Organizing a topic as varied as Canadian history into periods is a challenge. Canadian history spans hundreds of years, covers events from different points of view, and contains cultural, thematic and political dimensions. To understand how to logically organize history into periods it is useful to refer to Canadian historical sources. Two historical texts by Bumstead and Silver will be considered. How they organize Canadian history into logical and comprehensive periods will be considered. Each text establishes a chronological framework and creates historical periods within this. Each period is intended to represent as logically as possible the major cultural inclinations, political and social events, and thematic trends occurring in that period. Bumstead and Silver outline several general periods, then delve into each period with a precise focus. Silver has a social focus within each period, while Bumstead has a thematic focus. Defining specific periods, which represent the dominant themes and events that take place within the period, is a way of organizing the vast entirety of Canadian history into a logical format. , complete and contemporary. It is useful to use this as a point of reference when examining how this topic is organized in timetables. Canadian Historical Periods in the Index While the Dewey decimal system contains a complete index, the Library of Congress classification system does not (Taylor 430). Each volume of the LCC programs contains its own index, and these indexes do not refer to each other. Finding topics in timetables can be awkward. To locate a topic, you need to consult the index of each volume of all the different disciplines that can… half of the document… along with other types of classification systems in a library environment. LCC tables contain a higher level of specificity and detail than DDC tables. This is due to the fact that the topic involves the construction of syllabus areas. Primary users of LCC may be subject matter experts or those who wish to consult a classification system with a high level of specificity. Works Cited Bumstead, J.M., ed. Interpreting Canada's past. 2nd ed. Toronto: Oxford Press, 1993. Print.Jacob, Williams R. Francis Parkman, The Historian as Hero: The Formative Years. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991. Print.Silver, AI, ed. An introduction to Canadian history. Toronto: Canadian Scholar Press, 1990. Print.Taylor, Arlene G. Introduction to Cataloging and Classification. 10th ed. Westport Conn:Libraries Unlimited, 2006. Print.