Basic notation and cuttering

January 2006

Overview

• Call number = class number + item number• Class number

– alphanumeric– taken or derived from schedules

• Item number – also called Book number or Author number– distinguishes among items classed under the

same number– usually begins with Cutter number

Overview: example

Animals in translation : using the mysteries of autism to decode animal behavior, by Temple Grandin.

Class number: QL Zoology

751 Animal behavior

Item number: .G73 Cutter for Grandin

2005 Year of publication

Overview: example 2

Essential Brittany, by Lindsay Hunt.

Class number: DC History of France

611 Regions

.B848 Brittany

Item number: H84 Cutter for Hunt

1997 Year of publication

Class numbers must contain:

• one, two, or three capital lettersD History

DG History of Italy

DJK History of Eastern Europe

K Law

KF Law of the United States

KFP Law of Pennsylvania

Class numbers must contain: (2)

• whole numbers (1-9999)

HV875 AdoptionTK7881 Industrial electronics

– may have decimal extensions

HV875.5 Intercountry adoptionTK7881.85 Automobile sound systems and

equipment

Class numbers: decimal extensions

• Decimals do not necessarily represent subtopics of a whole number:

QA76.6 Programming

QA76.64 Object-oriented programming

QA76.642 Parallel programming

QA76.65 Visual programming

Class numbers may contain:

• single Cutter number extensionHN79.M3 Social conditions in Maryland

HV5824.C42 Drug use by celebrities

• double Cutter number extension

TD883.5.I4 C4 Air pollution in Chicago, IL

N6530.N72 C646 History of art in Columbia County, New York

Class numbers may contain: (2)

• In some cases, the first element following the class number is a date:

JK1968 2004

Election returns. By date of election

HV600 2001

Disaster relief. Earthquakes. By date of occurrence

Item numbers

• Used to arrange material classed under a given number

• Usually begins with a Cutter number– single capital letter– preceded by a decimal point– followed by Arabic numerals

.G73 for Grandin

.H84 for Hunt

Cutter numbers

• Named for Charles Ami Cutter– developed several tables using letters and

numbers to achieve an alphabetical arrangement

• Capital letter usually corresponds to main entry (name or title)

• Arabic numerals represent remainder of name or title, derived from table

Partial view of Cutter table

Cutter Table examples

After initial vowels

for the second letter: b d l-m n p

use number: 2 3 4 5 6

After initial letter S

for the second letter: a ch e h-i m-p

use number: 2 3 4 5 6

Cutter Table examples (2)

After other initial consonants

for the second letter: a e i o r

use number: 3 4 5 6 7

For expansion

for the letter: a-d e-h i-l m-o p-s

use number: 3 4 5 6 7

Shelflisting

• The process of assigning item numbers is called shelflisting

• Shelflist:– a file of cards or bibliographic records arranged in

the same order as the corresponding materials on the shelves

• Shelflisting:– to arrange materials within a subject, normally by

author; to determine the item number

[Placeholder slide: ideas to cover here]

• Examples of applying Cutter table from Steven’s Shelflisting draft, slides 12-15

• Example of resulting call number needing to be adjusted because of works already shelflisted

• How many Cutters?• Exercises: using the table to construct

Cutter numbers

Additions to call numbers

• Date of publication is added in most cases

• Work letter (or mark)

• Terms such as Index or Suppl.

• Local decisions:– Copy 1, 2, etc.– Oversize designation

Display of the notation

• The same LC call number may be displayed in numerous ways

RC RC RC569 RC569.5

569.5 569.5 .5 .S56B36

.S56 .S56B36 .S56B36 1988

B36 1988 1988

1988

MARC 21 Coding

• In a bibliographic record, the LC call number appears in field 050

050 00 $a QL751 $b .G73 2005

050 00 $a RC569.5.S56 $b B36 1988

050 field: indicators

• First indicator: existence in LC collection

_ No information provided

0 Item is in LC

1 Item is not in LC

• Second indicator: source of call number

0 Assigned by LC

4 Assigned by agency other than LC

050 field: subfields

• Subfield codes:

$a Classification number

$b Item number

$3 Materials specified (used with archival-type materials to indicate the part of the described material to which the field applies)

MARC Coding in OCLC

• 090 field: Locally assigned LC-type call number

• [add brief info on choice between 050 _4 & 090]

MARC Coding in RLIN

• [not sure what the practices are; need help from an RLIN member]

[Placeholder slide: ideas for more shelflisting]

• These are concepts I’m not sure are covered anywhere else, in no particular order

• Double-Cutters, both extend class number • Reserved Cutters (A and Z)• Cuttering for numerals• “under each” subarrangements .x and .x2• Filing order, inserting the number• More on dates