Library of congress call number and shelving tutorial. Library of congress tutorial call number and shelving kent state. At the porter henderson library, books are shelved according to the library of congress lc classification system. This system is a general knowledge organization tool that is continuously revised to keep pace with knowledge. This often is because the online catalog does not include a record for every book ever published. The call number is a code that is made up of letters and numbers. How to read library of congress call numbers tutorial. This is the same page where you enter the barcode number for. The library of congress classification system lc how to read call numbers in an academic library. They provide a path to locating a book or other resource. This call number is developed by library of congress and is used to identify a library item cataloged by the library. Firstly, the aboutness of the material is ascertained.
In this dewey decimal system lesson plan, students learn how to navigate a library that uses. Using the library of congress classification system in the. The dewey decimal classification system is the most widely used method for classifying books in the library. Lc, nlm, or a call number system of your own design, we suggest that you enter your call numbers to the call number field on the copy record page. If youre looking for a book thats catalogued under the dewey decimal system, use your library s catalogue to look up the call number. This original system was later adapted by the library of congress. You will not always find an lc classification number or lc call number for a book through the library s online catalog. The dewey decimal system divides subjects into ten main groups. Call numbers, simply put, are those numbers and letters placed on books and. A library of congress call number will contain a combination of letters and numbers, and will typically end with a fourdigit year.
Most of our materials are organized on the shelf using library of congress call numbers. Library classification of a piece of work consists of two steps. Different kinds of items have different kinds of call numbers. A how to guide to the library of congress classification system. How to read call numbers university of arizona libraries. For works by or about an individual author, the citation order is to first class together all the works by or about an author, then secondly to subdivide by the book number scheme. If a book contains no date in the call number, that book comes before the same book that. Understanding call numbers michael schwartz library, csu. This tag includes the reading program name, reading level, point value, quiz number, and holding code if your library uses a holding codesite name. And, as you recall, the last section of a call number is often the date of publication.
The library of congress classification system lcc breaks books down into 20 separate areas of knowledge. Lc call number is a unique alphanumeric code that is displayed on a label attached to the each book, videocassette, or other item in the library, and in the bibliographic record which represents the item in the library catalog. Books are organized according to the library of congress system. Dewey decimal call numbers how to read call numbers. Call number tutorial jacksonville state university. This page will provide an introduction to understanding and using library call numbers. This system uses a combination of letters and numbers to arrange materials by subject. And at the bottom of the page is a link taking you to the tests, where youll get to test your understanding of the library of congress rules. The following video explains how lc call numbers work and how to use. If you see a call number and location in the library catalog taht. Library, we use the library of congress lc classification system. Call numbers are like an address for a house or a url for a web site.
When looking at the number on the book spine, these would be read. Do you need help downloading books, magazines, or music to your digital device. An academic institution such as queens college uses the library of congress lc system. For example, first come all the d call numbers, then all the da call numbers, then db. Da 36 a77 start with line 1 books are arranged in alphabetical order, by the letters on the first line of the call number. This video is for luther rice students to help in understanding the library of congress classification system. Read the first letter in the call number to determine the book s subject matter. This allows us to easily and efficiently keep track of large amounts of books.
After reading the rules by which library of congress call numbers are sorted below, you can watch an animated example showing the rules in action. Libraryworld getting started may 1, 2018 page 2 why libraryworld. With folletts accelerated reader 526 tag in the catalog record, it is easy to search for accelerated reader books if your library s electronic circulation system supports the tag. Check out the new makerspaces, step into a quiet study room, or work on a project. The call number represents what the book is about and acts like the books address on the library s shelves or stacks. The location tells you which section of the library the book is in. Call numbers appear on the spine of books and in the online catalog. Call numbers appear on the spines of books and journals and in the library s catalog.
The first sections of the call number represent the subject of the book. The hatcher graduate library uses the dewey system for some works mostly in literature, found on the third 800899 and sixth floors 350 of the south building. The call number represents what the book is about and acts like the books. Library of congress call number and shelving tutorials university libraries kent state university after reading the rules by which library of congress call numbers are sorted below, you can watch an animated example showing the rules in action. Using the library of congress classification system in the main library. This tutorial provides a very brief overview of the library of congress call number system. An alternate way to find complete call numbers for books is to search worldcat, a collective catalog for libraries worldwide, for the title and select a library that is listed as an owner to see what number has been assigned in the library s catalog. Knowing an items call number will help you locate where the item is placed in the library. This tutorial will teach you how to use the lcc system to shelve books, shelfread, and to perform general stack maintenance. Find the range of books that includes the first 3 digits of the call number in the stacks, then walk along the shelf until you find books that match those digits. How to read library of congress call numbers tutorial youtube. The call number assigned to an item indicates its subject matter, author and title. Note that the same call number can be written from toptobottom or lefttoright.
