Created by Contra Costa College for LIBST110(a)

1. Library of Congress Call Numbers
AKA How you find a book in the library

2. What is a call
number? This is an example from CCC’s Catalog
A unique number
assigned to each
book in a library, like
an address. The
number is unique to
each library so the
same book will have
different numbers at
different libraries.!

3. Encoded
meaning
Given the plethora of information
available today, various systems
use codes of numbers, letters,
symbols, or abbreviations to
organize information in the
library, on the job, and on the web.
This lesson will cover the coding
system used in most academic
libraries and, in particular, the
CCC Library.!

4. LC Organization
• As you will learn, libraries have very
precise systems and codes for
organizing and arranging information!
• Generally, academic libraries use the
Library of Congress (LC) call numbers
to organize books by subject!

5. LC Classification
The Library of Congress uses a combination of
letters and numbers to organize by subject!
A - General works L - Education
B - Philosophy, Psychology, M - Music
Religion N - Fine Arts
C - Sciences of History P - Language and Literature
D - World History Q - Science
E - History of the Americas R - Medicine
F - History of the Americas S - Agriculture
G - Geography, Anthropology, T - Technology
Recreation U - Military Science
H - Social Sciences V - Naval Science
J - Political Science Z - Bibliography, Library Science
K - Law Information Resources

6. Question 1
Based on the slide before, under what
section would you probably find
information about the legalization of
marijuana? !
A - General Works K- Law
D - World History R - Medicine

7. Question 1 Answer
K- Law

8. Question 2
Based on the slide before, under what
section would you probably find
information about the health affects of
marijuana? Click on the topic below to
test your hypothesis!
A - General Works K- Law
D - World History R - Medicine

9. Question 2 Answer
R - Medicine

10. Subclasses
• Subclasses are additional letters and
numbers after the first letter that
specify a subsection within the
overall category. In this example,
Industries is a subclass of Social Call Number:
Sciences and Small & medium sized
businesses in a subclass of
HD2346.U52.S34 2003
Industries!
H - Social Sciences
HD - Industries. Land Use. Labor.
• The last set of numbers, in this case HD2340.8-2346.5 - Small and
the S34, represents a unique code medium sized businesses, artisans,
created based on the author’s last handicrafts, trades
name so that the book can have its
own position in the library!

11. Subclass Numbers
ND564. B82
• Numbering for call
numbers works on
the decimal system! is less than
ND564.5 B82

12. Question 3
Try to determine which call number
should go first among these three.
PN PN PN
30.3 303 30
B23 B23 B73
S78 Y89

13. Question 3 Answer
PN 30 < PN 30.3 < PN 303
PN PN PN
30 30.3 303
B73 B23 B23
Y89 S78

14. Finding a Book on the Shelf
• While many books are available electronically
from the catalog, a large number of our books
are physically arranged by call number in the
library!
• Furthermore, CCC has different segments of
the library that have books, such as the
Reference section and the Contemporary Issues
section, as you reviewed as part of your Online
Library Tour.!

15. Shelf Guides
• Listings of each call
number range are
available at the ends
of each shelf!
• These listings help
guide you to the
correction area for
your book’s call
number!

16. LC Classification
A - General works L - Education
B - Philosophy, Psychology, M - Music
Religion N - Fine Arts
C - Sciences of History P - Language and Literature
D - World History Q - Science
E - History of the Americas R - Medicine
F - History of the Americas S - Agriculture
G - Geography, Anthropology, T - Technology
Recreation U - Military Science
H - Social Sciences V - Naval Science
J - Political Science Z - Bibliography, Library
K - Law Science Information Resources

17. Question 4
What subjects of books would you expect to
find where there is a shelf guide listed as
QA76.9-RN682?!
a) Medicine & Agriculture
b) Science & Medicine
c) Political Science & Science
d) Language and Literature

18. Question 4 Answer
Q - Science
R - Medicine
b) Science & Medicine

19. Call numbers are found on
the spine (the outside edge) of
the book on the shelf!

20. Browsing
• By having the books arranged by call
numbers that are based on the book’s
subject, you can find a book on the
shelf and find similar books before and
after it on the same shelf !
• At CCC, you can even use the same
subject code to browse across some
segments of the library!

21. Question 5
If you found a great book in the Stacks
with a call number LA163, where
might you find books similar to your
first book in the Reference Section?!
A - General Works L - Education
Z - Information Resources T - Technology

22. Question 5 Answer
L - Education

23. Therefore, when you are looking for a book!
• First: Find the book in the online catalog
to determine the library, location, call
number, and availability!
• Second: Use the above listed information
to search the location using the shelf
guides and call number labels on the
books!

24. The End