1. How to understand Call Numbers?

2. Have you ever wondered how library books are assigned their places on the shelves?
What is the call number?

3. What are call numbers for?
Each book in the library has a unique call number. A call number is like an address: it tells us where the book is located in the library.

4. Call number appears on the spines of the booksQA
76.618
.K66
2005

5. Appears in the online catalog
AND
Appears in the online catalog QA
76.618
.K66
2005
QA K

6. What does the call number mean?
The first two lines describe the subject of the book.
2. The letter-and-decimal section of the call number often represents the author's last name.
3. And, the last section of a call number is the date of publication.
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

7. Putting Call Numbers in Shelf Order
To understand how call numbers are put in order, look at each section of the call number.
129 before 173
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

8. Putting Call Numbers in Shelf Order
QC before QD
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

9. Putting Call Numbers in Shelf Order
.C before .F
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

10. Putting Call Numbers in Shelf Order
2002 before 2003
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

11. In short comes before the below because ‘C’ before ‘D’
HC29 INT 2002
comes before the below because ‘C’ before ‘D’
HD28 ADV
comes before the below because ‘0’ (i.e. 28 = 28.0) comes before ‘1’
HD28.15 KEL
comes before the below because ‘1’ comes before ‘6’
HD28.6 ETM 1993 -
Chinese Library & Japanese Resources housed together. Medical Library near NUH. HSSML for School of Business.

12. Why Is This Important To Know?
Because books are classified by subject, you can often find several helpful books on the same shelf, or nearby.
Financial Accounting
Accounting
Theory
Financial Accounting: A User Perspective
Management Accounting
Introduction To Financial Accounting

13. Location Prefixes [Blank] Open Shelf 2 weeks Dis Dissertation
Location prefixes mean that book is shelved in a special place, and may have loan restrictions.
UTAR Library uses the following location prefixes:
Prefix
Collection
Loan Period
[Blank]
Open Shelf
2 weeks
Dis
Dissertation
Library-use only
Ref
Reference RS
Red-spot
2 hours/overnight loan
Sem
Seminar Paper
Ser
Serial

14. When a call number looks like this :
BF637.C45W
This indicates that the book is shelved on the Open Shelf.
Open Shelf Books

15. When a call number looks like this:
RS QA76.9.C66M
The RS prefix indicates the book
is shelved on the Red Spot Shelf.
Red Spot Books

16. When a call number looks like this:
Ref HF M4.C
The Ref prefix indicates that the book
is shelved on the Reference Shelf.
Reference Books

17.  For more information about call numbers and finding library materials, please ask the Reference Librarians.