Q. What is a call number?

Libraries use a system of letters and numbers to group related books together on the shelf and to facilitate locating a particular book. You may have heard of the Dewey Decimal numbers used by many public libraries. Larger libraries and libraries serving complex subject matter (such as Sacred Heart University) often us the Library of Congress classification system.

Once you're actively researching a topic, you may commit to memory a few significant call numbers. In general, you'll save time by carefully and neatly writing down (or pasting into your notes) the exact call number of the book you want to retrieve. That will save you a lot of time wandering through the stacks. Keep in mind that the code letters for each class of books has nothing to do with the name of the author, the name of the subject, etc.

For a detailed explanation of call numbers visit the American Museum of Natural History website where you'll find the Library of Congress Call Numbers explained in detail.