Verifying Call Numbers in the Shelflist
(When Cataloguing)

Introduction

Scope of document

This document focusses on verifying Library of Congress (LC) call numbers as part of the cataloguing process.   While most of the basic procedures and principles are the same as those involved in verifying call numbers in other classification systems (such as Dewey or local physical-format-based call numbers), the examples used are all for LC call numbers.

The focus is also on non-literary call numbers.  While, again, a number of the basic procedures and principles of call number searching are the same for all LC call numbers, literary call numbers present special problems and are handled in separate documents:

• Classifying Works by and about Individual Literary Authors of the 20th and 21st Centuries: An Introduction
• Verifying and Assigning Classification and Call Numbers for 20th- and 21st-Century Literary Authors
• Classifying Works by and about Individual Pre-20th-Century Literary Authors

For some basic information on the LC classification system, see LC's Classification and Shelflisting Manual or our document "Introduction to Library of Congress Classification."

Please note:  Examples, while sometimes taken from actual cataloguing situations, may be imaginary.

Terminology

An LC call number consists of a classification number and a final cutter, usually followed by a date in call numbers for monographs (locally, for books).

LC Classification (class) number:

Should represent the topic or primary topic of the work.  It functions to group together works on the same topic.  It includes the entire 050 ‡a or 090 ‡a subfield portion of the call number.

In single-cuttered call numbers, the class number includes a letter or combination of letters, followed by a number.   Some examples:

DS 495		(Nepal:  general works on its history to 1768)
QL 76		(zoos:  general works about them)
F 1408.3		(Latin America:  Social life and customs; intellectual life)

In double-cuttered call numbers, the class number also includes the first of two cutters.  Some examples:

GN 799 .T6		(works about prehistoric tools)
F 2849.22 .G85		(Argentina:  history from 1955 to the present; biographies about Ernesto “Che” Guevara)
DA 566.9 .C5		(Great Britain:  20th-century biography and memoirs; works by and about Winston Churchill)

In some cases, when a second cutter reflects a subject focus (e.g., a place or the subject of a biography), the first part of the second cutter also functions as part of the class number.  An example:

call number		HX 315.7 .A8 ‡b K47 1997
main entry		Snyder, Timothy
subject:		Kelles-Krauz, Kazimierz, 1872-1905

In this case, in the class number:

HX 315.7		socialism or communism in Poland
A8		individual biography
K4	(second cutter, first part)	the subject of the biography
7	(second cutter, end)	the main entry

For literature, in place of topic, the class number may represent an aspect of literature such as a literary genre common to all works in that number, literature of a particular place, or works by and about the same literary author.  Some examples:

PS 555		U.S. literature:  collections of literature of the Gulf states
PQ 7503		Honduran literature:  history and criticism of Honduran drama
PQ 4835 .I7		Italian literature:  works by and about Luigi Pirandello

Final cutter:

The cutter called the main entry cutter, book cutter, or final cutter is in the ‡b subfield.  Its function is to identify a particular work, distinguishing it from others on the same topic.

A.    Single-cuttered LC call numbers

To verify a call number in the shelflist:

1. Perform a shelflist search.
   • Standard “Find” search:

     This search method is the more straightforward and tends to be the more efficient approach for most shelflisting.

     

     • Call up the Voyager search screen.

     • Tab or click to the “Search by” box.  (At this point, you can leave the default selection of the “Find” option.)

     • Select the search type “Call Number” — simply typing the letter “c” will pull it up.

     • Tab past the “Heading Types Filter” box to the “Search for” box.

       (A note:  By not filtering your search, you will catch any LC call numbers that were coded incorrectly.)

     • Key in your search key.

       Generally, only include the classification number (050/090 ‡a) in your search key.   Spacing and capitalisation are optional when searching on the ‡a portion.

       E.g.    HD 1004

            or

       HD1004

            or

       hd1004

            or

       hd 1004

       If the number alone pulls up a large number of records, you may prefer to search again including the cutter letter, without the numerical part of the cutter.

