Content by Tara Guthrie

Library of Congress Call Numbers

What they are and what they means

Carteret Community College Library

What is a call number?

A call number is like an address. It tells us where a book or other item is located within the library.

Where do call numbers appear?

They appear on the spine of the book and in the library’s online catalog.

The call number can be written from top to bottom (on the book’s spine), or from left to right (in the online catalog).

LB2395.C651991

LB2395 .C65 1991

Why Library of Congress (LC)?

• Nearly all academic libraries use the Library of Congress call number system.

• This system uses a combination of

letters and numbers to arrange materials on the shelf by subject.

What do the call numbers mean?

• Since LC arranges materials by subject, the first letter(s) represents the general subject area, and the first number represents a specific subject.

• The third line represents the author’s name.

• The last line is the year it was published.

Which letter represents your subject of study?

A -- GENERAL WORKS  B -- PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION C -- AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY  D -- WORLD HISTORY  E -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS  F -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS  G -- GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION H -- SOCIAL SCIENCES  J -- POLITICAL SCIENCE  K -- LAW  L -- EDUCATION  M -- MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC N -- FINE ARTS  P -- LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE  Q -- SCIENCE  R -- MEDICINE  S -- AGRICULTURE  T -- TECHNOLOGY U -- MILITARY SCIENCE  V -- NAVAL SCIENCE  Z -- BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE

How do I find a book on the shelf using an LC Call Number?

• The first line of the call number begins with 1, 2, or 3 letters which correspond to a general subject. Read the letters alphabetically.

• The second line may have 1 or more digits which correspond to a specific subject. Read this numerically as a whole number.

ExampleRead call numbers line by line:

Read the first line in alphabetical order:A, B, BF, C, D, DE, DL, L, LA, LB…

Read the second line as a whole number:1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1000, 1051, 200, 2430…

The third line is a combination of a letter and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically. Read the number as a decimal, e.g. .C65=.65 .C724 = .724

This is the year the book was published.Chronological order: 1985, 1987, 1992, 2003…

LA229.L4231993

Finding a book on the shelf…

• The third line is the trickiest part of the call number since it has a letter and numbers. Look for the letter alphabetically, and the number following the letter is treated as a decimal number. Look for it numerically as a decimal number.

• See our video clip on “How to Find a Book on the Shelf” for a demonstration and more info.

Why is this important to know?

Because books are arranged by subject, you can often find other helpful books on the same topic on the same shelf.

If you know the letters for your subject area, it gives you a starting place for browsing the shelves.

What if there’s a “REF” in front of the Call Number?

If the letters “REF” are before the call number, this indicates it is a reference book in the Reference Section of the Library.

“Oversize” at the end of a Call Number

Sometimes you will find a book in our Library Catalog with the word “Oversize” at the end of the call number.

These are books that are too large or too tall to stand up on the shelves.

These will be located laying on the bottom shelf of the section in which they would normally be shelved.

Local Call Numbers

Some of our special collections do not have LC Call Numbers. These will have Local Call Numbers instead.

CCC Collections with Local Call Numbers:• Film Collection• Music CD Collection• Audio Book Collection• Popular Paperback Collection

Local Call Numbers: Films and Music CDs

• Film call numbers appear like this:– FILM 088 DVD 1999 (where DVD is the

format of the movie)

• Music CD (MCD) call numbers appear like this:–MCD 135 1999 (where 1999 is the year)

• These items are all arranged in simple numerical order.

Local Call Numbers:Audio Books and Paperbacks

• Look for these items alphabetically in the appropriate collection.

• Audio Book on Cassette (ABC):– ABC MOR THI 2001

• Audio Book on CD (ABCD):– ABCD ALD NEV 2005

• Paperback Book:– EVA ONE 1995

You’re on your way!