To make matters worse, the practical definition of a bibliography, as defined and, therefore, classified by the Library of Congress, is not terribly consistent. Increasingly, I have noted that many non-bibliographic reference materials are being assigned to the "Zs" and out of public view.
Librarians and other scholars that use the reference collection generally know where the primary reference sources in their field are located, but they tend to see only part of that which could prove to be useful to their search. This resource is intended to fill that gap. It has been created to serve as a finding aid for those "hidden" resources.
The structure of this program is based primarily upon the Library of Congress classification outline (6th edition, 1990). I used the fifth edition (1980) of the Z classification schedule (the latest at my disposal) to find as many of the corresponding "Z" bibliographies for the regular classification headings.
Upon working with the "Zs", one quickly learns that they are based on a structure of knowledge and learning that is somewhat antiquated. One will find great inequities in the way it is set up. Many ares of study that are currently popular had not become recognized, or at least popular, in the late 19th century when the Library of Congress created its current classification system (the first edition of the "Z" schedule was published in 1902). As a discipline the social sciences were in their infancy and, therefore, are not given adequate "room" in the "Z" schedule. For example, economics, business, political science, and sociology bibliographies combined are not given as much room in the "Zs" as is wool (Z7164 vs. Z7971-Z7975).
This project is still in a draft form. It is by no means complete and I welcome any suggestions, comments, or questions about its content or format.