Have you ever found a book on the Library catalogue, faithfully noted down the shelfmark, but then had trouble finding where it actually is on the shelves?
Shelfmarks for books are basically divided into two parts. Firstly the series of numbers that represent the subject area. 720 for Architecture, for example. Then there’s usually a series of 3 or 4 letters, which are an abbreviation of the author’s surname or of the organisation which has produced the book. Books are shelved in numerical order, and letters are arranged alphabetically after each individual shelf number.
Confused by those colons, brackets, and decimal points? These symbols also affect the order of the books on the shelves, and are arranged in the order of colon, bracket and decimal point. So, books with a shelfmark 616:537 are shelved before those with a shelfmark 616(01). And likewise 616(01) before those with a shelfmark 616.001.5.
Want to know more? If so, you might find this guide to understanding the Library’s classification system helpful. You could also try watching our ‘Shelfmarks’ Libflick, a short movie which explains exactly how to get from the number on the screen to the number on the book.
If you have any problems identifying a shelfmark, understanding how the books are arranged, or finding a book on Level 3 please come and ask a member of Library staff for help. You’ll find our offices at the back of the floor.
Posted by Hilary Tacey 