subject
Structure of the Series Class
Departmental Series vs. Bureau Series
Series Book Numbers
- Series Numbering
- Unusual Series Numbering
- Series Numbering and Revised Editions
- Numbering System Changes
- Two Series on One Publication
- Series Number versus Agency Control Number
Letters and Phrases Appearing on Publications
Volumes, Parts, or Sections
Publications Which Are Not Series or Serials
- Multipart Monographs versus Series
- Other Situations

                  - Continuing Resources
                  Identifying a Continuing Resource
Serials
Integrating Resources
Assigning New Continuing Resource Classes
- Works Related to Category Classes
- Works Related to Existing Classes by Subject
- New Classes to Reflect Changes for Existing Serials
- Serials within Series: Separate Class Approach
- Serials with a Constant Series Number
Cuttering a Serial or,When Not to Establish a New Class Stem for a Serial
- Serials within Series: Cuttering Approach
- Publications of Short Duration
- Other cases for Cuttering
Serials Designation
- Number 1 for First Month Appears Annually
- Date incorporated in Series Number
- Volume and Number
Date
- Annual (and Less Frequent) Publications  
- Semiannual Publications
- Publications Issued Three or More Times a Year
- Variations in Publication Cycles
- Release Date vs. Coverage Date
Special Issues of Serials
- Supplements
- Indexes
Frequently Revised Monographs Cataloged as Serials

                  - Presidential Publications
                  Presidential Committees and Commissions
Presidential Commissions vs Presidential Initiatives
Permanent Agencies Reporting to the President
Vice President of the United States

                  - Congressional and Legislative Branch Publications
                  Y 4. - Congressional Committee Publications
- Constructing the Committee Designation
- Reorganized Committees and Name Changes
- Joint Hearings
- Publications Prepared by One Committee for the Use of Another
- Individual Book Numbers
Y 1.-: - Congress as a Whole, House and Senate as a Whole
- Individual Book Numbers
- House and Senate Documents and Reports
- Y 1.1/2: - U. S. Congressional Serial Set
- Y 1.2/5: - United States Code
Boards, Commissions, and Independent or Temporary Committees Established by Congress
- Boards, Commissions, and Committees Established within the Executive Branch
- Y 3. Boards and Commissions Outside the Executive Branch
Y 4.2: and Y 4.3: - Select and Special Committees (As Appointed)
Y 7.1: - Memorial Addresses
Y 9. - Speeches
Y 10: and Y 11: - Subordinate Offices
X 1.1: - Congressional Record
XJH: and XJS: - House and Senate Journals
Y and X General Issues
- Serial Publications
- Star Prints
- Erratum/Errata

                  - U.S. Participation in International Organizations
                  - Cartographic Resources
                  Category Classes for Maps and Charts
General Rules
U.S. Geological Survey Maps
- Coordinates
- Map Reference Numbers
- Northwest Quadrant 
- Northeast Quadrant
- Southwest Quadrant
- Southeast Quadrant
- Edition Date
Bureau of Land Management Maps
U.S. Forest Service Maps
- Revision Dates
National Ocean Service Nautical Charts
Map Types

                  - Classification Guidelines for Digital Reproductions
                   Classification by Type of Digital Reproduction

                  - Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines for Specific Publications and Classes
                  A 13.28: - Forest Service OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) Maps
AE 2.106/3: - Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
I 53.11: - Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series
S 1.1: - Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
SI 8. - National Gallery of Art
Y 1.1/3: - The Constitution of the United States of America: analysis and interpretation: annotations of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to ...
Classing Publications in ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) Database

### Classification Guidelines Resources

Catalog of U.S. Government   Publications (CGP)GovInfoList of Classes Lost DocsU.S. Government ManualWEBTech NotesWebinars and Webcasts

**Superseded Guidance **GPO Classification Manual (1993)An Explanation of the   Superintendent of Documents   Classification System (1990)

Please submit your questions about the Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines via askGPO by choosing the “Federal Depository Library Program” tile and selecting the category “Cataloging/Metadata (Policy and Records).