Call numbers appear differently on the book spine and on the online catalog screen. This is a cataloging system used to group books of the same subject area. If i am handed a library call number card, i will walk to that area of the library, raise the card in the air, and quietly wait for my teacher to check to see if i am correct. Call numbers book searching research guides at queens. Using the library of congress classification system in the main library find a book in the stacks search this guide search. Multiline call numbers on books call numbers as they appear in the cat single line. Each book in the library has a unique call number, which is a combination of letters and numbers.
The michael schwartz library, like many academic libraries in the u. This faq will help you identify what classification system you are dealing with and how to decode the string of alphanumeric characters that make up its call number. Ellis library 322 university loop jonesboro, ar 72467 870 9723077. We provide research support, print and digital resources, computer labs and printers, and knowledgeable, helpful librarians and staff to assist you. A classification system uses letters andor numbers call numbers to arrange the books so that books on the same topic are together. Like library of congress call numbers, dewey decimal call numbers group books together by broad topic or classification number before the decimal, and then use further letters and numbers to group books into more specific topics and subtopics letters and numbers after the decimal.
When looking at the number on the book spine, these would be read one line at a time. Because books on the shelves are arranged in call number order, you will find books on similar subjects shelved near each other. The average call number has four lines on a book label, and each of those. This letter will always be the first thing you see listed on the call number tag on a book s spine. Each one corresponds to a certain letter of the alphabet. Learning the dewey decimal classification system will guide the students to the books of their choice. In each of the following tests, select the book that comes first. The first component of the call number is accomplished using an abbreviated or modified dewey class number and an author cutter number. The library of congress lc call number system is subject based. The books in the penrose collections library stacks are organized by their library of congress call number, which are. Books and dvds have labels with call numbers on their spines. Online access to the complete text of the schedules is available in classification web, a subscription product that may also be purchased. They complete worksheets creating call numbers and alphabetizing fiction books.
The letteranddecimal section of the call number often represents the authors last name. Next, a call number essentially a book s address based on the classification system in use at the particular library will be assigned to the work using the notation of the system. The growth of the online public access catalog opac and sharing among institutions has added variety to the kinds of library call numbers you may encounter. Below is an example of how a library of congress call number appears on the spine of the book, nuclear and particle physics and.
Call numbers help people find items on the shelves. Listed below are the letters and titles of the main classes of the library of congress classification. Due to the way flash movies work in internet explorer, you may need to click in the white space around the books first to activate the test. Library of congress classification guide lc call numbers outline how to read lc call numbers. Those call numbers are also sorted line by line, like lc call numbers. Library of congress tutorial call number and shelving. At york libraries we use the library of congress classification system to make our call numbers. As a library assistant, part of your responsibility will be to use this system to shelve books and ensure that the shelves are properly ordered. It tells you where an item is located in a library. The library of congress classification arranges materials by subjects. Click on any class to view an outline of its subclasses. Miracosta college library uses the library of congress classification system whereas public libraries use the dewey decimal system. Understanding call numbers york university libraries.
Library of congress tutorial page 2 tests kent state. Visit any of our libraries to enjoy the rich resources available to you as a member of the collin community. Each title owned by a library has its own unique call number. If a book contains no date in the call number, that book comes before the same book that does have a date in the call number. In addition, some records for recent works are incomplete and have yet to include a book s lc numbers. All print or paper copies of books in the library are assigned a call number, usually found on the book spine. Finding books using library of congress classification. When i see a nonfiction call numbers touch my nose. What they mean and where theyll be whats a call number, and how do i use it.
Find library call numbers lesson plans and teaching resources. The first line is sorted by whole number, and the second line is sorted by letter and then by decimal number. The call number is labeled in the book record, under the title holdings. Call numbers are usually on the spine of a library item, so they can be easily read on book shelves. Libraries use classification systems to organize the books on the shelves. Each call number is arranged into at least two lines. In the recently updated course, shelving with dewey, learners new to the dewey decimal classification system learn the fundamentals of subjectbased classification, the importance of an organized library, how to read call numbers and, most importantly, how to accurately shelve books based on those call numbers. You are more likely to find library of congress call numbers.
154 84 938 560 940 71 53 1375 1034 1465 488 197 692 1157 724 661 1466 84 1046 626 715 261 72 894 1177 638 1216 1307 918 830 1224 1123 1103 351 324 517 391 402 654 1111 20 844 1447