Chemistry Library Student Assistant Manual: Shelving Guide

Shelving Books and Journals

• Journals are shelved alphabetically, by title.
  • Bound Journals have call numbers in Franklin and also on their spines, but we DO NOT shelve them in call number order. They are stored at the far end of the stacks, in the last two rows of the Rear Book Room room.
  • Recently published, Unbound Journals (or New Journals/Periodicals) are stored on the New Periodicals shelves behind the computer work station.
• Books are shelved in call number order. When shelving make sure you are aware of the special locations in the Math/Physics/Astronomy Library – see ‘Special Locations’ section.

Understanding Call Numbers

Have you ever wondered how library books are assigned their places on the shelves? Did you know that the call number -- the number placed on the spine of the book -- is a code which provides valuable information about the book?

This page will provide an introduction to understanding and using library call numbers.

________________________________________

What are call numbers for?

Each book in the library has a unique call number. A call number is like an address: it tells us where the book is located in the library.

Call numbers appear:

Note that the same call number can be written from top-to-bottom, or left-to-right.

_______________________________________

The MPA Library, like many academic libraries in the U.S., uses Library of Congress Classification for call numbers for the majority of its collection. This system uses a combination of letters and numbers to arrange materials by subjects.

Reading Call Numbers

 

Putting Call Numbers in Shelf Order

To understand how call numbers are put in order in Library of Congress Classification, again look at each section of the call number.

 

What does the call number mean?

Remember that Library of Congress Classification arranges materials by subjects. The first sections of the call number represent the subject of the book. The letter-and-decimal section of the call number often represents the author's last name. And, as you recall, the last section of a call number is often the date of publication.

example:

 

Why is this important to know?

Because books are classified by subject, you can often find several helpful books on the same shelf, or nearby. For example, within the same call number LB2395, there are other guides for college study.

 

Since Library of Congress Classification arranges materials by subjects, knowing the letter(s) for your subject area gives you a place to start browsing the shelves. The letters most frequently used in the Engineering Library are Q and T. See below to get more details on the subjects they represent.

________________________________________

Q              SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS                                        

      QA        Mathematics, Computer Science                                

      QB        Astronomy                                                     

      QC        Physics                                                      

      QD        Chemistry                                                    

      QE        Geology                                                      

      QH        Biology                                                      

      QK        Botany                                            s

      QL        Zoology