       E.g.    F 1410 .R      (F1410 by itself would retrieve almost 450 records)

            or

       f1410r -- without spaces, cutter dot, or capital letters

   • Browse search:

     A “browse” search can be helpful if the “find” search has retrieved nothing, for giving your classification number a general subject context of similar numbers.  However, the response time for it is generally slower, it often requires paging down or up multiple times, and it should be used with caution unless you have been trained in its quirks and in interpreting the results.

     

     • Call up the Voyager search screen.

     • Tab or click to the “Search by” box. (At this point, you can leave the default selection of the “Find” option.)

     • Select the search type “Call Number” — simply typing the letter “c” will pull it up.

     • For the “Search by” option, click the circle to the left of “Browse.”

     • Tab past the “Heading Types Filter” and “Locations filter” boxes to the “Search for” box.

       (A note: By not filtering your search, you will catch any LC call numbers that were coded incorrectly.  In shelflisting, it is also safer not to limit your browse by location, to avoid potential call number conflicts, although there are other situations in which the locations filter can be helpful.)

     • Key in your search key.

       Generally, only include the classification number (050/090 ‡a) in your search key.  Spacing and capitalisation are optional when searching on the ‡a portion.

       E.g.    KGD4000

            or

       KGD 4000

            or

       kgd 4000

            or

       kgd4000

     • If you want to see earlier or later records, click on the up or down arrows on the right, just above and below the middle button with arrows in a circle.  Caution:  Clicking the “up-arrow-plus-line” or “down-arrow-plus-line” icons at the top and bottom will take you all the way to the very top or the very bottom of the entire shelflist.

       

2. Compare the topics (subjects) of other records with the same class number.     (050/090 ‡a)

   If your search retrieves any records:  Compare several of them to see whether the primary topic is the same as your book, or whether their topics fit into the same more general category.  To try to determine the topic:

   • First look at the title (on the Voyager Titles index screen).  If there are multiple titles that clearly represent the same topic, you do not need to examine the classification further.

     E.g.    The book is about zoos.

     Search on:    QL 76

     

     From the titles on the screen, it is fairly clear that the topic is zoos, in general or internationally.

     You may accept this class number without checking individual bib records.

     When the titles do not make the topic, or the scope of the topic, clear, then:

   • Check several individual bib records, looking at the first or first few subject headings.  (It is easiest to select multiple records from the Titles index, then to look at each one.)

     E.g.   Search on:    DS 495

     Shelflist:

     DS 495 .F48 1946		Nepal at a crossroads
     DS 495 .R75 1988		Nepal, from an ambassador's notes

     Your book is on the history of Nepal to the 1760s A.D.  These titles do not make clear whether the same chronological period would be covered.

     Checking individual bib records:  Both records, like your own, include the first subject heading:

     651  0  ‡a Nepal ‡x History ‡y To 1768.

     This class number may be accepted.

     Tip:  If there are only a few records with your class number, you will probably want to check all of them, at least in the index, to determine a pattern for the topic.  If there are many with the same class number, it is helpful to focus on the area around your cutter letter, so that you can use the same records to determine the classification pattern and to compare the cutter (see next step).

3. Compare the final cutter numbers of any cutters beginning with the same letter.     (050/090 ‡b)

   If the shelflist includes any records with a final cutter beginning with the same letter as yours:  Check carefully to make sure that your record would file in the correct order.  Usually, the records within the same class number should file alphabetically by main entry – i.e., by 1xx author field if present, or by 245 field if there is no 1xx field.  (For types of cutters other than main entry cutters, see “Final cutters not based solely on main entry.”)

   E.g.

   .C37	Carter, Henry
   .C38	Cawlish, Gertrude
   .C66	Conroy, Ferdinand
   .C86	Cummings, Martha

   E.g.

   .P47	Pérez, José A.
   .P65	Political developments in Central America
   	[collection, with no author; no 1xx]
   .P67	Porrúa Hidalgo, Antonio

   Tip:  It is safest to check at least a couple of records before as well as a couple after the point where your record’s call number would file, in case any records are filed out of sequence in the shelflist.

