Locating
Call Numbers //

Once you have found a book in the catalog, you need to be able to find it on the shelf. Here's what you need to know to do so.

There are three elements to look at in the call number: location, call number, and status. Click here to see an example.


LOCATION
The location tells you which library has the item and where the item is physically located in that library: Greenfield Open Stacks, Music Lib Open Stacks, Greenfield Reference, Greenfield Special Collections, Greenfield Reserves, Greenfield Oversize, etc.

Location Name Where in library
Greenfield DVD Greenfield Library DVD; ask for by call number at Greenfield circulation desk
Greenfield Open Stacks Greenfield Library circulating books
Greenfield Oversize Greenfield Library lower level, back near the video/DVD players
Greenfield Periodicals Greenfield Library Periodicals & Technical Services Area, lower level
Greenfield Reference Greenfield Library Reference section, opposite circulation desk
Greenfield Reserves Greenfield Library circulation desk
Greenfield Spec. Coll. Greenfield Special Collections, lower level of Greenfield
Greenfield Vault Greenfield Library Periodicals & Technical Services Area, lower level
Greenfield Videotapes Greenfield Library video; ask for by call number at Greenfield circulation desk
Music Circ. Desk Ask for by call number at Music Library circulation desk
Music DVD Music Library DVD; ask for by call number at Music circulation desk
Music Lib Open Stacks Music Library circulating books
Music Lib Periodicals Music Library Periodicals, shelved by call number
Music Lib Reference Music Library Reference section
Music Lib Reserves Ask for by call number Music Library circulation desk
Music Videotapes Music Library video; ask for by call number at Music circulation desk



CALL NUMBER
Always write down the location and the entire call number, which will always be at least two or three lines. It also helps to write down the author and a few words of the title.

The UArts Libraries use Library of Congress call numbers, which begin with letters.

The first line of the call number contains letters.  These letters are read alphabetically:

H   HA   HD



The second line of the call number contains numbers which are read as a whole number:

HD HD HD HD
98 100 115 204

The second line of the call number may contain a decimal component:

HD HD HD HD
98.5 98.78 98.79 98.8



The third part consists of a single letter and then a sequence of numbers. Items are first placed in alphabetical order by letter, and then numerically according to the sequence of numbers. All the numbers in this line are treated as if they were preceded by a decimal:

HD HD HD HD
98 98 98 98
.B69 .C2 .C215 .C25


The final line of the call number may include dates, volume, issue numbers, copy numbers:

HD HD
8039 8039
2002 v. 1
c. 2



STATUS
Status tells you whether or not the item is available. CHECK SHELVES means that an open stack item is not checked out and should be on the shelf.

STATUS What it means
CHECK SHELVES Item should be in library
DUE MM-DD-YY Item is due on that date
LIB USE ONLY Item must remain in library
LOST Item has not been returned
MISSING Item can't be found
ON SEARCH Library staff are searching for item
LOST AND PAID Item lost by patron and paid for; not yet replaced
AT BINDERY Item is out being bound
IN MENDING Item is out being mended
IN STORAGE Item is stored elsewhere; request at desk by call number
IN PROCESS Item is in Technical Services being processed
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