Music Library-Music Library: Shelving and Call Numbers

The Mysteries of Shelving Revealed!

These policies are in effect at UNC-Chapel Hill Music Library and may not completely correspond to those at other institutions.

Parts of an LC (Library of Congress) Call Number

M1500            Classification
.S67                 Composer/Author
T4                    Work title (may be thematic index, opus, or other work number)
1990                 Date
v.1                    Enumeration (volume, Band, Jahrgang, etc.)
c.2                     Copy number

Remember: A call number with Min. Score, Microfilm, or Folio preceeding it is shelved in its special area. Please see the map to the stacks.

Reading Call Numbers

Read one line at a time! If a line on two items is identical, then move to the next line to compare:

The FIRST LINE of any LC call number is read alpha-numerically:

For example: M457 before M512.2 before M512.4

M7 before M36 before M322

The SECOND LINE is always read as a decimal:

For example: M2102    before    M2102
                   .S12                       .S8

                        ML410    before    ML410
                   .R67                       .R7

SUBSEQUENT LINES may contain a date, a Cutter number (i.e. C5), a thematic index (e.g. H.XV,6a or K.550), a work number (i.e. no.6), or an opus number (i.e. op.110). Dates always come first! Thematic indexes and work & opus numbers file alphabetically. Cutter numbers (read as decimals) go last.

So,                  M23         before     M23     before     M23
                       .S9                           .S9                       .S9
                                                        1984                   H.X,2

        before     M23         before     M23
                        .S9                          .S9
                        op.6                        C6

And for multi-volume sets:

                          M1001    before    M1001 before    M1001
                       .B8                         .B8                       .B8
                        v.1                          v.1                        v.2
                                                              c.2

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This page was last updated Monday, July 18, 2005.