Finding Books on the Shelf
NOVA books are arranged in call number order, using the Library of Congress call number system. This system groups books together by topic. Each book has a unique call number – kind of like an address – that tells where the book is located in the library. Once you have found titles of books that you would like to look at, write down the Call Number listed in the Library Catalog record for that book so that you can find the book on the shelf.
Here’s how call numbers work:
Read the call number from top to bottom:
| QL |
First line: read it alphabetically. Example: QL comes BEFORE QP |
| 362 |
Second line: read it as whole number. Example: 362 comes BEFORE 363 |
| .P43 |
Next line(s): read the letter alphabetically, then read the number as a decimal. Example: .P43 comes BEFORE .P5 |
| 2005 |
Last line: usually a date or a volume number |
Find the book on the shelf: Look for signs at the end of each bookshelf that indicate which call numbers are in each row.
Try these examples (these examples will open in a new window; if your computer has a pop-up blocker enabled, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the link):
The call numbers do actually mean something -- the first letters, for example, indicate what subject area a book is in. The Q section is where science books are found; QL is the Zoology section. Click here for a more detailed list.
How to Find Information in a Book
Once you’ve found a book that looks good for your topic, you will need to locate the sections in the book that are best for your specific topic. To find where those sections are, check two places in the book:
- First, check the Table
of Contents at the beginning of the book. The table of contents lists the
main topics covered in the book, and tells you what pages those topics are
on.
- Next, check the Index in the back of the book (most books have an index,
but some do not). The index lists the specific topics, people, places, and
events covered in each book, and tells you exactly which page numbers to look
on for them.
Call Number Games 1 and 2 adapted by Anne Anderson, Oct. 2006, from TILT , Copyright 1998-2004 by the University of Texas System Digital Information Office. This material may be reproduced, distributed, or incorporated only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the TILT Open Publication License.