   Filing order:  Some points:

   • When the main entry matches:  File by title; quickly try to determine (without exhaustive research) whether different works or different editions are represented.  If different works are involved, they should be arranged alphabetically by title.

     E.g.

     F 2849.22 .G85 S22 1997	Salas, Osvaldo, 1914-  Ernesto Che Guevara ...
     F 2849.22 .G85 S25 1997	Salas, Osvaldo, 1914-  Imágenes ...

     [book and record for “Ernesto ...” include no evidence that it is a different ed. of “Imágenes ...”]

     If different editions of the same work are involved, the basic cutter should be the same for each one, with dates used to to distinguish them.

     E.g.

     F 1435 .H86	Hunter, C. Bruce.  A guide to ancient Maya ruins.
     	[1974 ed.]
     F 1435 .H86 1986	Hunter, C. Bruce.  A guide to ancient Maya ruins.
     	2nd ed., rev. and enlarged. c1986.

   • Geographic filing for cuttering:  corporate body main entries precede title main entries.

   • Title main entry filing:  file straight through subtitles.

   • Numerics precede alphabetics.

   E.g.

   Guatemala.	[110 main entry]
   Guatemala. Departamento del Censo.	[110 main entry]
   Guatemala. Ministerio de Agricultura	[110 main entry]
   Guatemala	[245 main entry]
   Guatemala 1989
   Guatemala 2000
   Guatemala : Analysen und Überlegungen ...
   Guatemala en cifras
   Guatemala : entre el dolor y la esperanza
   Guatemala today

   For more information on filing order, see LC’s Classification and Shelflisting Manual, section G100, “Filing rules.”

   Accepting final cutters:  In general, accept final cutters as long as they do not create a conflict and are not clearly incorrect.  You can accept a cutter even if it only consists of one numeral.

   E.g.

   .C36	Castañeda ...	[in shelflist]
   .C4	Ceceña ...	[your record]
   .C57	Cisneros ...	[in shelflist]

   The “.C4" can be accepted.

   For shelflisting problems, see section 3 below, "Problems and special situations."

   For an exception to the general rule of accepting final cutters -- when you are changing the class number itself -- see below.

B.    Double-cuttered LC call numbers

Many LC call numbers are constructed with two alphabetic cutters:

• The first of these cutters is actually part of the classification number (‡a portion) and relates to the topic of the work.  Therefore, it is not necessarily unique but may serve to group together works on the same topic.  The most frequent types of subject-related cutters are the following:
  • Biographical:  The first cutter is based on the entry element of the biographical subject.

    E.g.    F 2848 .T6 ‡b R56 1996      a book about Torre, Lisandro de la, ‡d 1868-1939

    Note:  The same biographical cutter will sometimes be used for the collected or selected works of the person, including autobiography.  The second cutter then comes from a table.

    E.g.:    Books all relating to:  Churchill, Winston, Sir, 1874-1965:

    DA 566.9 .C5 ‡b A3 1996	autobiographical work by Winston Churchill
    DA 566.9 .C5 ‡b A5 1988	speeches of Winston Churchill
    DA 566.9 .C5 ‡b G448 1994	work about Winston Churchill by:  Gilbert, Martin, 1936-

  • Geographic:  The first cutter reflects a place.

    E.g.    DA 670 .N6        books about Norfolk, England

    DA 670	=	history and description of regions, counties, etc. in England
    .N6	=	Norfolk

    E.g.    N 352.2 .E85        books about children’s art in Europe

    N 352.2	=	children’s art, by region or country
    .E85	=	Europe

  • Topical:  The first cutter reflects a central topic.

    E.g.    JL 1409.5 .D42

    First subject heading:  Decentralization in government ‡z Central America.

    JL 1409.2	=	special topics in Central American politics
    .D42	=	Decentralization in government

    E.g.    GN 799 .T6         book on prehistoric tools

    GN 799	=	special topics in prehistoric archaeology
    .T6	=	Tools

  • Other:  A few other categories, e.g., the honoree of a Festschrift (a person related to the work but not necessarily a straightforward biographical subject) or the name of a church (a corporate body subject).

