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Note: Please ignore the Location Code such as “DKU Library” or “Oversize DKU” on the top two lines.
Library print books or physical items are arranged on bookshelves according to their call numbers (CN). You will need to use call numbers to locate books on the shelves. A CN is found on the spine of a book. It reads one line at a time. When you look for a book on the shelf, start with the letters in the first line of the call number. Letters read alphabetically from left to right. Call numbers start with As are put together before Bs, Cs…
AC AE AG … B BC BD BF BH … C CB CC … D DA DAW DB … E F … Q QA QB QC QD . . . R RA RB RC . . .Z ZA
Below are sample call numbers in orders.
If line 1 is identical, look at line 2. Numbers in line 2 read as whole numbers and in numerical order.
Below are sample call numbers in orders.
If the first 2 lines are identical, look at line 3. Line 3 of the call number is a combination of a letter and a number. The letters read in alphabetical order. The numbers read as decimals (not whole numbers).
Below are sample call numbers in orders.
If the top 3 lines are identical, look at line 4.
1. Sometimes, line 4 of the call number is a combination of a letter and a number. The letters read in alphabetical order. The numbers read as decimals even though there is no visible decimal point.
Below are sample call numbers in orders.
2. Sometimes, Line 4 is the year. The book with an earlier year is before the book with the later year.
Below are sample call numbers in orders.
Line 5 of the call number is sometimes
Remember to read line-by-line letters in alphabetical order and numbers in numerical order.
If you are interested in knowing how librarians assign a call number to a book, you may want to read the following.
A call number (CN) of an individual book is a unique identification code assigned to this book by library staff based on specific rules. Usually, a call number is made up with letters and numbers representing several parts of a book in order, e.g. “DS774 .X585 2015”, “LA229 .F46 2016”, and “PL2919 .Z464 2019 v.1”. The represented components may include:
Duke Kunshan University Library has adopted the Library of Congress Classification to assign specific class numbers to our collection. It also adds specific author/title codes based on an author/title table created by library professionals.
Here is a sample book entitled Soft Matter Physics by Masao Doi, published in 2013. Its call number in the DKUL catalog is: QC173.458.S62 D65 2013 c.1.
The breakdown of the components of call number is as follows:
QC 173.458 – The first part of the CN consists a combination of one or two letters with numbers indicating a specific subject area this book is about. In this example, it means special topics in physics.
.S62 – The second part of the CN further indicates a more detailed subject area. In this example, it means soft condensed matter.
D65 2013 – The third part identifies a special title by a specific author within the more detailed subject area mentioned in the second part. In this example, it means the book written by Masao Doi. 2013 is the date of publication.
c.1 – The last part indicates it is the first copy in the library.
Listed below are the letters and titles of the main classes of the Library of Congress Classification. Click on any class to view an outline of its subclasses.
AC Collections. Series. Collected works.
AE Encyclopedias
AG Dictionaries and other general works
AI Indexes
AM Museums. Collectors and collecting
AN Newspapers
AP Periodicals
AS Academies and learned societies
AY Yearbooks. Almanacs. Directories
AZ History of scholarship and learning
B Philosophy (general)
BC Logic
BD Speculative philosophy
BF Psychology
BH Aesthetics
BJ Ethics
BL Religions, mythology, rationalism
BM Judaism
BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.
BQ Buddhism
BR Christianity
BS The Bible
BT Doctrinal Theology
BV Practical Theology
BX Christian denominations
C Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)
CB History of Civilization
CC Archaeology
CD Diplomatics. Archives. Seals
CE Technical Chronology. Calendar
CJ Numismatics
CN Inscriptions. Epigraphy
CR Heraldry
CS Genealogy
CT Biography
D History (General)
DA History of Great Britain
DAW History of Central Europe
DB History of Austria. Liechtenstein. Hungary. Czechoslovakia
DC History of France
DD History of Germany
DE History of the Greco-Roman world
DF History of Greece
DG History of Italy – Malta
DH History of Low Countries. Benelux Countries
DJ History of Netherlands (Holland)
DJK History of Eastern Europe (General)
DK History of Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics
DL History of Northern Europe. Scandinavia
DP History of Spain
DQ History of Switzerland
DR History of Balkan Peninsula
DS History of Asia
DT History of Africa
DU History of Oceania (South Seas)
DX History of Romanies
E 11-143 America
E 151-914 United States
F 1-975 United States local history
F 1001-1145.2 British America (including Canada)
F 1170 French America
F1201-3799 Latin America. Spanish America
G Geography (general), atlas, maps
GA Mathematical geography. Cartography
GB Physical geography
GC Oceanography
GE Environmental science
GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography
GN Anthropology
GR Folklore
GT Manners and customs (General)
GV Recreation
H Social science (general)
HA Statistics
HB Economic theory. Demography
HC Economic history and conditions
HD Industry, land use, labor
HE Transportation and communication
HF Commerce
HG Finance
HJ Public finance
HM Sociology (general)
HN Social history and conditions, social problems, social reform
HQ The family. Marriage. Women
HS Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
HT Communities. Classes. Races
HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
HX Socialism. Communism. Anarchism
J General legislative and executive papers
JA Political science (General)
JC Political theory
JF Political institutions and public administration
JJ Political institutions and public administration (North America)
JK Political institutions and public administration (United states)
JL Political institutions and public administration (Canada, Latin America, etc.)
