1. Music Library East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858
Shelving Music Scores
Music Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858

2. LC Call Number System
The Music Library uses the Library of Congress (LC) call number system to shelve print items such as music scores and books.
For this particular tutorial we will only concentrate on shelving scores, which file into class “M” of the LC system.

3. M
“M” tells you that this item is printed music or a score.

4. The number found after the general subject heading of “M”, breaks down the subject area even more. So far the call number tells us that we have a piece of printed music that is a piano sonata. M 23

5. M 23 B414 The third line of the call number is called the Cutter.
The Cutter number is named after its creator: Charles Ammi Cutter.
The Cutter represents a name or title. In this case: B414 = Beethoven.
This score is a piano sonata by Beethoven.

6. More on the “Cutter”…
Cutter numbers will always have the same format: A single capital letter followed by a number: C4, B13, G42, etc.
The number is always read decimally. C49 comes before C5 (.49 is less than .5) B414 comes before B42 (.414 is less than .42)
It may help you to imagine a zero at the end of the shorter numbers: B414 comes before B420

7. Ordering Cutter numbers decimally…
M M M M M
B134 B2 B39 B4 B5
Remember, you can add zeros if it helps…
.134 then then then then .500

8. More decimals… M M M M 23 23 23 23 C13 C13 C13 C13 F5 F51 F597 F6
C13 C13 C13 C13
F5 F51 F597 F6
Adding zeros…
.500 then then then .600

9. The fourth line of the call number can be another Cutter, or it can be any number of other things that we call “additional elements.” M 23
B414 C7

10. Additional Elements… op. 17 BWV 109 no. 3 W. 23 K. 325 1987
v. 1 v c. 2
Additional elements give you even more information about an item.
Shelve the additional elements in alphabetical order. Shelve dates in numerical order after the alphabetical sequence
Any numbers associated with additional elements are read as WHOLE numbers.

11. An example of additional elements in whole number order.
M M M M
B16 B16 B16 B16
BWV 11 BWV 102 BWV 124 S. 12
C W4 z

12. of putting additional elements in whole number order.
Another example…
M M M M M
B1133 B1133 B1133 B1133 B1133
ser. 1 ser. 1 ser. 2 ser. 2 ser. 2
v. 3 v. 4 v. 5 v. 5 v. 5
c. 2 c. 3
of putting additional elements in whole number order.

13. of putting additional elements in whole number order.
Yet another example…
M M M M M
B16 B16 B16 B16 B16
BWV 106 BWV 106 BWV 106 BWV 106 BWV 106
no. 1 no
1990
of putting additional elements in whole number order.

14. A few definitions… op. = Opus number no. = Serial number
A number assigned to a musical composition
no. = Serial number
Indicates the order of composition and/or publication
1923 = Date of publication
Often the last element in the call number

15. So what is a thematic index?
Thematic Index Number
A unique number assigned by the compiler of a thematic index to each composition in the index.
Examples: BWV 100; W. 23; D. 759; K. 36
So what is a thematic index?
A list of all the compositions by a particular
composer. The person compiling the list will usually
assign a unique number to each piece. Sometimes it
is easier to identify a piece by its thematic index
number when searching the library catalog.

16. Just a few more… v. = volume c. = copy
A large work may be broken down into separate, smaller books or scores. Each one of these items would be a volume.
c. = copy
If the library has multiple copies of the same item, the call number will indicate which copy it is.

17. Nothing comes before Something
Take Note!
Nothing comes before Something
M M
B47 B47
N8 N8
1955

18. Nothing comes before Something: another example…
M M
C12 C12
op. 1

19. And one more…
M M
B414 B414
op. 2 op. 2
no. 1 no. 1
c. 2

20. When shelving items with additional elements, the “Nothing before Something” rule becomes very important in a different way.
All additional elements are considered “Nothing”.
You would then consider Cutter numbers “Something”.
M M
23 23
B414 B414
op. 27 C7
no. 2
1923

21. Why are additional elements considered “nothing”?
Additional elements are seen as extensions of the Cutter number immediately preceding them.
You can look at it this way:
M comes before M
B414, op. 27, no. 2, B414
C23

22. Nothing comes before Something
M M M M M
B414 B414 B414 B414 B414
op. 7 op. 10 op. 57 C7 H38
Notice how the additional elements come before the Cutter numbers.
Also notice how the additional elements are filed in whole number order.

23. Another way to look at it…
M M M M M
B414, op. 7 B414, op. 10 B414, op. 57 B414 B414
C7 H38
Nothing comes before Something

24. One more example… M M M M 1630.1 1630.1 1630.1 1630.1 R63 R63 R63 R63
R R63 R R63
v v A A2
Nothing (additional elements) Something (Cutter no.’s)
Whole number order Numbers read decimally

25. a misshelved item, is a LOST item.
Remember…
a misshelved item, is a LOST item.
Always ask a staff member if you need help shelving items in the library.
Thank you.