So Says the Call Number

fruits of my labor

For a moment I’d like to encourage you, the reader, to take a break and walk down memory lane, I’ll set the scene:

You are in elementary school; you are much shorter, much lighter on your feet and on this day, headed to the library. Walking down the hallway you always notice how high the ceilings are and the older kids in the grades above you sitting in class as you pass by.  You are holding a big book in your small hands and soon you will return it checking out a new one in its place.  Up ahead you see the library doors and your palms begin to sweat from anticipation, you can’t wait to run around inside.  You also remember, or don’t remember, to use your inside voice so you won’t get in trouble.

Once inside, the librarian tells you they will not  place your book back on the shelf today; you will.  You are learning about Mr. Dewey this morning and all his decimal glory.

The scene I described above is not one I actually recall experiencing, but I am relatively positive somewhere along the way it must have happened.  Here’s a little confession I’m a bit embarrassed to make; when I got on this information science kick, I quickly realized I did not understand the classification systems of libraries anymore.  To my credit, it has been a long time since the days of hanging out with Mr. Dewey at story time and in college the majority  of library resources I used  were available electronically.

I’m not one to sit around for too long when I don’t understand something I care about.  I started reading up on the major organizational systems used by libraries in the U.S. and elsewhere.  In case you didn’t already know, most U.S. libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and Library of Congress Classification (LC); academic libraries often utilize the latter.

Today I learned where I could find books on yoga and of course library and information science.  To prove it I will now post call number evidence (please also see photographic evidence):

-RA773-788 for yoga related books

-ZA for information science subjects

I am now a worthy disciple of the LC system, I heed the careful instructions of the call number gods and successfully navigate, “The Great Stack Forests of the Fourth Floor.”  The scents of non-electronic resources never smelled so good as they did today.

Best,

your apprentice of the stacks