Library of Congress Call Numbers and Classifications: How to Read a LC Call Number

Once you have located an item in the Freeman/Lozier Library online catalog, the call number will help you find it on the shelf. The call numbers are arranged alpha-numerically.

In the Catalog

On the Spine of the Book

Tip: Smaller books may have the call number on the bottom left-hand corner of the cover.

The Anatomy of a Call Number

The first two lines describe the Subject of the book

                     PS 3561 = American Literature 1961-2000

The third line often represents the author's last name or a possible topical cutter number. 

                      I483.B34=Stephen King

When reading a call number there are a few important things to consider.

• Call numbers will be Listed Horizontally on the resource's spine and should be read from top to bottom.
• Books are arranged alphabetically. Stand-alone letters will come before any pairs, for example, N comes before NA.
• Stand-alone numbers should be read as whole numbers.
• Numbers that follow the letters. These numbers should be read as a decimal, for example, N410.B359. 2015 comes before N410.B42 2007.
• The last number of the call number indicates the edition or year of publication. For example, N410.B359 2015 was published in 2015.