FINDING MATERIALS

Earlier in this lesson, we discussed the different types of information sources that are available: reference sources like atlases and dictionaries, traditional print sources like books and magazines, and online resources such as online databases. While you will use each of these resources as you continue your studies, for COMP I, we will focus on finding library resources using our online library catalog. In later lessons, we will discuss our online databases and other resources in more detail. Let's begin by discussing how materials are arranged in the library.

Books and most other materials in academic libraries are arranged by the main topic or subject area covered in their content. These arrangements of topics or subjects are called classification systems. There are two major classification systems in use by most libraries today: the Dewey Decimal System which begins with numbers, used mainly by public libraries; and the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System which begins with letters and is used mainly by academic libraries. At SJRCC we are in the process of changing our materials from the Dewey Decimal system to the Library of Congress system. Soon all of our materials will be arranged by LC call numbers, so we will focus on that classification system. If, at any time, you need assistance locating items at SJRCC or have any questions about a particular call number contact the librarian on duty at your campus.

Library of Congress (LC) call numbers
Think of a call number as a book's address on the shelf. Library of Congress call numbers keep books about the same topic together on the shelf by dividing subjects into different classes. Each class is identified by a letter. Classes may then be divided into more specific sub-classes by adding more letters. Sub-classes can be made even more specific by adding numbers. The first line in a Library of Congress call number classifies the item by its subject according to the LC Classification System. The 21 basic classes are:

A General Works (Encyclopedias, Almanacs, Directories)
B Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C History (Auxiliary Sciences-Archaeology, Genealogy)
D History (General and all except North and South America)
E History (General U.S.)
F History (Local U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America)
G Geography, Anthropology, Folklore, Dance, Sports
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliography, Library Science, Publishing Industry

For example: A book written in 1990 by Cheryl Simon Silver entitled One Earth, One Future has the call number GF 75 .S55 1990
GF represents geography, specifically human ecology.
75 focuses on global warming.
.S55 is based on the author's last name.
1990 represents the year of publication.

locating LC call numbers on the shelf
LC call numbers are first arranged alphabetically, according to the letter or letters at the beginning of the call number. The letter(s) correspond to the subject matter of the item.
Example: Call numbers beginning with P are followed by PA, PB, PC, etc.

Next, books are arranged by the number(s) that follow. Notice that these numbers are regarded as whole numbers.
Example:

The next lines are alphabetic, then numeric as a decimal. First, the items are in alphabetical order, and then the decimal extension is used to put the call numbers in correct sequence. The numerical part of this section is a decimal number, not a whole number. As a result, .A3113 comes before .A4, because 0.3113 is smaller than 0.4. Example:Example:

Editions are arranged by date or by the date and letters. Example:

To summarize:

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