How do I read NLM call numbers?
How do I read call numbers?
Most medical libraries in the United States use the National Library of Medicine Classification system for call numbers. This system uses a combination of letters and numbers to arrange materials by subjects.
| Read call numbers line by line: |
|---|
| WB | Read the first line in alphabetical order:
W, WA, WB ... WL, WM ... WY ... WZ |
| 100 | Read the second line as a whole number:
1, 2, 3, 45, 100, 101, 1000, 2000, 2430 ... 9999 |
| H322p | The third line is a combination of letters and numbers. Read the letter alphabetically. Read the number as a decimal, e.g. H322p=.322 and H724=.724 (Some call numbers have more than one line of this type number.) |
| 1998 | The last line is the year the book was published. These are in chronological order: 1985, 1993, 1996, 1998 ... |
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