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I do not know where to find a call number in the library

You'll find the call number is listed in the item's OneSearch record.

  • Make sure that the item is available.
  • Note the floor that the item is on.
  • Click on the Locate link to see a map of that floor.
  • Write down the entire call number or take a photo of it. 

You will find the call number ranges on small white cards at the end of each bookshelf.

screenshot of a book's record in OneSearch

Book cover

Anatomy of a Library of Congress Call Number

The books in the SJSU library are organized using Library of Congress Classification.

Book title: Shakespeare: for all time
Author: Stanley Wells
Call Number: PR2894 .W43 2003

The first two lines describe the subject of the book.
PR = English Literature
2894 = English renaissance (1500-1640)

The third line usually represents the author's last name.
W = Wells

The last line represents the date of publication.

Using the Call Number to Find the Book

PR Read the first line in alphabetical order:
A, B, BF, L, LA, LB, LC, M, P, PR...
 
2894 Read the second line as a whole number:
1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1145, 2587, 2894...
 
.W43 The third line is the trickiest part of the call number! 
Read the letter alphabetically and the number as a decimal: 
.W301 will come before .W43 (read them as .W301 and .W430)
 
2003 The last line is the year the book was published. Read in chronological order:
1985, 1991, 2003, 2009...

Troubleshooting:

  • If your book is marked as a Folio, it is on the 8th Floor and is in a separate A-Z collection. Books are marked as folios if they are oversized and do not fit on the regular library shelves.
  • If your item’s call number looks like this — Y 1.2/12:09-9063 — it is a government document. You can find these in the Lower Level, or ask someone at the Circulation Desk on the first floor for assistance.
  • If the book is not where it's supposed to be on the shelf, come to the first floor Circulation Desk and let someone know.

For more details on using call numbers to find books, watch the short video below: