Locations

Floor Maps Showing Shelf Locations

Using Call Numbers to Find Books

1. Use OneSearch to look up the call number of a book.
2. Note the call number and location of the book. If the location is “Baruch Stacks,” use the first letter of the call number to determine the floor on which the book is shelved.

What is a Call Number?

Each book has a call number designating both its subject and its place on the shelf. The call number usually has four parts:

• one or two letters (sometimes three) for the broad subject area
• a number that is a further subdivision of the general subject
• a letter and number code for the author’s name
• a date of publication

Examples

The call number appears on the spine of the book written vertically as in the above examples, but it can be written horizontally as well; for example: D 849.M387 1990. There is no need to memorize the meaning of a call number. You only need to write down the complete call number from the catalog so that you will be able to find the book on the shelf.

Books are arranged on the shelves by their call numbers on a line-by-line basis.

1. Alphabetically by the first line, then…            
2. Numerically by the second line, then…
3. First alphabetically, then numerically by the third line.Note that the numbers on line three are treated as decimals, so that .C263 comes between .C26 and .C27.
4. If there is a fourth line before the year of publication, it is sorted first alphabetically and then numerically.
5. If a call number is identical in all respects except for year of publication, then the books are placed in chronological order by the year of publication.

How Books Are Arranged at the the Newman Library

• Arranged by subject with books on one subject shelved together.
• Each subject is assigned a one-, two-, or three-letter code. The letters do not necessarily stand for the first letter of the subject they represent. For instance, political science is letter J, and art is letter N. This system is called the Library of Congress Classification System because it was first designed and used by the Library of Congress. The system uses letters and numbers to denote subjects.

Books Shelved in Special Locations

Reference Books: Books such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, yearbooks, directories, concordances, indexes, bibliographies, handbooks, and atlases are compiled to supply definite pieces of information of varying extent and are intended to be referred to rather than read through. Most of the reference books are located on the 2nd floor in the reference stacks, at the reference desk, or in the reading room area.

Reserve Books and Material: Reserve materials include library books, textbooks, instructors’ personal copies of books, and some heavily-used reference books, all of which are kept behind the counter at the circulation desk on the 2nd floor.

Archives and Special Collections: The archives include books about Baruch College and Bernard M. Baruch, as well as documents issued by Baruch College and the City University. Archival material can only be used on site in the Baruch Archives, located on the 5th floor. Print copies of undergraduate honors theses and Ph.D. dissertations by Baruch students are shelved in the conference room and may be retrieved on weekdays by inquiring at the reference desk. There are circulating copies of some dissertations (see library catalog).

If the book is not on the shelf, you may want to check:

• OneSearch to be sure the book is not on reserve, in reference or the archives, or on order
• nearby shelves to see if the book has been misshelved
• alcoves next to the New Media Artspaces on the 3rd-5th floors where books await reshelving
• reshelving carts located behind the reference desk on the 2nd floor