Read a call number
Call Number Classification at Hewes
Hewes Library uses three major call number classification systems to arrange materials on the shelves: the Library of Congress (LC), the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), and the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) systems. DDC is use for Children's Literature, SuDoc is used for Government Documents, and the LC system is used for all circulating books, as well as the Reference, Oversize, Videos, DVDs, and Ready Reference collections.
What is a call number?
A call number is like an address: it tells you where the book is located on the shelf. Each book has its own unique call number which is attached to the book’s spine or lower left hand corner of the cover.
Reading call numbers
The Library of Congress arranges materials by subject, or ‘class’. The first section of the call number represents the subject of the book. The second section often represents the author’s name, and the last section is the date of publication.
In the following example of a call number for the book The Materials of Sculpture by Nicholas Penny published in 1993. NB1202 is the subject (sculpture materials), .P46 represents the author's last name (Penny), and 1993 is the year the book was published.
| NB | Read the first line in alphabetical order: A, B, BF, D, DE,....M, ML,... |
| 1202 | Read the second line as a whole number: 1,2,3,45,101,1202,1243... |
| .P46 | The third line is a combination of a letter and a number: Read the letter alphabetically. Read the number as a decimal: .C65=.65, .P46=.46 (Some call numbers have more than one letter-number line) |
| 1993 | Read the year in chronological order: 1985, 1987, 1993, 2001... |
I have the call number, now what?
Hewes Library is three levels and different collections reside on different levels. A brief description of the collections' locations is below. A more detailed Collection outline, describing the collections' content and locations is also available.
- Circulating Collection / Upper & Main Levels / LC Classification
- Reference Collection / Main Level / LC Classification
- Current Periodicals / Main Level / Alphabetical Order by Title
- Periodicals / Lower Level, Green Shelving / Alphabetical Order by Title
- Print Government Documents / Lower Level, Tan Shelving / SuDoc Classification
- Government Documents - Microfiche & Microfilm / Main Level, Microforms Room / SuDoc Classification
- Print Indexes / Main Level / LC Classification
- Microforms / Main Level / LC & SuDoc Classification
- Videocassettes and DVDs / Main Level / LC Classification
- LPs / Lower Level / LC Classification
- CDs / Main Level / LC Classification
- Special Collections / Upper Level / LC Classification
- Monmouth College Archives / Upper Level / LC Classification
- Curriculum Lab / Wallace Hall, Room 208 / LC Classification