Library of Congress call
numbers are arranged alphabetically and numerically.
Read call numbers from left to right and from top to bottom.
Letters in the
first line of the call number are alphabetical:
H45
.E37
1984 |
HA155
.A5
1944 |
HB21
.A33
1982 |
HC13
.S47
1990 |
Numbers
in the first line of the call number are in numerical order:
B53
.D476
1990 |
B785
.L44
M67
1991 |
B1201
.B44
W64
1997 |
B1246
.R66
1986 |
Letters
in the second line are alphabetical:
KF240
.B265
1981 |
KF240
.C538
1989 |
KF240
.S795
1995 |
KF240
.T38
1989 |
Numbers
in the second line of the call number are in decimal order. It is
important to remember
that there is an “invisible” decimal point between the letter and
the number:
L901
.C33 |
L901
.C34
1971 |
L901
.C343
1976 |
L901
.C37
1996 |
There may be a
third line of letters and numbers. These will also be in
alphabetical and decimal number
order.
The last line
of a call number may be a year. This indicates the publication date.