    E.g.    P 26 .C65       a Festschrift on philology in honor of Björn Collinder

    P 26	=	Festschrifts on philology, by honoree
    .C65	=	Collinder, Björn

    E.g.    NA 5470 .W5        a book about Westminster Abbey

    NA 5470	=	churches in London
    .W5	=	Westminster Abbey

• The second cutter is comparable to the cutter of single-cuttered numbers; it constitutes the individual book cutter and usually relates to the main entry.  (For exceptions, see below, "Final cutters not based solely on main entry.")

Search techniques for double-cuttered numbers generally follow the same steps as those for single-cuttered numbers, except for the following provisions, which are generally helpful:

1. First include the entire first cutter.  If you find any match, copy cataloguers do not need to worry about possible first-cutter conflicts elsewhere in shelflist.

   E.g.    DA 670 .N6        for a book about Norfolk, England

   Retrieves other books about Norfolk.

   You may accept this first cutter.

2. If there is no match, Voyager should quickly respond and tell you, in which case you can go back and expand the search by deleting the numerical portion of the cutter, leaving only the letter.

   E.g.   DA 670 .N79 ‡b R64 1998      A book about Northumberland, England

   Search key:     DA 670 .N79

   Retrieves no hits:

   

   The message "No matches were found for this search" displays.

   Repeat the search with just:    DA 670 .N

   ...
   DA 670 .N73 H69 1984	for a book about Northern England
   [DA 670 .N79 R64 1998	for your book about Northumberland]
   DA 670 .N89 T66 1973	for a book about Nottinghamshire
   ...

   .N79 would file between .N73 and .N89, just as "Northumberland" would file between "Northern" and "Nottinghamshire."

   You may accept this first cutter.

3. If there is still no match, search by the class number without any part of the first cutter.

   E.g.    Your book is on children's art in Europe

   Call number in record:    N352.2.E85 ‡b T38 1999

   Search key:  N 352.2 .E85

   Retrieves no hits:  The message "No matches were found for this search" displays.

   Repeat the search with just:    N 352.2 .E

   Still retrieves no hits.

   Repeat the search with just:    N 352.2

   (Results below)

   Tip:  If, based on experience, you suspect that your main class number does not have many entries in our shelflist, you may want to skip the second of the three steps above.  For example, in the last example, you could go straight from searching "N 352.2 .E85" to searching "N 352.2" alone.

Determining whether a double-cuttered number is correct:

• Matching first cutter:  If you find a matching first cutter for the same biographical, geographic, or topical subject:   verify the final cutter as you would for a single-cuttered call number -- with an additional step due to a problem in Voyager with the filing order of double-cuttered call numbers.  The presence or absence of a ‡i subfield before the final cutter affects filing order, so some call numbers from our older records file out of sequence.

  E.g.      ‡h PQ295.N2 ‡i S34 1986            ‡h PQ295.N2D3 1981

                          indexes as                                           indexes as

              PQ295.N2 S34 1986                        PQ295.N2D3 1981

              Since "N2 blank" files before "N2D" --

              PQ295.N2 S34 1986

                          files before

              PQ295.N2D3 1981

  For double-cuttered call numbers that match on the first cutter in our shelflist, you need to check two sequences when confirming whether the second cutter fits into our shelflist:

  ... .<first cutter>[space]<second cutter> ...

        and

  ... .<first cutter><second cutter> ...

• Conflicting first cutter:  See "Cutter conflicts" below.

• No match for first cutter:  If you find no matching or conflicting first cutter:
  • Matching class number:  If you do find a matching class number:  check whether the first cutter follows a pattern; for example, if your first cutter is geographic, are the other first cutters geographic, and does it file correctly alphabetically?

    If so, you may accept the final cutter without further checking, unless it is clearly incorrect.

    E.g.    Your book is on children’s art in Europe, by Theobald Tassomayer.

