SHASTA COLLEGE LIBRARY
Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers

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Have you ever wondered how books in the Shasta College Library are assigned their places on the shelves? Did you know that the call number, the number placed on the spine of the book, is a code which provides valuable information about the book?

• What are call numbers for?

Each book in the Library has a unique call number. A call number is like an address in that it tells you where the book is located in the Library.

Call numbers appear...

on the spine of the book	in WEBCATalog
LB 2395 .C65 1991	LB2395 .C65 1991

• Reading call numbers

Our Library, like many academic libraries in the United States, uses the Library of Congress classification system for call numbers. This system uses a combination of letters and numbers to arrange materials by subject.

LB	Read the first line in alphabetical order
2395	Read the second line as a whole number
.C65	The third line is a combination of a letter and numbers
1991	This is the year that the book was published

• What does the call number mean?

The Library of Congress classification system arranges materials by subject. The first sections of the call number represent the subject of the book. The letter and decimal section of the call number represent the author's last name. The last section is the year the book was published, but not all books will have this included in the call number.

LB 2395	The first two lines describe the subject of the book: LB2395 = Methods of Study in Higher Education
.C65	The third line typically represents the author's last name: .C65 = Corman
1991	The last line is usually the year the book was published: 1991 = year of publication

• Putting call numbers in shelf order

This diagram should help you understand how to find your book on the shelf after you gotten the call number.

LA before LB	2395 before 2396	.C645 before .C65	1991 before 1992
LA 2899 .P87 1989 LB 2395 .C65 1991	LB 2395 .C65 1991 LB 2396 .A771 1987	LB 2395 .C645 1993 LB 2395 .C65 1991	LB 2395 .C65 1991 LB 2395 .C65 1992

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URL: http://library.shastacollege.edu/callnos.htm
This page last updated: 09/20/02
Electronic Mail: webmaster@library.shastacollege.edu