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Understanding Call Numbers

Find books on the shelves more quickly with this quick overview of how to read Library of Congress call numbers.

Call Number Information

The Library of Congress Classification system arranges materials by subject. The structure of a call number does the following.

  • The first two lines describe the subject of the item - e.g., LB2395 = Methods of study in higher education
  • The third line represents the author's last name - e.g., .D739 = Drew
  • The last line is the year the item was published  - e.g., 2010

example:

Title: The guide to learning and study skills:
for higher education and at work

Author: Drew, Sue

Call Number: LB2395 .D739 2010

image of a call number with descriptions of each line