Materials Arrangement

The library adapted an international standard of managing library materials on shelves so that the users would have an easy and accurate process in term of finding them on shelf. UUM Library materials are grouped by subjects of the item and arranged by call number according to Library of Congress Classification System.

Library of Congress Classification System or LCC is a a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress and divides all knowledge into twenty-one basic classes, each identified by a single letter of the alphabet.

Listed on the right sidebar are the letters and titles of the main 21 classes of the Library of Congress Classification. Click on any class to view an outline of its subclass.

The term ‘Classification’ refers to the systematic arrangement of library materials by subject matter so that subject-related materials may be brought together. Through the use of a mixed notation, consisting of a combination of capital letters and numerals, the Library of Congress Classification proceeds from general to specific, so as to provide for the most minute grouping of subjects.

As you browse our online library catalogue on certain item your must come across a term called “Call Number” in it’s bibliographic information such as below image :

A call number is an address which tells you where the item is located within the library. In the library catalog, the call number is written horizontally but on the book spine, it appears vertically. This making it easier to find a specific call number on the shelves as each item has its own unique call number, which is taped to the lower outside edge or the cover  of the book’s spine.

At first you might feel a bit confuse on how the call numbers were arrange but you will master the system in no time as it is easy to understand.

  • The arrangement of materials on the shelves is alphabetical by their classification letters, from A to Z that represent subject divisions and within each group numerically from 1 to 9999. In fact the call numbers run from left to right.

  • The letter part of the call number indicates the broad subject area of the book. The first number line indicates a more specific or narrower subject area. The letter and number on the third line are a code for the author’s last name.

  • You can see that this keeps the books in a logical sequence on the shelves and that they are thus, roughly arranged by subject.

  • You will noticed that the arrangement of the books will stop at the last end of the bay (right side) before the alphabetical arrangement continued on the next bay which could be below the first bay or to the top of a new bay at the next shelf. This type of arrangement is known as a pattern of “Zig-Zag”.

Letters in the first line of the call number are shelved in alphabetical order which indicates the broad subject area of the book.
HFHGHJHL
The second line of a call number is shelved in numerical order which indicates a more specific or narrower.
25114070.5
The third line is combination of letter and number that shelved alphabetically but the numbers however, are shelved in decimal order. They represent the code for the author’s last name.
.D23.M14.H75.M783
The final lines of the call numbers may include dates, volume indicators, year of publication and copy.
2002201519982017
C1 C3C5
LocationCollection
New BuildingFirst Level General Collection [ A – Z Classification]
Third LevelSpecial Collection
Media Collection
Microfiche & microfilm
 Red Spot Collection
 Law Collection
Main BuildingFourth Level  Serial Collection [ A – Z Classification ]
Serial Collection in all subject and field such as binding journals etc
Fifth Level Reference Collection in all subject and field such as reports, exam papers, indexes,  maps etc