Call Numbers

Turpin Library uses the Library of Congress Classification System (LCCS) to organize the book collection topically. Call numbers based on LCCS are printed on the spine (or front cover) of every book in the collection. Books are sorted and shelved based on the call numbers. Records in the library catalog list the call number for each book. So a call number is both a subject/topic code and an address indicating where a book can be found. Dates for edtions, volume numbers and copy numbers are technically not part of the classification scheme but of course do appear in call numbers.

Basic Elements and Syntax of Call Numbers

Most call numbers are constructed as follows. The call number is displayed vertically as it would appear on the spine label of a book.

Call number line breaks are significant. However, you might see parts one and two printed together on a single line since they both reflect a subject code. Examples of longer, more complex call numbers, are available here.

The main sub-units of a call number are as follows:

Topic: Parts 1 and 2. The initial letters designate a broad topic. The numbers progressively narrow the topic. This is explained in more detail below.

Cutter: Parts 3 and 4. The topical portion of the call number is followed by a cutter number (named after Charles Cutter). The cutter number usually encodes the author (technically, the main entry.) So within a given topic books are usually sorted by author. Cutter numbers can also be used to further subdivide a topic, and one call number can have two cutters (usually topical use followed by main entry use). This is not common.

Other parts. The call number may conclude with a publication year or volume number or copy number.

Sorting Rules

Part one is sorted in alphabetical order.

Part two is sorted numerically in the normal order numbers appear on the number line.

The period at the beginning of part three signals a change of sorting rules for parts three and four of the call number. These lines are sorted on a character by character or decimal basis. This is the main confusing aspect of LCCS sort order.

Did you catch that? In the example above, BR5 comes before BR15 since 5 comes before 15 in the normal counting order, but .L5 comes after .L15 since .5 is after .15 (.5 is greater than .15).

Additional correctly sorted examples are below. For B17.6 note the cutter .B64 comes before .B8. Note two editions of BR123 .H56, one with a date and one without a date. Editions should be kept together. Note volumes and date edition in the BR123 .H8 examples. Here BR123 .H8 comes before BR123 .H8 1999.

Topical Organization of LCCS

LCCS is both heirarchical and enumerative. That means little topics are subsumed under big topics in a heirarchy, but many topics and categories are just listed (enumerated) without attempting to create a fine–grained structure. A large portion of the seminary collection falls in the BR–BX call number range.

• BL Religions and Mythology. Hinduism.
• BM Judaism
• BP Islam
• BQ Buddhism
• BR Christianity. Church History subdivided by time period and geographic region
• BS Bible
  • BS125–198 English translations of entire Bible
  • BS410–680 Books about the whole Bible
    • BS482–498 Commentaries on the whole Bible
      subdivided by date:
      • BS491.2 Commentaries on the whole Bible
        published 1951–2000
      • BS491.3 Commentaries on the whole Bible
        published 2001–
  • BS701–1830 Old Testament
    • BS715 Hebrew editions of the Old Testament
    • BS1230–1244 Works (often commentaries) on Genesis
    • BS1245–1254 On Exodus
    • rest of OT in canonical order
  • BS1901–2970 New Testament
    • BS1965 Greek editions of the New Testament
    • BS2570–2579 Works on Matthew
      subdivided by date:
      • BS2575.3 Commentaries On Matthew
        published 1951–2000
      • BS2575.53 Commentaries On Matthew
        published 2001–
    • rest of NT in canonical order
• BT Christian Doctrinal Theology
• BT198–590 Christology
• BT750–811 Soteriology
• BV Christian Practical Theology
• BV1460–1615 Christian education
• BV2000–3705 Missions
• BV3750–3799 Evangelism
• BV4200–4317 Preaching/homiletics
• BX Christian Denominations and Sects (History and Theology)
• L Education (mostly secular education)
• P Language and literature in those languages
• PA881 Greek language lexicons
• PJ4833 Hebrew language lexicons

Here is a more detailed outline of the entire classification scheme.