CALL NUMBER, BOOK NUMBER

AND COLLECTION NUMBER

Dr.M.Prasantha Kumari
Assistant Professor
Dept., of Library and Information Science
Sri Venkateswara University
Tirupati
 CALL NUMBER
• In order to retrieve a book from the shelves in
the libraries there must be a number, which is
called as the Call Number.
• The Call Number fixes a book’s position
relatively to other books besides
individualising it among other books.
 Contd…
• A call number usually consists of three parts
viz.
• Class Number, Book Number and the
Collection number.
• Although collection number is listed as the
third part of a call number, it can be written
above the class number and book number in
the following way.
• Call Number RR V44 NB5
• RR Collection Number
• V 44 Class Number
• NB5 Book Number

RR
V44
NB5
 Contd…
• The Class Number of a book is a translation of
the name of its specific subject into the
artificial language of ordinal number.
• In other words it is the number for the subject
contained by the book.
• Ex: DDC CC
• Library science 020 2
 BOOK NUMBER
• The Book Number of a book is a symbol used
to fix its position relatively to the other books
having the same ultimate class.
• It also individualises it among the books
sharing the same class number.
• The book number of a book is the translation
of the names of certain other features of the
book into the artificial language of ordinal
number other than the subject of the book.
• Many classificationists and library professionals
have attempted to evolve methods of assigning
book numbers.
• Melvil Dewey, Cutter and Samborn,
Ranganathan and others found different
methods to assign book numbers.
• Among the various methods adopted to arrange
the books within the class number on the
shelves the following are the most widely used.
 Contd…
• Chronologically by date of publication
• By value of subject matter (first book first or
first book last)
• By accession Number
• Alphabetically by author
• Combination of more than one feature
• Facet formula of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan
 Collection Number
• A Library big or small, special or academic or public is likely to have a
variety of documents in its collection. They can be:
• Miniature Books
• Abnormal size Books
• Rare Books
• Manuscripts
• Pamphlets
• Maps
• Theses
• Photographs
• Cassettes
• Gramphone Records
• Periodicals etc.,
• It is necessary to group documents into
different collections according to their size,
nature, form, purpose in the library in order to
render prompt service to the readers.
• Dr. Ranganathan is the only classificationist
who has recognised the importance of
forming different collections and the
collection number.
• He has systematically analysed the collection
and recognised three broad kinds of
collections. They are:
• 1. The permanent collection
• 2. The quasi-permanent collection
• 3. Temporary collection
• For example,reading room collections and
departmental collections of a Public Library
are permanent ones.
• The text book collections in academic libraries,
departmental collections in academic and
special libraries are generally quasi-permanent
in view of the possible changes in curriculum.
•
• In case of permanent and quasi permanent
collections collection marks are given on the
spine of the books in the collections and also
on the catalogue entries of the books for the
purpose of locating and replacing them easily.
• In case of temporary collections the collection
mark is put on the date label indicating the
date on which the documents should be
replaced at their permanent place.
 Scheme of collection number in colon
classification
• Undersized Underline the book number
• V44 N55
• Oversized overline book number
---------
V44 N55
Reading Room RR
Periodicals PC
Text Book TC
THANK YOU