You walk into your local library, eager to see if it has a specific book. After searching the library catalog, you’re happy to learn it’s in the collection. Score! But your search is not over yet, because now you have to find the book on the overflowing shelves filling every inch of the library. How the hell are you going to locate it in the vast sea of books? This is where call numbers come into play.
While many of you may be familiar with locating books in libraries using call numbers, it’s not a skill everyone has developed. I’ve worked in college libraries, and I’ll be the first to tell you that many students don’t know how to find books on shelves. If you’re in the same boat and have no clue what a call number is, that’s okay. As your friendly neighborhood librarian, I’m here to explain it in simple terms.
How Libraries Arrange Books
The first thing you should know is that libraries are not arranged like bookstores, with clearly labeled sections for every genre. Instead, libraries organize their collections according to classification systems, which arrange books by subject or discipline.
Public libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) while academic libraries use the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system.
What are Call Numbers?
In each classification system, books are assigned unique alphanumeric numbers known as call numbers. Librarians physically adhere the call number to the book, usually on the lower part of the spine.
The call number also appears in the book’s catalog record. Therefore, when looking for a book in the library catalog, write down or take a screenshot of the call number so you can physically locate it on the shelf.
Call numbers are also a handy way to browse the library’s collection, because books with similar subjects are shelved together. This allows patrons to discover other books on the same topic.
Library Shelving
Libraries always put signs on the ends of their shelves that tell you the range of call numbers in each row.
In addition to call number signs, public libraries help you out by having sections for fiction, non-fiction, and maybe even biographies, travel, and romance novels. But you’re still using call numbers to find books within these genre sections.
In general, academic libraries do not label their shelves by genre, so you’re totally dependent on the call number to locate books. Alas, there are no fiction or biography sections. They may, however, have different sections for reference or reserve collections, so make sure you’re looking in the circulating or main collection.
Since public and academic libraries use different classification systems and types of call numbers, we’ll review each one.
How to Find a Book in a Public Library
1. Use the Library Catalog to get the Call Numbers
First, use the library catalog to find a book you’d like to check out. The catalog record will provide you with the call number. To learn how to do this, see the post How to Look Up Books in a Public Library Catalog.
In this case, we’re looking for the book, The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World by Malcolm Gaskell. It’s a history book about witchcraft accusations in Puritan Massachusetts before the Salem Witch Trials.
Remember, public libraries use the Dewey Decimal System, so the call number is 133.4 G.
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Let’s examine a Dewey call number for a hot second.
- 133.4 is the Dewey Decimal Number, which tells you the class and subject of the book. In this case, the main class is the 100s, which is Philosophy & Psychology. Drilling down, 133 is the number for Specifics topics in Parapsychology & Occultism. When looking for the book on the shelf, we read it as a whole number.
- Next up is the decimal .4, which is the number for Demonology and Witchcraft. We read this number as a decimal, so 133.4 is after 133.33 on the shelf.
- The G is a Cutter Number, representing the sub-arrangement under the main subject division. Usually, subjects are further divided alphabetically by author or title. In this case, G stands for Gaskell, the last name of the author. Sometimes, Cutter Numbers have numbers following the initial letter.
Public libraries often use prefixes in certain call numbers, especially those that are not Dewey Decimal numbers. They’re most common when books are arranged alphabetically instead of by subject according to DDC.
An example is fiction books, because they’re arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. Therefore, call numbers for fiction books will have the prefix “F” or “FIC.” An example is FIC King, which will get you all the fiction books written by Stephen King.
Biographies are another example, as they’re often arranged alphabetically by the subject’s last name. These books will have the prefix “B” or “BIO.” For example, a biography on President Barack Obama would have the call number B Obama.
2. Go to the Bookshelves
Head over to the section of shelving that has the book you want. Since The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World is a history book, look for the section labeled nonfiction. Within nonfiction, books are arranged numerically. So, using the library signage, find the row of shelves with the call number range that includes the 130s.
3. Locate the Book on the Shelf
Once you’re in the appropriate row, look on the spines of the books (or the front cover if the book is thin) for the call numbers. Find the books labeled 133.
Then, look for the books that have a .4 after the 133. Remember, we read this as a decimal, so it would be after 133.33 and before 133.5 on the shelf.
Finally, go in alphabetical order to find the books with a G after 133.4.
Voila, there is 133.4 G!
How to Find a Book in an Academic Library
1. Use the Library Catalog to get the Call Numbers
Look up the book in the library catalog. The catalog number will provide you with the call number. To learn how to do this, see the post How to Look Up Books in an Academic Library Catalog.
We’re looking for the same book we found in the public library, which is The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World by Malcolm Gaskell.
It’s important to remember that now we’re in an academic library that uses the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system. As a result, the call number is very different from the one in the public library.
The LC call number is BF1576 .G37 2022.
*Click + to expand the text.
Let’s see what an LC call number is all about.
- LC call numbers are made up of letters and numbers. First up is a letter (or letters) in alphabetical order. The letters represent the main subject classes in the Library of Congress Classification system. In this case, we have a BF. The B stands for the main subject class Philosophy, Psychology, Religion. The BF represents the subclass Psychology.
- Next up is a whole number with 1 to 4 digits. It may be followed by a decimal number. In our case, we only have the 4-digit number 1576, which is the classification number for Witchcraft. We read this as a whole number, so on the shelf, BF1576 comes after BF157 and before BF1600.
- Following these numbers are letter-number groups that have one letter and a decimal number. This is the Cutter Number, which typically represents the author. Sometimes, there will be a second Cutter Number to represent other information.
- In our case, there’s only one alpha-numerical group, which is .G37. It represents the last name of the author, Gaskell. We would read the letter alphabetically, then the number as a decimal. So, on the shelf, .G37 comes before .G4.
- Finally, LC call numbers include the date of publication, which in our example is 2022.
2. Go to the Bookshelves
Head over to the stacks that contain the circulating or main collection. The books are arranged in alphabetical order because letters represent the LCC’s main subject classes. That’s why the first part of the LC call number is a letter.
In our case, find the section with the Bs. Then, find the shelving with the BF books. Remember, the sides of the shelves will have signage with the call number ranges. Once you locate the BFs, switch to numerical order to find the shelves with the BF1500s.
3. Locate the Book on the Shelf
Once you’re in the appropriate row, look at the book spines (or the front cover if the book is thin) for the call numbers. You’re still going in numerical order to find the books labeled BF1576.
When you get to the BF1576s, switch to alphabetical order to find the Gs. I know, I know, it’s a lot, but you’re in the homestretch. Once you find the books labeled BF1576 .G, look for the decimal .37. Remember to read this as a decimal, not a whole number. Therefore, .G37 will be before .G4 on the shelf. Finally, locate the book with the call number ending in 2022.
You should now be holding a copy of BF1576 .G37 2022 in your hands!
Now that you’ve located your book on the library shelf, head over to the circulation desk to check that baby out. Happy reading!
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