Information Desk Student Worker Guide

*Following materials adapted from University of Nebraska Kearney's training website.*

You may have used Dewey Decimal call numbers in the past. The Dewey Decimal System is used by most public and school libraries to classify and shelve library materials. 

At most other academic libraries, call numbers based on the Library of Congress Classification System are used instead.. 

A Dewey or Library of Congress (LC) call number serves as a "street address" for placing library materials on the shelf, grouped together by subject. You don't need to memorize the table below; just remember that LC call numbers begin with one or more letters based on subject.

Library of Congress Call Number Classes

A: general works	HM-HT: sociology	Q: math, science, computer science
B-BJ: philosophy	HV: social work, criminal justice	R: medicine
BF: psychology	J: political science	S: agriculture
BL-BX: religion	K: law	T: technology, engineering
C, D, E, F: history	L: education	U: military science
G: geography, anthropology, recreation	M: music	V: naval science
HB-HJ: economics, business, finance	N: fine arts	Z: bibliography, printing, publishing
	P: language & literature, communication, media studies

LC call numbers are located on the bottom of the spine and are read from left to right and top to bottom. 

An example call number should look something like this:

PL 
2658
.C56
1987

• The first two lines are related to the subject matter of the book. In this case, that would be PL and 2658.
• The third line is often (but not always) related to the author’s last name. (.C56)
• The last line is the date of publication.

 

The first line of a LC call number begins with one, two, or three letters. These letters should be read in alphabetical order. A call number that begins with A is shelved before one that begins with B, and a call number that begins with QE is located before one that starts with QK.

QE

before

QK

 

 

The second line of a call number consists of one or more numbers. This line is read in numerical order. Smaller numbers come before larger numbers.

HD 984

before

HD 1009

 

 

The third line contains a letter following a period, and is shelved alphabetically, like the following:

QE 363.8 .B36 1976

before

QE 363.8 .H35 1974

 However, the number on this third line is read like a decimal. The examples are in correct call number order:

E 534 .C444 2011

before

E 534 .C64 2004

before

E 534 .C7 2008

before

E 534 .C754 1978

This makes sense if you read these numbers as decimals!

0.444

before

0.64

before

0.7

before

0.754

 

 

The final line of a call number may include a date or volume number. These are shelved in numerical order.

BF 31 .E52 2006

before

BF 31 .E52 2007

before

BF 31 .E52 2008

 

The image below provides further examples.

 

Practice

The following are mandatory LOC Call Number training modules. Please complete them.

1. Watch this video

2. Watch this video

3. Kent State LOC Tutorial- Call Number and Shelving (Take the tests as well!)