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The Library of Congress (LC) Classification system is used by many U.S. colleges and university libraries to organize their book collections. In this system, each book is assigned a letter and number combination, called a call number, to mark its location in the library, much like an address does. The letters and numbers used in the call number also can give you a idea of what a book is about.
Here's a sample call number, with an explanation for each line: Sprague Library 2nd Floor QE 862 .D5 E539 2006
Sprague Library - indicates which library the book is found in; the Sprague Library is on the main campus and the Bloomfield College Library is located on the Bloomfield campus
2nd Floor - indicates which floor of the library the book is located on
QE - indicates the general subject area; presented on the shelf in alphabetical order
862 - number line which indicates more specifically the subject area; presented on the shelf in numerical order within the QE section
.D5 - combination of letters and numbers that often represent the author's last name; presented on the shelf in alphabetical then decimal order
E539 - second combination of letters and numbers to further refine; not always present
2006 - year of publication; presented chronologically on the shelf
Sometimes the library location is also indicated above the call number (for example REF, for the Reference Collection, or JUV, for the Juvenile Collection).
For a full breakdown of the general subject areas and the specific subject areas, see the full list of subject areas:
