Tuesday's Tip

Hey! Welcome back from Spring Break. I’ve just returned from sunny Florida myself. Upon my return to DC I was rudely greeted by 36 degree weather, which made me seriously reexamine why I got on the return flight. Then I remembered all of my faithful readers . . . So as promised:

Decoding Call Numbers

Books on the library shelves are organized by subject, this requires a complex system of letters and numbers called call numbers. Each book in the library is assigned a call number that denotes exactly where the item belongs. Call numbers are usually found on the spine of the book or the upper left side of the face of the book. Here are some tips for finding books in the stacks (that's the cool library term for the shelves).

1. Books are shelved alphabetically (left to right) by the top letter or letters in the call number.
2. All books of the same top letter are arranged numerically by the number below.
3. All of the same number are arranged first alphabetically by the letter after the decimal point and then decimally by the number after the letter.
4. If another letter appears after the decimal number, it is also arranged first alphabetically within the previous number group and then decimally.

Here is a sample row:

B351.C3 / BC2.C3 / BC10.C3 / BC15.C3 / BC15.5.C3 / BC15.5.D331 / BC15.5.D4 / BC15.5.D4A1

***Now, the most important thing to remember: When in doubt ask a library staff member!****

Stop by the Eckles Circulation desk for a graphical representation of this information.

Your friendly librarian,
Sarah