Call Numbers for Foreign Law

Updated Nov. 24, 2003.
Prepared by Mary Whisner.

• Introduction
• Reading the Old Call Numbers
• Browsing the Shelves
• Does the Library Have Material for All Jurisdictions?
• Multijurisdictional Sets
• Reference Assistance
• Table of Call Numbers for Foreign Jurisdictions

Introduction

In order to understand the call numbers of foreign materials in the Law Library, it is helpful to know a little bit about their history. For many years, the Library of Congress did not have detailed tables of call numbers ("classification schedules") for most foreign jurisdictions. The schedules for the United States, Britain, and Canada were complete in the 1970s, but other countries' schedules were not complete until the early 1990s. So catalogers in this library assigned call numbers to works based on a preliminary outline from the Library of Congress. But when the schedules came out, they were not the same as in the preliminary outline. As a result, for many jurisdictions we have material under two separate call numbers. The table below lists for each country or region the new call number and the old, local call number.

Reading the Old Call Numbers

Since the catalogers did not have detailed schedules to work from, the old call numbers usually had two or three letters, then a blank line, then a decimal point followed by a letter and numbers. For example, the call number on the spine of Encounters with the Australian Constitution is:

KTA
.A1
C66
1987

When the catalog records were put into the online catalog, there was no way to show that blank line, so a zero was inserted. The call number for Encounters with the Australian Constitution displays in the catalog like this:

KTA0.A1 C66 1987 at CLASSIFIED STACKS.

When you see a "0" in a call number in the catalog, look for a blank line on the spine of the book -- the spine of the book usually will not show that "0."

Browsing the Shelves

If you like to browse the shelves, it is important to be aware that material for one country can be shelved under two call numbers. For example, some Australian material is under KTA and some is under KU.

Even though we refer to "new call numbers" and "old call numbers," the material does not necessarily break down into "old" and "new." If the Law Library first subscribed to a periodical twenty years ago, it would have the "old" call number -- even though the most recent issue might have arrived last week! For example, the Law Library has a current subscription to Australian Law Reports, which still has an "old" call number (KTA0.A1 A5).

Material for foreign jurisdictions are found on both floors of the Library, on Floors L1 and L2. Detailed maps showing call numbers are available.

• Floor L1
  • Reference Area
  • Classified Stacks
  • East Asian Law Department and East Asian legal materials
• Floor L2
  • East Asian Law Reference and East Asian legal materials
  • Classified Stacks and Compact Stacks

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Does the Law Library Have Material for All Jurisdictions?

The Law Library does not have materials for all the countries and regions listed in the table! For example, the Law Library does not have any material with the call number KJH, for Andorra. But if the library does acquire a book on the law of Andorra, it will be assigned this call number, the call number the Library of Congress uses.

The Library has very strong collections for East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) and good collections for some common law countries (the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada). But it has very little for many countries in the world. In the table, the names of countries for which the library has strong collections are IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Multijurisdictional Sets

Researchers should be aware that the library subscribes to many multijurisdictional sets that include the laws from many countries. So, for example, if you are looking for a French tax law, you should not stop with browsing the shelves for the call number(s) for France (where you might not find anything on tax), but should also check Tax Laws of the World (K4504.15 1974 at Reference Area), where you will probably find a recent translation of the French statute.

Some of the most commonly used multijurisdictional sets are:

• Commercial Laws of the World (K1004.15 1976 at Reference Area)
• Constitutions of the Countries of the World (K3157.A2B58 1971 at Reference Area)
• Tax Laws of the World (K4504.15 1974 at Reference Area)

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Reference Assistance

For help researching East Asian law (the law of China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong), see the East Asian Law Department. For all other jurisdictions, ask Reference.

Table of Call Numbers for Foreign Jurisdictions

Country or Region: A---B--- C---D---E---F---G--- H---I---J---K--- L---M---N--- O---P---Q---R---S--- T---U---V--- W---X---Y---Z