What is a call number?
A call number is a unique code printed on a label and affixed to the outside of an item in the library's collection. The call number is also displayed in the book's online record. The call number identifies the specific copy of a book or other item and gives its relative location on the shelves.
Dewey Decimal System
Books on the 2nd floor are shelved according to the Dewey Decimal System. (Here's a great explanation of the Dewey Decimal System from the Oakland Public Library and Dewey Decimal System from Delgado Community College Libraries .)
Here's an example call number for a book in our collection, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.
How can I locate a book using a Dewey call number?
The online record gives the location (Books Stacks: 2nd floor), SMC Call # (309.173 P983), and the status ("Available at SMC" if it is on the shelve or "Unavailable / Out of Library" if it is already checked out).
Go to the floor specified in the Location field. Most of our books will say "Book Stacks: 2nd Floor" and you'll find those shelved in the four corners of the second floor of the library, starting with the southeast corner and progressing clockwise up to 999 in the northeast corner.
After going to the appropriate location in the library, follow the bookshelves from top to bottom, and left to right, to locate the stack of shelves that includes the particular call number for your item. If you were looking for the book below, you'd first find the books that say 303, then 303.4, then 303.48, then 303.483, until you get to 303.4834, and then move to the next line of the label and follow the books alphabetically until you get to R.
Library of Congress (LC) call number
New print books added after July 1, 2024 are being classified with and given LC call numbers. Books with LC call numbers are being shelved on the first floor in the former reference area. These shelves were mostly cleared after a year-long project to replace those resources with online versions, move others to circulation, and remove outdated or irrelevant materials. Older titles with Dewey call numbers on the second and third floors will be reclassified as resources and space allow.
What does LC Classification look like?
If you are not yet familiar with LC Classification, the first thing you’ll notice is that it uses a combination of letters and numbers. Each major subject area is assigned a letter or group of letters, followed by numbers to specify subcategories, while Dewey was purely numeric.
You can learn more about the new classification categories by visiting the summary of classes at the Library of Congress.
You can always go to the reference desk (or stay where you are and text a librarian at 925-291-9699) and ask for help finding a book!