Faculty of Health Sciences

Now that you know at which campus library and in which collection the book you're looking for is housed, you need to find it on a shelf within that collection.  You do this by identifying the book's call number (shelf number) from the record of the book in the Classic catalogue.

• At the Nelson Mandela University  Gqeberha campus libraries all books and other library materials are arranged according to the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System.
• Each book has it's own unique call number and this is also the number on the spine of the book. 
• You need this call number (shelf number) to find a book on the right shelf.
• You need to be able to read this number correctly to find the book, please see the following section:

How to read a Call Number (shelf number) of the LC Classification System

Read call numbers line by line from top to bottom and left to right.

HD             Read the first line in alphabetical order. Single letters are filed before double letters.

30              Read the second line as a whole number.

.G46          The third line is a combination of letters and numbers.

                  Read the letter alphabetically.

                  Read the number as a decimal, e.g. 46 = .46

2021           Year of publication. Read the line in chronological order.

A sequence of spine labels with the call numbers arranged in the correct order as they would appear on the shelves is demonstrated as follows:

When there are two Cutter numbers, follow the same principle: letters alphabetically and numbers as decimal.

Different editions of the same work will have the same number but different years. File chronologically, from oldest to most recent edition.

Now that you know at which Campus Library and in which Collection the book you're looking for is housed, you need to find it on a shelf within that collection.  You do this by identifying the book's call number (shelf number) from the record of the book in the Classic catalogue.

• You need this call number (shelf number) to find a book on the right shelf.

• Books and other library materials at the George Campus Library are arranged according to the Dewey Classification System.

• You need to be able to read this number correctly to find the book, please see the following section:

How to read a Call Number (shelf number) of the Dewey Classification System

A sequence of spine labels with the call numbers arranged in the correct order as they would appear on the shelves is demonstrated as follows:

The order is strictly numerical first then alphabetical. Please note that within the shelf address (call number), the number(s) following a full stop will be arranged in a decimal sequence, as the full stop (preceding the number) is a decimal point.