How to read a Library of Congress (LC) Call Number
At the Porter Henderson Library, books are shelved according to the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system. Each book in the library has a unique "call number", which is a combination of letters and numbers. A call number is like an address; it describes the exact location of the book and tells you where to find the book on the shelves. It also tells you something about the subject matter of the book.
Each call number may contain three, four or five lines.
Line 1: Defines the general subject class and subclass [B = Philosophy/Religion; BF = Psychology]
Line 2: Classification number - defines a narrower subtopic within the specified class [1078 = Dreams]
Line 3: Cutter number - represents the author's name or the title of the work [.S5 = Ella Freeman Sharpe]
Line 4: Publication Year [1978 - Year book was published]
Line 5: Copy number [c. 1 - If a library has multiple copies of the same book, these will be identified by a copy number.]
LC call numbers are read from left to right, and from top to bottom. The letters at the beginning of the call number are alphabetical. The numbers immediately following are in basic numerical order, i.e. 5 then 6, 50 is after 49 and before 51, and 100 is after 99. The cutter numbers are sorted first by the letter and then by the number as a decimal.
Location Prefixes
Some call numbers are preceded by a location prefix indicating that the item is
shelved in a specific location and may have loan restrictions. For example:
REF - Reference item located in the Reference Room on the 1st floor of the Library (non-circulating).Use the major classification headings listed below as a basic guide to browse shelves in the Porter Henderson Library.
Ref. Desk - Reference item located on the shelves behind the Reference Desk (non-circulating).
Juv - Item located in the Juvenile Collection on the 1st floor of the Library
Library of Congress Classification System
A - General Works
B - Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C - Auxiliary Sciences of History
D - History: General & Outside of the Americas
E - History: United States
F - History: United States - Local & Americas
G - Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H - Social Sciences
J - Political Science
K - Law
L - Education
M - Music
N - Fine Arts
P - Language
Q - Science
R - Medicine
S - Agriculture
T - Technology
U - Military
V - Naval
Z - Library Science & Information Resources