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How to Read a Call Number
Once you know the call number for an item (a book, for instance), which you determine by searching the library catalog (see Sample Searches), you can determine where the item is located in the libraries. Each library has maps showing the locations of call numbers. In the Knight Library, for instance, call number locations for the main collection of books and journals are:
| A-HB | Second Floor |
| HC-PN | Third Floor |
| PQ-Z | Fourth Floor |
Call numbers serve two main functions within a library:
- They provide a unique "address" for every item within a library, so that once you understand the structure of call numbers, you can find any item you are looking for; and
- they group items by subject, so that once you find one relevant item, you can browse the shelves around it to find other items on the same or similar subject.
We can look at the call number in two ways: the way the call number is shown in the library catalog (horizontally), and the way it would look on the spine of the book (vertically). So,
KNIGHT PN1995.9.P6 S52 2001
can also be written as
|
KNIGHT PN 1995.9 .P6 S52 2001 |
TIP: If you write down call numbers in a vertical format, you may find it easier to match the call number in your notes to the call number on the spine of the book.
What Does the Call Number Mean?
Call numbers are more than a shelf location – they also indicate the subject matter of an item. This allows libraries to shelve together books about the same topic, and makes it possible to browse the shelves for books on a topic, once you know the general call number area.
For information on other subject areas and the relationship to call numbers, see the UO Libraries' A Select Guide to Library of Congress Classification [pdf], or the more comprehensive Library of Congress Classification Outline from the Library of Congress.
Reading a Call Number
General principles:
- Read call numbers line by line, from left to right, and from top to bottom.
- The first line is always the general location, which indicates in which library (building) you'll find it, as well as within which collection in the library: KNIGHT indicates the Knight Library general collection; REF KNIGHT indicates the Knight Library reference collection (on the main or first floor); SCIENCE indicates the Science Library general collection, and so on. When you're viewing a record in the catalog, you can click on the Location link to get more information about that location.
- Group call numbers alphabetically first, then numerically.
- Numbers following a decimal are read as decimals, regardless of whether there's a letter in front of the number or not.
Looking at the earlier example, we can pinpoint its location as follows:
| KNIGHT | Knight Library general collection (2nd, 3rd, or 4th floor) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PN | In Knight Library, call numbers between HC and PN are on the 3rd floor; the PN call number section will come after call numbers beginning with P, PA, PB, PC, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PK, PL, and PM | P is the class for Language and Literature. PN is the subclass designation for general literature, including literary genres (e.g., poetry, short stories, novels, drama), journalism, theater, film, and television | |||||
| 1995.9 | Within the PN section, call numbers are divided numerically, from 1
through 9999, and may include decimals:
|
PN1993-PN1999 = works on motion pictures PN1995.9 = general and special topics, including criticism and aesthetics, and is divided into specific topics, from A-Z |
|||||
| .P6 | A second decimal point includes both letters and numbers. These are
read alphabetically first (e.g., A before B, followed by C), then as
a decimal number:
|
.P6 indicates that the specific topic in this case is politics; all other books in this section are on politics in motion pictures - see for yourself | |||||
| S52 | The next letter/number combination is also read alphabetically, then
decimally:
|
Represents the author; this allows books on the same topic to be shelved alphabetically by author | |||||
| 2001 | If you get to this point and there's more than one book using the same call number, the date will help you poinpoint the exact copy | Date of publication |
For help, please contact a librarian.
Last Modified: 11/09/2007