Answered By: Woodruff Library Reference
Last Updated: Feb 15, 2019     Views: 64

Read Library of Congress call numbers in parts. Let’s use this as an example: LB2395 .C65 1991

LB

Read the first letter/letters in alphabetical order:

A, B, BF, C, D... L, LA, LB, LC, M, ML

2395

Read the first set of numbers that follow the letter(s) as a whole number:

1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1000, 2000, 2430...

.C65

The third part is a combination of a letter and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically. Read the number as a decimal:

.C65 = .65 .C724 = .724

1991

The last part is the year the book was published. Read in chronological order:

1985, 1991, 1992...

Here's how to find a book in the library stacks by call number. If you have trouble, get help at the Library Service Desk on level two.

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