Locating Books


Dewey Decimal Classification and Call Numbers


Books in Renfro Library are arranged using the Dewey Decimal Classification System.This system organizes all knowledge into ten broad categories and assigns each a hundreds digit from 000 to 900 (see chart below). These categories are then broken down into more and more specific topics which are assigned specific numbers in the tens and ones places and finally decimal numbers that convey the smallest details of topics.


For example:

    700 = The Arts
    730 = Sculpture
    738 = Pottery
    738.38 = Pottery of Ancient Greece


This system ensures that books on the same topic are together on the shelf. As a result, once you locate one book on your topic, you should be able to find others by browsing nearby items on the shelf.


Call numbers listed in the library catalog and printed on the spine labels of library books are like addresses for specific books in the library. Call numbers are made up of a Dewey number that indicates the topic of the book, a “cutter number” that is a code for the author or title of the book and sometimes a date of publication.


How to Read a Call Number (Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)


  • 500 Pure Sciences
  • 510 Mathematics
  • 520 Astronomy and Allied Sciences
  • 530 Physics
  • 540 Chemistry and Allied Sciences
  • 550 Sciences of Earth and Other Worlds
  • 560 Paleontology
  • 570 Life Sciences
  • 580 Botanical Sciences
  • 590 Zoological Sciences
  • 600 Technology (Applied Sciences)
  • 610 Medical Sciences
  • 620 Engineering and Allied Operations
  • 630 Agriculture and Related Technologies
  • 640 Home Economics and Family Living
  • 650 Management and Auxiliary Services
  • 660 Chemical and Related Technologies
  • 670 Manufacturers
  • 680 Manufacture for Specific Uses
  • 690 Buildings
  • 700 The Arts
  • 710 Civic and Landscape Art
  • 720 Architecture
  • 730 Plastic Arts Sculpture
  • 740 Drawing, Decorative and Minor Arts
  • 750 Painting and Paintings
  • 760 Graphic Arts Prints
  • 770 Photography and Photographs
  • 780 Music
  • 790 Recreational and Performing Arts
  • 800 Literature (Belles-lettres)
  • 810 American Literatures in English
  • 820 English and Anglo-Saxon Literatures
  • 830 Literatures of Germanic Languages
  • 840 Literatures of Romance Languages
  • 850 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic
  • 860 Spanish and Portuguese Literatures
  • 870 Italic Literatures Latin
  • 880 Hellenic Literatures Greek
  • 890 Literatures of Other Languages
  • 900 General Geography and History
  • 910 General Geography Travel
  • 920 General Biography and Genealogy
  • 930 General History of the Ancient World
  • 940 General History of Europe
  • 950 General History of Asia
  • 960 General History of Africa
  • 970 General History of North America
  • 980 General History of South America
  • 990 General History of Other Areas
  • 000 Generalities
  • 010 Bibliography
  • 020 Library and Information Sciences
  • 030 General Encyclopedic Works
  • 040
  • 050 General Serial Publications
  • 060 General Organizations and Museology
  • 070 Journalism, Publishing, Newspapers
  • 080 General Collections
  • 090 Manuscripts and Book Rarities
  • 100 Philosophy and Related Disciplines
  • 110 Metaphysics
  • 120 Epistemology, Causation, Humankind
  • 130 Paranormal Phenomena and Arts
  • 140 Specific Philosophical Viewpoints
  • 150 Psychology
  • 160 Logic
  • 170 Ethics (Moral Philosophy)
  • 180 Ancient, Medieval, Oriental
  • 190 Modern Western Philosophy
  • 200 Religion
  • 210 Natural Religion
  • 220 Bible
  • 230 Christian Theology
  • 240 Christian Moral and Devotional
  • 250 Local Church and Religious Orders
  • 260 Social and Ecclesiastical Theology
  • 270 History and Geography of Church
  • 280 Christian Denominations and Sects
  • 290 Other and Comparative Religions
  • 300 Social Sciences
  • 310 Statistics
  • 320 Political Science
  • 330 Economics
  • 340 Law
  • 350 Public Administration
  • 360 Social Problems and Services
  • 370 Education
  • 380 Commerce (Trade)
  • 390 Customs, Etiquette, Folklore
  • 400 Language
  • 410 Linguistics
  • 420 English and Anglo-Saxon Languages
  • 430 Germanic Languages German
  • 440 Romance Languages French
  • 450 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic
  • 460 Spanish and Portuguese Languages
  • 470 Italic Languages Latin
  • 480 Hellenic Classical Greek
  • 490 Other Languages
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