5. Write down the call
number and make
note of the title – you
will need both to
locate the item on the
shelf
6. Click on “Browse Shelf”
if you want to virtually
search the shelves
7. The call number is an address for a book -
each piece provides valuable information -
much like the house number and zip code part
of an address.
Library of Congress Classification Outline - Main Classes
A: General Works
B: Philsophy, Psychology, Religion
C: Auxiliary Sciences of History
D: History-General & Eastern Hemisphers
E-F: History-Western Hemisphere
G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H: Social Sciences
J: Political Sciences
K: Law
L: Education
M: Music
N: Fine Arts
P: Language & Literature
Q: Sciences & Mathematics
R: Medicine
S: Agriculature
T: Technology
U: Military Science
V: Naval Science
Z: History of Books, Library Science,
Bibliography
8. The call number that
you find in the online
catalog corresponds
to the call the number
on the spine of the
book
9. The Hoffman Family Library uses the Library
of Congress Classification for call numbers.
This system uses a combination of letters
and numbers and is arranged by subject.
Call Numbers are read line by line
1. First line is read in alphabetical order: A, B, BJ, C,
D, . . . L, LA, LB, LC . . .
2. The second line is read as a whole number: 1, 2,
3. . .160, 1000, 1600. . .
3. The third line is a combination of letters and
numbers. The letter is read alphabetically and
the number is read as a decimal. For example:
.M3 = .3 . . . .S39 = .39
4. The last set of numbers represents the year the
book was published and is read in chronological
order: 1990, 1991, 1992. . . 2003. . .
