Most of the UToledo Libraries book collections are shelved according to Library of Congress (LC) Call Numbers. Each letter designates a broad subject area and is further divided into two letter subjects, then by number. The last part of the call number identifies a particular book within a specific subject area. A full outline of the system is available at the Library of Congress website.
A General Works
B Philosophy/Psychology/Religion
C: History: Related Fields
D History (except N. & S. American)
E American History
F Local History & Non-US History of North & South America
G Geography/Anthropology/Recreation
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Languages and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliographies and Library Science.
Books at the Mulford Health Science library are shelved according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Call Numbers. Each two-letter code designates a broad subject area, and numbers within each area identify a more specific subject area. Note that NLM numbers do not overlap with Library of Congress (LC) numbers, so a collection could have both numbering systems, with LC being used for non-medical areas. A full outline of the system is available at the NLM website.
Preclinical Sciences:
QS Human Anatomy
QT Physiology
QU Biochemistry. Cell Biology and Genetics
QV Pharmacology
QW Microbiology and Immunology
QX Parasitology
QY Clinical Pathology
QZ Pathology
Medicine and Related Subjects:
W General Medicine. Health Professions
WA Public Health
WB Practice of Medicine
WC Communicable Diseases
WD Disorders of Systemic, Metabolic or Environmental Origin, etc.
WE Musculoskeletal System
WF Respiratory System
WG Cardiovascular System
WH Hemic and Lymphatic Systems
WI Digestive System
WJ Urogenital System
WK Endocrine System
WL Nervous System
WM Psychiatry
WN Radiology. Diagnostic Imaging
WO Surgery
WP Gynecology
WQ Obstetrics
WR Dermatology
WS Pediatrics
WT Geriatrics. Chronic Disease
WU Dentistry. Oral Surgery
WV Otolaryngology
WW Ophthalmology
WX Hospitals and Other Health Facilities
WY Nursing
WZ History of Medicine. Medical Miscellany
The Government Documents are arranged by Superintendent of Documents (or SuDoc) numbers. The letters correspond to government agencies. When reading SuDoc numbers, remember that the number after the colon should be read as a whole number... C 2:10 is followed by C 2:11, not C 2:105, for example. A full explanation is available on the Federal Depository Library Program website.
Call numbers are very useful things. Each book in the library has a unique call number, and call numbers help group books together that are on the same subject. Every call number has several parts, and finding a book on the shelf is just a matter of reading each part in the right order.
| Read the first line in alphabetical order: A single letter (Q) comes before two letters (QD). | QD |
| Read the second line as a whole number: 1, 2, 13, 76, 76.76, 76.8, 80, 137, 200, 1999, 2000, etc. |
76.8 |
| The third line is a combination of a letter and numbers. Find the letter first, then read the number as a decimal, looking at each digit in turn from left to right. .01, .1, .19, .20, .75, .755, .76 |
.S755 |
| Finally, some books have the publication year as the very last line. | 1986 |