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Paul Meek Library
University of Tennessee at Martin
10 Wayne Fisher Dr.
Martin, TN 38238
(731) 881-7060

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Tutorials & Guides

How to Read Call Numbers and Find Books

 

How to Read a Call Number

Book Title: What every student should know about citing sources with MLA documentation

Author: Michael Greer

Call #: PN171.F56 G74 2007

 

Call numbers are sorted from the top down.

1) The first line is sorted alphabetically.

2) The next line is sorted numerically.

3) The line with the decimal in it is sorted like a decimal number.

For example:

  • .F56 comes before .F6 because 0.56 comes before 0.6
  • .F572 comes before .F9
  • .A9 before .G635
  • .B10 before .B9

4) The next line is sorted as you would expect, alphabetically and numerically.

5) The year is sorted numerically.

 

 Book Spine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books with a call number that starts with JUV are juvenile books and are located after Z in the Library.

Periodicals are in a separate section but follow the same classification.

 

Here is an example of how books would be sorted on a shelf

 

Example shelf

 

 

Finding Books in the Library

Most books and periodicals are on the 2nd floor unless the catalog says otherwise.

A "stack" is a section of shelves. Click here for a list of the ranges of call numbers on each stack.

There are signs on the stacks that show the stack number and the range of call numbers on each side.

 

If you still are having trouble finding an item then ask someone at the Reference Desk. It is their job to help you.