Alkek Library Book Catalog
Search the library catalog for print resources, ebooks, videos, and more!
TIPS:
-
Use "Quotes" for Keyword phrase searching
-
Click on the title to see subject headings (if you're having trouble with keywords)
-
Use truncation, for example if searching for political or politics, you can type polit* and get any form of the root word before the *
-
Use the Subject Heading links (in red box below) on any catalog record for an item to see more books or other materials on the same subject.
You could also try searching our new Discovery tool! It searches multiple databases for articles and the library catalog for books and other materials. To search only the catalog, check off the box named Library Catalog under Refine your results on the left of the results list page.
Understanding Call Numbers
Understanding Call number order
Library of Congress call numbers should be read one line at a time as follows:
Example of a complete call number, DA 36 .A55:
| DA | Line 1 |
| 36 |
Line 2 |
| .A55 |
Line 3 |
- First, look at Line 1:
- Books are arranged in alphabetical order, by the letters on the first line of the call number.
- Example: first come all the D call numbers, then all the DA call numbers, then DB, etc.
- Next, look at Line 2:
- Within the DA call numbers, books are arranged in number order.
- The numbers are arranged in numerical from low to high.
- Example:
- Then look at Line 3:
- Line 3 of the call number has a letter and a number. The letters are in alphabetical order. Then read the numbers-but BEWARE!
- The numbers are not WHOLE numbers, they are DECIMAL numbers.
- Example: A55 is read as A .55 - this is why A55 comes before A6 (A .55, A .6, A .65, etc.)