    Call number in record:    N 352.2 .E85 ‡b T38 1999

    Shelflist:

    N 352.2 .G3 A78 1986	title:	Art of Jewish children, Germany
    N 352.2 .R8 D48 1989	first subject heading:	Children’s art ‡z Russia (Federation)

    I.e.:  the first cutter is geographic (G3 = Germany; R8 = Russia); E85 for Europe would fit both logically and alphabetically, with no conflict.

    You may accept the entire call number, including the second cutter.  (Once there is no match on the first cutter, there would be nothing to match or conflict with the second cutter.)

  • No match for the class number itself:  Give cataloguing the benefit of the doubt — accept.

If you find a mixture of single- and double-cuttered call numbers under the same general class number:  see "Inconsistent pattern of single vs double cuttering" below.

C.    Problems and special situations

1. Cutter conflicts:

   Categories of cutter conflicts		Translation cutters
   Sliding cutter

   Categories of cutter conflicts:  A cutter conflict occurs if:

   • The cutter in your record would cause it to file in the incorrect order.

     E.g.    In the shelflist:

     .C37    Carter, Henry

     .C38    Cawlish, Gertrude

     .C66    Conroy, Ferdinand

     .C86    Cummings, Martha

     Your record’s cutter and main entry:    .C65    Cornwell, Arthur

     The cutter for “Cornwell” would need to be later than .C66, to file after “Conroy.”

     E.g.    In the shelflist:

     .S37    Sarnett, Gilbert

     .S43    Sedgwick, Wilhemina

     .S58    Sitwell, Maurice

     Your record’s cutter and main entry:    .S44    Secular attitudes towards mediaeval sanctuary

     The cutter for “Secular atittudes ...” would need to be earlier than .S43, to file before “Sedgwick.”

   • The cutter in your record matches a cutter already assigned for a different work (either by the same author or by a different one).

     E.g.    In the shelflist:

     .P47    Pérez, José A.

     .P65    Political history of Central America since 1930

     .P67    Porrúa Hidalgo, Antonio

     Your record’s cutter and main entry:

     .P65    Political developments in Central America, 1900-1945

     The cutter for “Political developments” would need to be earlier than .P65, to file before “Political history.”

     Note:  If the titles of the two books are the same, it is likely that you have either a different edition of the same work or a duplicate record.  The catalogued record should be examined to determine whether it is for the same work.  For the use of dates or cutter supplements to distinguish editions, see the Classification and Shelflisting Manual, “Preferred shelflist order” (section G65; table formerly entitled "Distinguishing Editions of a Work”) and “Dates” (section G140).

     If the titles are different, examine the catalogued record to determine whether it represents a different work or simply a different edition of the same work with a different title.

     If you are not sure about the situation, please check with your trainer.

   • The cutter in your record is different from the cutter already assigned for the same work.

     E.g.    In the shelflist:

     .R63    Rodgers, Arlene.    Bringing chaos out of order (1st ed.)

     Your record’s cutter for the second ed. of the same work:    .R64

     The cutters for different editions of the same work do not match.

   Solutions:

   • Sliding cutter:  In case of most types of cutter conflict, you will need to “slide” the cutter, assigning different numbers to it so that it will file in the correct place.

     E.g.    (from the examples above)

     For “Cornwell,” you will need a cutter between .C66 (Conroy) and .C86 (Cummings), closer to the former -- for example, .C67 or a similar cutter.

     For “Secular attitudes ...,” you will need a cutter between .S37 (Sarnett) and .S43 (Sedgwick), closer to the latter -- for example, .S42 or a similar cutter.

     For “Political developments,” you will need a cutter between .P47 (Pérez) and .P65 (Political history), closer to the latter -- for example, .P645 or a similar cutter.

     For the second edition of Rodgers, Arlene, Bringing chaos out of order, you would change the cutter in your record to .R63 to match the cutter of the first edition.

     Please note:  There are no hard-and-fast rules for choosing a cutter number to break a conflict.  Although the Cutter table may be helpful in deciding what cutter number to assign, the existing order in the shelflist takes priority over the Cutter table.

