How the UC Library Call Number System Works

Each item in the Library has a call number which shows its shelf location. Items on the same subject are filed near each other.

Call numbers in the Library catalogue look like this: RM170.5.D53 2011.

On the spine of the book they look like this (read it line by line):

RM →  the letters file in alphabetical order - R, RA, RB etc.
170 → the second line as a whole number (e.g. one hundred and seventy)
.5  →  read the number as a decimal (e.g. .58 comes before .6)
.D53 → read the letter first, then the decimal number
2011 → the year of publication - different editions are filed together by date.

Location Prefixes

Some items have a location prefix which shows they are in a special collection. Check the Library maps, Levels A-B and Levels C-D, for more details: