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Find Books on the Shelf

Finding Books using the call number

When you search for a book using the library website, it looks like this:

This record lets you know that the book is:

  • Available;
  • Found on the second floor; and 
  • Has the call number SK297 .B57 2016, which allows you to find the book on the shelf.

On the book itself, call numbers are written vertically in sections, like this:

And at the end of each shelf is a label to tell you what call numbers are shelved there.

Reading a call number

Read the call number from top to bottom.

  1. Start with the letter(s) at the top. These are in alphabetical order: [A, B, BF ... L, LA, LB, LC]
  2. The letter(s) are followed by a number. Sometimes these contain a decimal: [1, 45, 100, 100.12, 100.13, 101, 1202]
  3. Next will be a decimal point followed by a letter and a number. These are also in alphabetical order. [.C33, .H914, .K3]
    1. Read the number as a decimal:.B833 = (.833) is before .B84 = (.84)
  4. Some call numbers end with the publication date. Read in chronological order: [1985, 1991, 1992...]
  5. If your book is part of a set, its call number will be followed by the volume number.