     Generally:

     • Look at the alphabetical gap between the main entry before and the main entry after the appropriate spot for your call number.

     • Figure where in that gap the new main entry would fit (closer to the earlier one, closer to the later one, or right in the middle; and how close).

     • Line up a numerical sequence, and try to use a number in a similar position in numerical sequence.

       E.g.    To cutter for "Mena":

       M38		Mejía		j
       				k [unusual]
       				l
       				m
       [M384		Mena]		n [most “n” after Mena]
       				o
       				p [common]
       				q [unusual]
       				r [very common]
       M39		Mességué		s [very common; most “s” before Mességué]

       “Mena” would be a little less than halfway between “Meji...” and “Mess ...”

     Tips:

     The number of digits used tends to be based on the existing pattern and on how tightly packed that section of the shelflist is.  If we see 3-4 digits, even if there is no 2-digit number between them, we tend to avoid a 2-digit number by itself, because that number may already have been used by LC.

     E.g.   .M3875

     .M395

     It is very possible that a high number of digits has been used because “.M39" was already assigned to a different work.  We would slide a cutter earlier or later than .M39.

     In sliding cutters, it is all right for copy cataloguers to use most final digits; however, do not use:

     • “1" by itself (just as we delete final “1"s)

     • “1 ...” plus another digit or digits (which should be used to represent a translation and so could cause cataloguers to think that a book was a translation) -- unless unavoidable

     Finally, do not panic!  Cuttering is something that one develops a feel for over time, and in any situation two different people could come up with two different results, either of which would be appropriate.

   • Translation cutters:

     If you have a cutter conflict and adding a translation cutter will resolve that conflict, consult the translation table and add a translation cutter.

     E.g.    Call number in record:    HD 1415 .M43 1998

     In shelflist:    HD 1415 .M43 1994

     The new book is actually an English-language translation of the catalogued Spanish one.

     Add the translation cutter “13" to your record’s cutter:

     HD 1415 .M4313 1998

     Note for OCLC member-copy cataloguing:  Even if you do not have an actual cutter conflict, if you know that a book represents a translation and the record for the original-language version is available in Voyager or in a DLC record, generally use the cutter for the original work and add the appropriate translation cutter.

   Existing shelflist problems:  If the existing entries in the shelflist are already quite out of order, not following any of the above filing rules:

   E.g.    under HC 144:

   .G77 1990		Guatemala, cuentas nacionales		[245]
   .G79 1989		Guatemala. Presidencia de la República		[110]
   .G8135 1987		Guatemala 1986		[245]
   .G8193 1993		Guatemala : Analysen und ...		[245]
   .G82		Guatemala 1963		[245]
   .G825		Guatemala, social and economic ...		[245]

   Please check with your trainer if you are not sure how to resolve the problem.

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2. Clearly incorrect cutters:  An incorrect portion of a cutter would involve the alphabetic part of the cutter, not the numbering part.  In other words, a cutter is clearly incorrect if it is based on the wrong element.  (In copy cataloguing, you are not required at this point to check the cutter table to adjust the numerical portion of an existing cutter.)

   E.g.   main entry:    López Anaya ...

   title:    Historia ...

   Any cutter with “.L ...” that does not create a conflict would be correct, even “.L23" (which would be too early following the cutter table).

   A cutter beginning “ .A ...” (from Anaya) or “.H ...” (from Historia) would be incorrect.

   E.g.   main entry:  Aste Daffós, Juan.

   title:  Transnacionalización de la ...

   call no.:    HD 9506 .P42 ‡b T73 1997

   Other call numbers under this class number show final cutter based on main entry.

   Cutter should begin with “A” for “Aste,” not “T” (which probably came from the 245 title, “Transnacionalización ...”).

   One exception to the general rule of accepting final cutters that begin with the correct letter:  If you need to change a class number anyway, you may also change the final cutter even when there is no conflict, if it seems awkward or potentially out of place.

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3. Inconsistent pattern of single vs double cuttering

   Under the same numeric class number, you may find that some call numbers are constructed with single cutters, while others are constructed with double cutters.

