To locate materials in the Library Catalog by call number, ISBN, ISSN or other identifying
number, on the main
Library Catalog page select the
Advanced Search button or click on the
Mesh or the LC Call Number option. If you select the Advanced Search button you will then need
to pick the correct tab for the type of search you wish to do. Choose from the list of
options available to you and then type the appropriate number in the
"Search Input" box.
One of the main reasons to do a
Call Number or Other Number search in an online library catalog is to browse a
list of titles that are shelved in a particular section of a library. Typing in a call number
will lead you to a
specific
record or
list
of records, depending on how detailed the call number is. If you want to "browse the shelves
online" click on the
Previous Record or
Next Record button. By doing this, you may come across other titles that relate to
your topic.
Searching by a publication's
ISBN/ISSN number is also an efficient way to find out whether a library owns a
particular journal or book. Many database citations will include the ISSN number in their records.
Typing in the ISSN for a journal title is the most direct way to get to the online catalog records
for that journal.
Call numbers will vary between libraries depending on the classification system that is
used. The best way to find out whether a library has a particular publication is to do a
title or
author search.
OPTIONS
The options available to you when you are doing a Call Number or Other Number search are:
Library of Congress Call Number: This is the classification system used at the
Kelvin Smith, Allen, Health Center, and Law libraries at Case Western Reserve University, as well
as most academic libraries. The Harris Library recently reclassified the library's
collection from Dewey into the Library of Congress (LC) classification system.
Example of a Library of Congress call number:
HV696 .F6E47 1998
Dewey Call Number: This is the classification system formerly used at the MSASS
Harris Library, as well as most public and school libraries. The Harris Library recently
reclassified the library's collection from Dewey into Library of Congress but the Harris Library's
Historical collection will remain in Dewey.
Example of a Dewey call number:
362.1089 G218m
Local Call Number: Many libraries use local call numbers to categorize material
that is unique to their collection. Examples of local call numbers at Case Western Reserve
University include
Media,
Pamphlets and
News. Check with a librarian to find out more about local call numbers used in your
library.
Example of a local call number:
Media
615
SUDOC Call Number: This is the classification system used for government
publications.
Example of a SUDOC call number:
GA
1.13:AFMD-87-20
ISBN/ISSN: This is the unique publication identifier assigned to a book or serial.
The ISBN number identifies a book title; the ISSN number identifies a serial. Typing in the ISSN
for a journal title is the most direct way to get to the online catalog record for that journal.
Example of a 10 digit ISBN:
0306457342
Example of a 13 digit ISBN:
9780195181906
Example of an ISSN:
0360-7283
OCLC: This is an identifying accession number assigned when a publication is
cataloged. OCLC accession numbers are used primarily by library staff.
Example of an OCLC accession number:
23184020
Other: This category of numbers includes unique identifiers such as Technical
Report Numbers or Library of Congress Control Numbers. The numbers are used primarily by library
staff and researchers.
Example of a Library of Congress control number:
LCCN 82083582
Example of a Technical Report number:
MRI Reference
8087-160
In the online Library Catalog you can print one record at a time by clicking on the
Print icon or you can print, download or e-mail multiple records by
marking or saving
them for export.
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