Library Call Numbers and Locations

You need to know how to locate material in the library. Read the following information sequentially.

Seminole State LRC uses the Library of Congress Classification System (LC) to organize materials.

• Library of Congress Classification uses letters and numbers to create the Call Number used to arrange materials by subject areas.
• Knowing the letters for subject areas lets you browse the shelves.
• Since most academic & university libraries use LC, you will be able to locate material in other libraries by underst&ing our arrangement.

To find a Call Number for Seminole State Library material, use "Browse Organized Lists using assigned search terms" located in the LINCC Online Catalog to Perform an Author, Title or Subject Search.

• After entering your search terms, click "Go."
• "Browse Organized Lists using assigned search terms" displays a scrollable, alphabetical list of entries, shows the number of records for each entry and indicates whether or not there are cross-references for the entries.
• Click any Author, Title or Subject of interest.
• Click on any underlined title of interest to see the "Full View of Record."

Full View - Record

• Scroll down to "Select a location for more information or to request item" to see the "Location," "Collection," and "Call Number."

Full View - Record: Location

• Location displays any Seminole State, or other community college, campus where this particular item may be found.
• At Location, click a campus location for more information.
• The next screen displays Status which indicates if the item is available or checked out, when it's due back, or if it has a special status such as "in process" or "damaged." If the anticipated return date appears, it means the material has been checked out of the LRC. If anything else appears, it means the material is not checked out.

Full View - Record: Collection

• Collection refers to material assembled in a single location and arranged in some kind of systematic order to facilitate retrieval.
• LRC collection areas can be:
  
  • Audio-Visual
  • Children's
  • Circulation
  • Circulation Career Center
  • Dual Enrolled
  • Periodicals (indicates magazines, journals, annuals, and recurring publications)
  • Reference
  • Reserves

Full View - Record: Call Number

• All material in a library has its own Call Number or "address" to tell you where the book is located. Books in the Seminole State Library are arranged alphabetically then numerically on the shelves by Call Numbers. The labels on each end of a library shelf show the range of Call Numbers for the books that are located on that shelf.
• The Call Number looks like this online: ML3531.K752000
• On a book on the shelf it looks like this:
  • ML
  • 3531
  • .K75
  • 2000
• Parts of the Call Number:
  • ML - Library of Congress alphabetical subject letter. In this case ML indicates the subject of Music.
  • 3531 - Read this as a whole number.
  • .K75 - Author Number which is read first as a letter then as a decimal number. In this case the author is Krims.
  • 2000 - Publication Year
• You may see various Prefixes displayed before the Call Number.
  • Media indicates material located in the Media Services Department.
  • Oversize indicates books too large for the regular shelves.
  • Ref indicates material located in the Reference area.
• In addition to letters and numbers, a Call Number can be:
  • Adult New Reader
  • Leisure (currently popular books)
  • PRIMARY or Primary (children's books)
  • rsv or RSV (Reserve material)
• Shelving Practice Tutorial (Ford@University of Pittsburgh)
• Understanding Call Numbers (About.com)

Loan Periods & Allowable Renewals for Seminole State Students, Faculty and Staff

Did you know?

The Seminole State Library collection includes access to more than 37,000 e-books through the LINCC online catalog.