   If your number follows the same pattern followed, or predominantly followed, in the shelflist under the same class number:  You may accept the structure of the number.  In other words:

   • If your number is single-cuttered, and most of the numbers in the shelflist under that class number are also single-cuttered:  The structure is acceptable.

     E.g.    Shelflist:

     ...

     F 1435 .B42 1967

     F 1435 .B427 L79 1990

     F 1435 .B44 1983

     F 1435 .B46        main entry:  Bennett, Evan

     F 1435 .B47        main entry:  Benson, Elizabeth P.

     F 1435 .B47 1977

     F 1435 .B52

     F 1435 .B56 1973

     ...

     All titles checked are general books on the Mayas.

     Your record:    F 1435 ‡b .B466 1999; also a general work on the Mayas, with main entry:  Benrath, Bertram.

     Since your call number’s pattern fits the predominant, single-cuttered pattern, and since the final cutter would fit into our shelflist, the number can be accepted.

   • If your number is double-cuttered, and most of the numbers in the shelflist under that class number are also double-cuttered:  The structure is acceptable.

     E.g.    Shelflist:

     ...

     HC 189 .R4 B66 1984

     HC 189 .R4 P56 1997

     HC 189 .R4 R48 1996

     HC 189 .R436 1970

     ...

     All are books on the economic situation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 3 of the 4 use double cuttering.

     Your record:    HC 189 .R4 ‡b N37 1999; also on the economy of Rio

     Since your call number’s pattern fits the predominant, double-cuttered pattern, and since the final cutter would fit into our shelflist, the number can be accepted.

   However, if your number follows a different pattern from the one followed, or predominantly followed, in the shelflist under the same class number:  A potential problem is present.  In other words:

   • If your number is single-cuttered, and most of the numbers in the shelflist under that class number are double-cuttered:  Potential problem.

     E.g.    Shelflist:

     ...

     DA 670 .C93 1997

     DA 670 .C93 M34 1998

     DA 670 .C93 P49 1996

     DA 670 .C93 W56 1998

     ...

     All are books on Cumbria, England; 3 of the 4 use double cuttering.

     Your record:    DA 670 ‡b .C938 1999; also on Cumbria

     Since your call number’s pattern does not fit the predominant, double-cuttered pattern, the number is problematic.

   • If your number is double-cuttered, and most of the numbers in the shelflist under that class number are single-cuttered:  Potential problem.

     E.g.    Shelflist:

     ...

     TR 647 .G69 1990

     TR 647 .G87 1985

     TR 647 .H27 H37 1997

     TR 647 .H33 2000

     TR 647 .H34 2003

     ...

     All are books of artistic photography by individual photographers; most use single cuttering.

     Your record:    TR 647 .H33 ‡b A4 1999; photography of Hackneed, T.R. Billy

     Since your call number’s pattern does not fit the predominant, single-cuttered pattern, the number is problematic.

   Note that a mixture of single and double cutters may occur because of developments over time and obsolete patterns still present in our shelflist, or they may be legitimate by current patterns.  For example, under a number for history of a place within a particular period:  general histories may be single-cuttered while biographies are double-cuttered.  Even though the structure of the different numbers is somewhat different, they should still file in a single alphabetical sequence based on the first or only cutter, whether it represents a subject or a main entry.

   E.g.

   F 2848 .T49 1989		book with main entry Textos y documentos
   F 2848 .T6 R56 1996		book about Torre, Lisandro de la, ‡d 1868-1939
   F 2848 .T616 1973		book by (with main entry) Torres, José Luis

   Solution:

   If the cuttering pattern of the call number in your record is problematic:  Treat as a classification problem.

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4. Incorrect class number:

   If the primary topics of other books with the same class number do not seem to correspond to the topic of your book:  You will need to look further to verify an appropriate class number.  Consult with your trainer if you are not certain how to do so.

   Further steps in verifying appropriate class number:  Briefly:

   • Class schedules:  Check relevant class schedule or schedules, including any tables.  The schedules provide authoritative listings of the meaning of each class number, many scope notes, and many first-cutter examples.  They do not, however, provide examples of actual call numbers applying classification numbers.

