Derrell C. Roberts Library: Library of Congress Call Numbers

LC call numbers begin with letters. In the online catalog, typical LC call numbers look like:

 HB3505 .E44 1992

On book spines, or labels on other materials, LC call numbers are arranged vertically and would typically look like:

 HB

3505

.E44

1992

You would first look for the "HB" section. All the books whose call numbers start  with HB will be together on the shelf.

You then look for the "3505". Remember this is a whole number, three thousand five hundred and five. Some books may have a decimal in this number, breaking the topic down more. All books with HB 3505 will be together on the shelf, with HB 3505 coming before any that may have a decimal after the 3505.

You then move to the next line, ".E44". Any number after the "." here is read as a decimal. You would find the books that have HB 3505 .E and look for .E44. One way to read it is E .44.  This decimal is important to remember, ".E6432" would come BEFORE ".E705" which would be BEFORE ".E9".

The last line is the date the book was published, 1992.  There can be books that are re-printed so they can have different dates here.  So 1990 would come before 1992.

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 on the Reference shelves on the 1st floor, East Wing. These books do not check out.

ROBERTS CIVIL WAR COLLECTION- Reference items located in the archive on the 1st floor, West Wing.  These books do not check out but may be viewed by appointment. The ROBERTS CIVIL WAR COLLECTION are from the personal collection of Dr. Derrell C. Roberts, former president of the college for whom the library is named.

The books that do not have a location prefix should all check out.

This is an example of a SuDoc number.  It looks different from the LC number, but you still read it basically the same.  Just follow the letters and numbers to find your item.

Library of Congress Classification System

 A– General Works

  AE– Encyclopedias

  AG-Dictionaries

  AY– Yearbooks, Almanacs, Directories

B-Philosophy—Religion

  BC—Logic

  BD - Philosophy

  BF—Psychology

  BJ—Ethics

  BL-BX—Religion, Mythology

C– History-Auxiliary Sciences

  CB– Civilization

  CS—Genealogy

  CT—Biography

D-History

  D– World History

  DA—Great Britain

  DB– Eastern Europe

  DE-Mediterranean Region

  DK—Russia

  DR—Balkan Peninsula

  DS—Asia & Middle East

  DT—Africa

E-F– America

  E 1-143 - America

  E 151-857—US (General)

  F 1-957—US (Local)

  F 1001-1140 - Canada

  F 1201– Central & South America

G-Geography

  GB– Physical Geography

  GR—Folklore

  GV—Recreation

H-Social Science

   HB-HD—Economics

   HE—Transportation & Communication

   HG—Finance

   HM—Sociology

   HQ—Family, Marriage, Women

    HT– Cities, Communities, Race

    HV– Social Service, Welfare, Criminology

J-Political Science

    JC—Political Theory

    JF– Constitutional History

    JK– United States

    JN– Europe’

    JQ- Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania

    JS—Local Government

    JX—International Relations & Law

K-Law

L-Education

    LA- History of Education

    LB- Theory & Practice

    LC-Special Aspects

    LD- U.S. Institutions

M-Music

    ML - Literature of Music

    MT - Musical Instruction

N- Fine Arts

    NA– Architecture

    ND- Painting

     NE- Print Media

P-Language and Literature

     PA- Classical Languages

     PC- Romance Languages

     PE- English Language

     PN- General & Comparative Lit.

     PR- English Literature

     PS- American Literature

     PZ- Fiction: Juvenile Literature

Q-Science

     QA- Math & Computer Science

     QC- Physics

     QD- Chemistry

     QH- Natural History, Biology

     QM- Human Anatomy

     QP- Physiology

     QR-Microbiology

R-Medicine

     RA- Public Health

     RB- Pathology

     RC- Internal Medicine

     RD- Surgery

     RJ- Pediatrics

     RT- Nursing

S-Agriculture

T- Technology

     TA- Civil Engineering

     TD- Environmental Technology

     TH- Building Construction

     TK- Electronics

     TP- Biotechnology

U-Military Science

V-Naval Science

Z-Bibliography & Library Science