Skip to Main Content

Information Desk Student Worker Guide

Operating Procedures for Information Desk Student Employees

Shelving

Shelving Procedure

  • Students are expected to re-shelve books as necessary.
  • After putting books on the cart, check them all in again to ensure none of them are still checked out.
  • Bring the cart upstairs using the elevator.
  • Pay close attention to call numbers
    • When shelving, push the books on the row you're reshelving in to the front of the shelf and scan 2-3 call numbers on each side of the book you're reshelving to make sure they're accurate.
  • Oversize books that do not fit normally on the shelf should be shelved sideways ON THEIR SPINE. Do not put books sideways on shelves with their pages facing down- it will cause damage to the book.
    • If two books go next to each other DO NOT stack them on top of each other- this also causes damage.
  • If a shelf is too full for a book to fit, shift books around it to make room on the shelf. If this can’t be done, let Kayla know.
  • Do NOT remove bookends from a shelf, place books to the right of a book end, or stack books on top of other books.
  • If you find any misplaced, mis-shelved, or abandoned books on tables or carts, bring them down to check in first and put them on the reshelving wall.
  • If you can’t finish your cart before the end of your shift, bring it back down to the Information Desk -- do NOT leave book carts in the stacks.

Red Bookmarks

  • When shelving, place a red bookmark in the top of each book before putting it on the shelf. Put the book on its spine so the red bookmark is sticking out. Kayla will check the books for shelving accuracy and then take them out. 

Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers

Library of Congress call numbers are read from left to right and top to bottom. They can be found located on a label along the spine of an item. 

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 most confusing part of the decimal system are the numbers after the first letters of the call number. Here are some tips on how to read each line.

 

PL (Read the first line in alphabetical order.)

2658 (Read the second line as a whole number.)

.C56 (Read the letter alphabetically, but the number as a decimal: e.g., .C56 would come before .C57 but after .C471)

1987 (Read the year in chronological order.)

The image below provides examples.

Understanding and Applying Library of Congress Call Numbers Tutorial

Practice

The following are mandatory LOC Call Number training modules. Please complete them both and notify Kayla when you've done them.

1. Kent State LOC Tutorial- Call Number and Shelving