Skip to Main Content
Go to Penn Libraries homepage   Go to Guides homepage

Finding + Using Images

Browsing Print Books

Browsing books, whether through Franklin or in our library stacks, is a great way to get inspired and find images that may not be available online. Get started by learning call numbers and subjects in fine arts and design housed in the Fisher Fine Arts Library. We've created some lists that are organized by call number and subject in the boxes below.

When browsing Franklin, look at the Format/Description note to know if the book has images; the abbreviations "ill" stands for illustrated and "col" means color images. In this example, the book is mostly (chiefly) illustrated with some of the images in color.


Reading a Call Number

Library of Congress call numbers are arranged alphabetically. After reading the first letter or letters (such as N or NA), books are arranged by number.

  • The numbers following the letter(s) are read as whole numbers (123 is one hundred and twenty-three).
  • Then, another letter arranged alphabetically is followed by a number read as a decimal (such as A3113 comes before A4 because 0.3113 is smaller than 0.4).
  • The last four-digit number, if there is one, is the date of publication.
Penn Libraries Home Franklin Home
(215) 898-7555