How to find Books, CDs, and other Library Holdings
Step 4
Locations of Call Numbers in the Library
Location charts is can also be viewed at various locations throughout the library.
Books in this library are shelved according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Each class corresponds to a letter of the alphabet and is then further subdivided into subclasses using additional letters and numbers. For example, you would find J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye listed under PS3537 A426 C3 1951. This number, known as a 'call number' tells us where the book is located in the stacks. ("Stacks" is a term libraries use to describe the shelving for library material.)
Now that we know what a call number is, we can take a look at how these books are shelved in the stacks. The first line of a call number begins with one, two or three letters followed by numbers. The letters are always read alphabetically and the numbers are read as whole numbers. Therefore, H comes before PC which comes before QR, etc. Also, keep in mind that QC comes before QD which comes before QE.
H12 |
H126 |
HV12 |
PC126 |
Next comes the second line of the call number. This second line begins with letters and is arranged alphabetically, but the numbers in the second line are in decimal order:
L901 |
L901 |
L901 |
L901 |
Sometimes there are additional lines in the call number. Letter/number
combinations are read the same way as the second lines. Year dates are
read chronologically.
Be aware that some call numbers will have prefixes like REF, PERIOD, and RIC Gov Pubs. These materials are located in separate locations from the main borrowing collection on the first floor.