Research Step 3: Find (Search Strategies)

Call numbers are addresses which help us locate materials in the library. The call number assigned to an item indicates its subject matter, author and title.

An Academic Institution such as Queens College uses the Library of Congress (LC) system.

In this section you will learn about the call number system, how to find a book by call number and how books are shelved.

What Does it Mean?

Books on the shelves are arranged by the Library of Congress Classification System — a system used by most academic libraries. Every combination of numbers and letters defines a subject. For example, if you browse the N section every book with this call number is about Art. (See full list at the end of this page).

• The first line of a call number contains 1, 2, or 3 letters, which broadly define the subject area. For example: K - law in general, KF - law of the United States.
• The second line of the call number is a number, which further defines the subject. For example: books with the call number QE534.2 (Q is science) are about “Earthquakes, Seismology -- General Works -- 1970 to Present.

 

 

Line 1: Alphabetical order

A, B, C, D, DA, DB, DB, etc.

Line 2: Numerical order

1,2, 3, 4, 1000, 2000, 3000, etc.

Line 3: Letters in alpha order, numbers in decimal order

Example: .A2 goes before .A23 but after .A12

Line 4: Chronological order

1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, etc.

A General Works

B Philosophy and Religion

BF Psychology

C History

D History (Old World)

DA Great Britain

DS Asia

DT Africa

E American History (U.S.)

F American History (Local and Canada, Mexico and Latin America)

G Geography, Anthropology, and Folklore

GV Sports

H Social Science

HF Commerce

HQ Family, Marriage, Home

HV Social Problems J Political Science

JK United States

K Law

L Education

M Music

ML Literature of Music

N Fine Arts

P Language and Literature

PQ Romance Literature

PS American Literature

Q Science QA Mathematics

QM Human Anatomy

R Medicine

S Agriculture

T Technology

U Military Science

V Naval Science

Z Bibliography and Library Science