Poetry Research Guide

What Are Call Numbers

Books at the CSI Library are shelved by call numbers. A call number is the book's "address".

The call number system at the CSI Library is based on the Library of Congress Classification System.

Public libraries usually use another system, known as the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Call numbers organize books into subject, and these subjects share similar call numbers. This makes it easy for you to find books about a specific topic/subject. 

Every book in the library has a unique call number. 

A call number tells you where the book is located in the library. Call numbers appear on the spine of the book, and you can find the call number when you look for books using OneSearch. 

How to Read a Call Number

PN 1042.K6 1966 
The title of the book is: The Force of Few Words: An Introduction to Poetry by Jacob Korg

The first 2 lines describe the subject of the book. PN 1042= Literature- theory and philosophy 

The 3rd line often represents the author's last name: .K6= Korg, and the last line is the year the book was published: 1966= year of publication.