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EDCI 312 • Reading & Writing Methods: Finding Your Book

Resources and information for Professor Miller's EDCI 312 adolescent literature course.

Juvenile Fiction

LC Call numbers juvenile fiction

Juvenile Fiction

Juvenile fiction falls under the Library of Congress subject heading P, English & American literature, fiction and juvenile belles lettres.

PZ is general juvenile fiction (PZ7), novels in verse (PZ7.5), graphic novels (PZ7.7), fairy tales (PZ8) , Folklore, and legends (PZ8.1), Fables (PZ8.2), Nursery Rhymes/Stories in Rhyme (PZ8.3), and Animal Stories (PZ10.3).

Featured Book

The green book on the infographic, call number PZ8.3.C366 Li 2017, is The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark. Books featured with it are the titles located before and after on the shelf.

Juvenile Nonfiction

LC Call numbers juvenile non-fiction

Juvenile Nonfiction

Juvenile non-fiction titles are classed within the topic area of its regular subject heading class from A (general works) to Z (bibliography).

All Archer library’s collections (e.g., main, juvenile, and Snyder poetry) are cataloged using Library of Congress. You will find poetry in the main collection, Snyder poetry collection, and juvenile collection. You will find nonfiction titles in all subject areas in the main collection and juvenile collection.

Featured Book: Nonfiction

The green book in the infographic, call number KF228.B76 G65 2021, is Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown vs. Board of Education by Lawrence Goldstone. Books featured with it are titles in the nonfiction collection that would be located before and after within the J, K, and N shelves.

Finding Your Book

➤ Call Numbers

Where is the Call Number?

Every book has a call number, you will find them in in the library catalog (see featured book). 

Spine Labels

The spine of each book includes a label with the call number to help locate it on the shelf.  In some instances, most often with picture books, the spine is not wide enough to display the call number. The call number may be located on the bottom left corner of the book cover.

Spine Label: Pre-stamp

All of the juvenile book spine labels have a pre-stamp of 'Juv' before the call number is displayed.  Why? This is done to help differentiate between books in the juvenile collection and books in the main general collection.

Location, location, location

The most challenging part of finding juvenile books is knowing they are juvenile books. Take time to review locations identified in the catalog; children's books are MAIN Juvenile.

Juvenile fiction

At first glance, juvenile fiction call numbers appear a bit different. What's Different? While call numbers are read in the same way, because there are often numerous titles for individual authors, the first 2-3 letters of a title are included after the second set of numbers.

Reading the call number

➤ Start with the letter

Letter First

LC Call numbers start with a letter, or letters.  They are presented alphabetically. If there is more than one letter, two is common in our stacks, start with the first letter, For example, J before JC, JF, or JK.

First set of numbers

Read the first set of numbers as a whole number. In the nonfiction example: JC 178 comes before JK 40, which comes before KF 228. 

Second set of letters

Alphabetical after a decimal point, so .B comes before .H which comes before .S

Second set of numbers

Next to the 2nd letter, the second set of numbers is read as a decimal.

Last Number

Final number is the year of publication.

Keep in Mind

Not all call numbers have every element; even with non-fiction some call numbers have additional information.

➤  Need help locating a book?

Ask in the IRC, we will help you find it.

 

 

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