TH141 - Acting One: Call Numbers

At Millikin’s Library, we use a system called “Library of Congress” to organize our resources.

When you search in Millikin’s Online Catalog, to find if a book that is available for you to take home, look at the “Status,” the “Call Number,”and the "Location."

• Status lets you know if it is available, checked out, renewed, missing, etc. (If not available, make use of I-Share to request the item from another I-Share library.)
• The Call Number is where the book is located on the shelf.
• The Location is area of the library it will be shelved (book stacks, reference stacks, etc.).  Most plays will be located in the "Book Stacks" on the 3rd floor (American authors will be categorized as PS).  The "Reference Stacks" are on the main floor, next to the Research Assistance Desk. 

Here’s an example of a Call Number for Three Plays by Terrence McNally. In the online catalog, the call number is listed as PS3563.A323 A6 1990, with a location of "book stacks."

How the call number will look on the book's label:

PS          (Find these letters using alphabetical order. PS comes after PR, but before PT)

3563       (Treat this 3563 just like any number. It comes after 3562, & before 3564. Call numbers may include decimals)

.A323     (After finding the PS section and the number 3563 area, use the alphabet again to find the As on the third line and fourth

A6           lines of the call number. Treat the numbers paired with the letters as decimals... 0.323 and 0.6 in this case)

1990       (The date the book was published, in this case, 1990)