JN Political institutions and public administration (Europe)
JQ Political institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area)
JS Local Government. Municipal government
JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration.
JX (Obsolete) International Law
JZ International relations
K Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
KB Religious law in general. Comparative religious law. Jurisprudence
KBM Jewish law. Halakah
KBP Islamic law.
KBR History of canon law
KBU Roman Catholic Church. The Holy See
KD-KDK United Kingdom and Ireland
KDZ America. North America
KE Canada
KF United States
KG Latin America – Mexico and Central America – West Indies. Caribbean area
KH South America
KI Law of indigenous peoples
KJ – KKZ Europe
KL – KWX Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Area, and Antarctica
KZ Law of nations
L Education (General)
LA History of education
LB Theory and practice of education
LC Special aspects of education
LD Individual institutions – United States
LE Individual institutions – America( except United States)
LF Individual institutions – Europe
LG Individual institutions – Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands
LH College and school magazines and papers
LJ Student fraternities and societies, United States
LT Textbooks
M Music
ML Literature on music
MT Instruction and study
N Visual arts
NA Architecture
NB Sculpture
NC Drawing. Design. Illustration
ND Painting
NE Print media
NK Decorative arts
NX Arts in general
P Philology. Linguistics.
PA Greek language and Literature. Latin language and literature.
PB Modern languages. Celtic languages
PC Romance language
PD Germanic languages. Scandinavian languages
PE English language
PF West Germanic languages
PG Slavic. Baltic. Albanian
PH Uralic. Basque
PJ Oriental philology and literature
PK Indo-Iranian philology and literature
PL Literature and language of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
PM Indo-Iranian philology and literature
PN Literature (general)
PQ French literature. Italian literature. Spanish literature. Portuguese literature
PR English literature
PS American literature
PT German literature – Dutch literature – Flemish literature since 1830 -Afrikaans literature – Scandinavian literature – Old Norse literature: Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian – Modern Icelandic literature – Faroese literature – Danish literature – Norwegian literature – Swedish literature
PZ Fiction and juvenile belles lettres
Q Science (general)
QA Mathematics
QB Astronomy
QC Physics
QD Chemistry
QE Geology
QH Natural history. Biology
QK Botany
QL Zoology
QM Human anatomy
QP Physiology
QR Microbiology
R Medicine (general)
RA Public aspects of medicine
RB Pathology
RC Internal medicine
RD Surgery
RE Ophthalmology
RF Otorhinolaryngology
RG Gynecology and obstetrics
RJ Pediatrics
RK Dentistry
RL Dermatology
RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
RS Pharmacy and materia medica
RT Nursing
RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine
RX Homeopathy
RZ Other systems of medicine
S Agriculture (General)
SB Plant culture
SD Forestry
SF Animal culture
SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
SK Hunting sports
T Technology (General)
TA Engineering (general) Civil engineering.
TC Hydraulic Engineering. Ocean Engineering
TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
TE Highway engineering. Roads and pavements
TF Railroad engineering and operation
TG Bridge engineering
TH Building construction
TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
TL Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy
TP Chemical engineering
TR Photography
TS Manufactures
TT Handicraft. Arts and crafts
TX Home economics
U Military science (General)
UA Armies: Organization, distribution, military situation
UB Military administration
UC Maintenance and transportation
UD Infantry
UE Cavalry. Armor
UF Artillery
UG Military engineering. Air forces.
UH Other services
V Naval science (General)
VA Navies: Organization, distribution, naval situation
VB Naval administration
VC Naval maintenance
VD Naval seamen
VE Marines
VF Naval ordnance
VG Minor services of navies
VK Navigation. Merchant marine
VM Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering
Z Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. General bibliography
ZA Information resources (General)
