What is a Call Number and how to read one:
- You will find a call number listed in the library's catalog, corresponding to a number on the spine of a library book or DVD, and indicating the book's location in the library. Think of it as the book's address.
- The GU-Q Library uses the Library of Congress (LC) classification system, where the call number starts with a letter. High School libraries often use the Dewey Decimal Method which start with a number. The LC system is designed to group library materials of similar subject concentration together.
- To read the call number, simply note the first letter or letters of the call number. "LA" would be shelved before "LB", "LC" before "LD", etc. Numbers follow the initial letter or letters. These numbers are read as whole numbers. A call number of "LA2" will be shelved before "LA4".
Here's an example of a call number on a book spine:
https://library.nd.edu/howdoi/libcongress.shtml
