The Dewey Decimal classification system groups together books on similar subjects by call numbers.

There are 10 Dewey Decimal call number classifications.

• 000 - Computer Science, Information, & General Works
• 100 - Philosophy & Psychology    
• 200 - Religion    
• 300 - Social Sciences    
• 400 - Language
• 500 - Science
• 600 - Technology
• 700 - Arts & Recreation
• 800 - Literature
• 900 - History & Geography

The 700's are broken down as follows:

• 700 - General
• 710 - Landscaping & Gardens
• 720 - Architecture
• 730 - Sculpture, ceramics, metalwork
• 740 - Drawing, comics, illustration, graphic design, fashion, textiles, interior design, glass
• 750 - Painting
• 760 - Printmaking
• 770 - Photography, computer art
• 780 - Music
• 790 - Movies & TV, animation, games, dance

All parts of a call number are important! 

Make sure you write down the whole number!

Let's dissect this call number: 741.64 A5, H899s  

• 741: The first three numbers of a Dewey Decimal call number indicates the general subject of the book.

• .64: Numbers following the first 3 numbers and the decimal point make things more specific.
  • 741 Drawing & drawings 
    • 741.6 Graphic design and illustration 
      • 741.64  Book illustration

• A5: In the 700 section you might see an A with a number right after it. This is a system unique to our library. It designates time.

• H899s: The Cutter Number indicates the author or title of the book. Why? It's a librarian thing.

There may be some additional information attached to a call number.

For example: Q 728.0942 L346i, 1904 v.1 

• Q means it’s in Special Collections
• 1904 is the year it was published
• v.1 tells you which volume

There’s also:

• DVD for DVDs
• Blu-Ray for Blu-Rays
• POP for Pop-up Books

When you are searching the catalog, you want to pay attention to the Location before the call number.

Although our library is all in Dewey numbers there are different areas in the shelves where books might be, like:

• CCAD BOOK: in the main area of bookshelves
• CCAD OVERSIZE: books that are too large for the regular shelves and are along the back wall of the library
• CCAD SPECIAL COLLECTION: books that are rare, delicate, old, or expensive. You'll need to ask at the circulation desk to get access to these. They have a Q before their call numbers.
• CCAD KIDS LIT: picture books intended for younger readers and pop-up books. They are shelved across from the magazines.
• CCAD GRAPHIC NOVELS: Just to trip you up, these ones are actually on the main shelves where you would expect if it just said CCAD BOOK.
• CCAD RESERVE: Copies of textbooks are held behind the circulation. They are for use in the library only, just ask at the desk to check them out.
• Also, our fiction books are shelved in the 800s with the rest of literature.

So how do you find books on the shelves?

Let’s use 741.64 A5, H899s  Steel-engraved Book Illustration in England by Basil Hunnisett as an example.

The call # will be on the spine of the item.  

Break the number down from left to right in chunks: 741 . 64  A5,  H899  s

• Look for the 741 section
• Then look for .64
• Then look for A5
• After you find 741.64 A5, look for Cutter #s that start with H
• Then find H899
• If there are several books by that author, they will be filed by title, this case, s.

REMEMBER! If you can't find an item on the shelf, ask a staff member to help!