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A misshelved book is a lost book. When shelving books, ask yourself three questions: 1. What collection is it part of, and where is that collection located? 2. What is the Dewey call number?
3. What is the Cutter number?
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Spine label for: The Social Workers' Desk Reference The R on the first line means this book should be shelved in the Reference Collection. The Dewey number will co-locate this book with other books about social work. Since this is an edited volume, with chapters written by different authors, the Cutter number is based on the first word of the title, in this case, social. (Words like the, a, and an don't count.) |
New books are shelved on the left end of the bookshelf that faces the sliding door. They have "New Book" stickers on their spines or front covers.
Best Sellers are shelved on the bookshelf facing the sliding door and start on the second section, following the new books. They are separated into nonfiction (Dewey followed by Cutter) and fiction (Cutter only), and "Best Seller" is printed above the call number.
Reference books are shelved on the south side of the main level. An "R" is printed above the call number.
Peace Studies books are shelved on the upper level, behind the curved wall. "Peace" is printed above the call number.
Special Collections books are shelved on the upper level in a separate, locked area.. If you come across one of these books, please give it to a librarian. They are separated into three collections as follows:
| Collection | Code/Call Number | |
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Brethren Rare Manchester |
"B" printed above Dewey & Cutter "Ra" printed above Dewey & Cutter "MC" or "MU" printed above Dewey & Cutter |
The Dewey 900s are shelved in the stacks on the upper level. Circulating books don't have anything printed above the call number. They will always have a Dewey number followed by a Cutter number.
The Dewey 000s through the 800s are shelved in the stacks on the lower level. Circulating books don't have anything printed above the call number. They will always have a Dewey number followed by a Cutter number.
Juvenile books are shelved on the lower level, next to the computer lab. They are separated into three collections as follows:
| Collection | Code/Call Number | |
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Juvenile Nonfiction Juvenile Fiction Juvenile Easy |
"J" printed above Dewey & Cutter "J" printed above Cutter only "JE" printed above Cutter only |
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At the same time that you're shelving books, spend a little time on stack maintenance.
Edging: Pull the books close to the edge of the shelf to even out the row, allowing patrons to easily see the call number and spine title of the books.
Spacing: Leave approximately 1/4 of the shelf's length empty to allow room for re-shelving and/or new books. Leave enough wiggle room that books can be pulled out from the middle of the spine rather than the top edge.
Straightening: If the books on a shelf are leaning or have fallen down, straighten and secure them with a book end or wire book support.
Training is available from OCLC's WebJunction. Create a free account and complete the course called "Shelving with Dewey." (After you log in, click "Search courses" and type the course name into the search box.)
You should be able to complete the course in an hour or less. Please take your time and make sure you understand the material. If you get interrupted and need to finish later, you can exit and restart where you left off at a later time. Please feel free to come to me with any questions.
When you're done, forward a copy of your certificate of completion to Darla.
NOTE: As you've probably noticed, Funderburg Library uses a Cutter number rather than just letters. See the box to the right for how to read our Cutter numbers.
If there are multiple books with the same Dewey number, the Cutter numbers keep them in alphabetical order. You can use the same trick described in the Dewey training to make sure you're ordering the numbers correctly:
| Cutter Number (Out of Order) | Add a Zero | Correct Order |
| H13 | H130 | H120 |
| H123 | H123 | H123 |
| H12 | H120 | H130 |
If a Cutter number is based on the author's last name, it is followed by the first letter of the title. If it is based on the title of an edited volume, it is followed by the first letter of the editor's last name.
| Title | Cutter |
| The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch | P287L |
| Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy edited by John P. Anton . . . | Es73a |
The Cutter might also include additional letters, an edition number, volume number or the publication year. These letters and numbers serve to identify a certain aspect of the book or to further distinguish it from others around it -- or both! The most important thing is to pay attention to the entire number to ensure that it gets shelved in its proper place.