The Instructional Materials Center (IMC), located on the Lower Level of the Belk Library, uses the Dewey Decimal Classification system to arrange its materials. The information books are in numerical order, while the fiction books are shelved in order alphabetically by the author's last name.
The Dewey Decimal system divides subjects into ten main groups. If you see a call number and location in the library catalog that looks like this you will find the item in the IMC:
Reading a Dewey Decimal Call Number
These call numbers are sorted line by line. The first line is sorted numerically by whole number, and the second line is sorted by letter and then by decimal number. They are then sorted by letter, if applicable, and finally by edition (which is indicated by publication date). The following Dewey numbers are in the correct order:
The first line is sorted numerically by whole number:
808 814 821 826
The second part of the first line may also contain a decimal component:
808.12 808.34 808.9
The second line is sorted alphabetically by letter and then by number. All the numbers in this line are treated as if they were preceded by a decimal:
808 808 808 808
A435 A5 M279 P40
The second part of the second line may also contain additional letters at the end. These letters are sorted alphabetically:
808 808 808 808
A435la A435wo M279m M279w
000-099 Generalities (encyclopedias, bibliographies, periodicals, journalism)
100-199 Philosophy and related disciplines (psychology, logic, etc.)
200-299 Religion
300-399 Social sciences (economics, sociology, civics, law, education, vocations, customs)
400-499 Language (language, dictionaries, grammar)
500-599 Pure sciences (mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, biology, zoology)
600-699 Technology and applied sciences (medicine, engineering, agriculture, business, radio)
700-799 The arts (architecture, sculpture, painting, music, photography, recreation)
800-899 Literature (novels, poetry, plays, criticism)
900-999 Geography, history, and related disciplines
The chapter books in the IMC are shelved together in alphabetical order by the author's last name, then in order by the title. If you see a call number and location in the library catalog that looks this this you will find the item in the IMC:
Reading a Fiction Call Number
'Fic' (short for Fiction) is used at the beginning of the call number as a locator tool. All the fiction titles are shelved together alphabetically by the last name of the author.
The first part of the call number is sorted alphabetically by the first letter:
Fic C623rc Fic C6259fr Fic L6733chr Fic L687tf
The numbers in the call number are read digit by digit, not as a whole number:
Fic C623rc Fic C6259fr FIc L6733chr Fic L687tf
The last part of the call number contains letters sorted alphabetically:
Fic C623rc Fic C623rf Fic L6733chr Fic L6733pr
The picture books, or easies, in the IMC are shelved together in alphabetical order by the author's last name, then in order by the title. If you see a call number and location in the library catalog that looks like this you will find them on the low red shelves in the IMC:
Reading an Easy Call Number
'E' (short for Easies) is used at the beginning of the call number as a locator tool. All easies titles are shelves together alphabetically by the last name of the author.
The first part of the call number is sorted alphabetically by the first letter:
E B455ma E F848co E W699kn E Z37al
The numbers in the call number are read digit by digit, not as a whole number:
E B455ma E F848co E W699kn E Z37al
The last part of the call number contains letters sorted alphabetically
E B455ma E B455mg E W699kn E W688Leg
The biographies and autobiographies in the IMC are shelved together in alphabetical order by the last name of the person the books are written about. If you see a call number and location in the library catalog taht looks like this you will find the item in the IMC:
Reading a Biography Call Number
'92' is used at the beginning of the call number as a locator tool. all the biography titles are shelved together alphabetically by the last name of the person the biography is about.
The first part of the call number is sorted alphabetically by the first letter:
92 K53ma 92 L479ad 92 S475sc 92 W947di
The numbers in the call number are read digit by digit, not as a whole number:
92 K53ma 92 L479ad 92 S475sc 92 W947di
The last part of the call number contains letters sorted alphabetically:
92 K53ma 92 K53ra 92 W947di 92 W947sc
