If you are looking for books on a topic in the library, be sure to look at other books nearby. The books are arranged by topics in the Library of Congress (LC) System, and quite often you’ll find something useful just browsing the shelves.
Write down a few books with very different call numbers. Sometimes books on a topic will be shelved in different areas.
Find books on a specific subject using the Finding Books by Subject and Library of Congress (LC) Classification Page. You can find some great surprises just by browsing the shelves!
Reference and oversized materials are kept separate from the main stacks.
When you are finished with a book in the library, leave the book on an empty shelf, or leave it at the front circulation desk. We’ll be happy to put it back where it belongs.
Ask a librarian for help if you're having trouble finding what you need.
Search by title, author (use the format of last name, first name), subject or keyword.
If you’re looking for books on a topic, look by keyword. (see tips below for help)
We use call numbers to organize the books on our shelves (we use the Library of Congress (LC or LOC) system).
Write the call number down. You will need it to locate the book in the library.
The location will tell you what area of the library the book is located in:
If you aren’t sure, ask us, and we’ll gladly help.
For Main Stack and Reference books, head to the location the catalog indicated. You’ll see cards on the shelves which contain a range of call numbers. Head to the shelves containing the call number you are looking for.
For example, PZ7.R79835 Har 1998 would be located on these shelves.
Read the first line in alphabetical order:
A, B, BF, C, D, DR, E… J, K, KE, KF… M, N…
Read the second line as a whole number
1, 2, 3, 4… 22, 23, 24… 100, 200, 240, 300…
The third line is a combination of letter and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically and read the number like a decimal.
The last set of numbers is the year published, and they are organized in order.
A good rule of thumb is to look for the section on the shelves that contain the first set of letters, then within that section, look for the next set of numbers, followed by the letter/number combination.