How to Read a Dewey Call Number
The Dewey
Decimal Classification uses numerals to represent subjects. The
hundreds digit represents a large disciplinary grouping, the tens digit
represents a field within that discipline, the one's digit represents
a aspect of that field, and so forth. For instance, the 300's are the
Social Sciences, the 370's cover Education, and 378 is Higher Education.
Dewey Decimal call numbers are used in several Quest locations, among
which are HIL-AV4, HIL-BBKRM, HIL-CLC, HIL-JUV, and HIL-SPECCL. There
are some variations among the call number formats used in these locations,
but the basic structure remains the same in all Dewey Decimal call numbers.
Here is an example of a Dewey Decimal call number as it appears in a
Quest record:
915.694 B516
On the book spine this call number appears as:
915.694
B516
The first line is treated as a unit and files in numeric sequence,
with 915.5 preceding 915.694, which precedes 915.72. The second line
is treated identically to the line in a Library of Congress call number,
which consists of a letter followed by one or more numerals. The shelf
sequence is determined one character at a time, B51 precedes B516, which
precedes B52.