     Generally, search in Classification Web when available; otherwise, consult the most recent available paper Gale cumulation.

     Confirm the meaning and scope of a class number found in your bib record or in Voyager.

     If you need to find a more correct alternative number, you may also search the schedules and their indexes.  If you find a promising candidate, perform a shelflist search on that number.

   • Subject headings:

     Perform Voyager subject heading search(es) on the heading(s) for primary topic(s) if you need to find a more correct alternative class number.  Our Voyager catalogue, while a good source of examples, is not authoritative regarding current practice.

     Occasionally, you may want to perform subject keyword searches in OCLC on the heading(s) for primary topic(s) if you need to find a more correct alternative class number.  Bib records in OCLC, while a good source of examples, are not authoritative regarding current practice.

     Classification Web can also be used for subject heading searches.

     In subject authority records, you may cautiously check for the presence of class numbers in 053 fields.  If you find an 053 class number, double-check it in the class schedules to make sure that its application and scope are appropriate.

     Check for any use, particular any pattern of repeated use of a number in bib records.

     If you find a promising candidate, perform a shelflist search on that number.

   • LC online catalog:  Perform a search in LC’s online Voyager catalog on the Web.  The information and patterns found here can help to resolve questions by demonstrating how LC has actually applied a particular class number in practice or by confirming a particular first cutter or cuttering pattern.  Since it includes older examples, though, the LC Voyager catalogue is not always authoritative regarding current practice.

   • Occasionally:  Classification and Shelflisting Manual:  May be checked for information on principles and patterns of classification that can sometimes shed light on a problem.

     In this manual, section G300 provides a "Regions and Countries Table" that can provide geographic cutters when you need to add one and have no model in the shelflist for that place.  However, precedent in the shelflist takes priority over numbers listed in the Regions and Countries Table.

   • Ask your trainer.

   Accepting final cutters:  exception:  In general, as indicated above, accept final cutters as long as they do not create a conflict and are not clearly incorrect.  However, an exception:  If you need to change a class number anyway, you may also change the final cutter even when there is no conflict, if it seems awkward or potentially out of place.

   E.g.    call number:    QL 99 .G9 ‡b N3361 1996

   correct class number:    QK 99 .G9

   There are no other final cutters beginning with “N” under this correct class number.

   Even after the final “1" (one) is deleted, a three-digit cutter is more extended than necessary for the correct class number (even if it might have been necessary under the original, incorrect class number).  Since you are editing the number anyway, you may also delete the "6":

   QK 99 .G9 ‡b N33 1996

   E.g.    call number:    DA 690 .O9 ‡b R68 1989

   author:    Renfrew, Basil

   subject:    Oxfordshire

   correct class number:    DA 670 .O9

   There are no other final cutters beginning with “R” under this correct class number.

   Since the cutter of R68 is far from the Cutter-table version of R46 for "Ren," it might create problems in future shelflisting.  You may change the cutter to R46.

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5. Final cutters not based solely on main entry:

   There are certain categories of call number structure using double cuttering in which the second cutter does not clearly reflect the main entry.  Examples include:

   • Second cutters based on table or schedule instructions rather than on main entry.

     E.g.    call number:    DC 146 .L25 ‡b A3 1998

     subject and main entry:    La Maisonfort, Louis Dubois Descours, ...

     In this case, the subject and main entry both match the first cutter.

     DC 146		biography of individuals during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic period
     .L25		La Maisonfort
     A3		autobiography and memoirs — from the Biography table.

   • Second cutters reflecting subject.

     E.g.:    call number:    HX 315.7 .A8 ‡b K47 1997

     main entry:    Snyder, Timothy.

     subject:    Kelles-Krauz, Kazimierz,

     In this case, in the class number:

     HX 315.7			socialism or communism in Poland
     A8			individual biography
     K4		(second cutter, first part)	the subject of the biography
     7		(second cutter, end)	the main entry

   Solutions:

   • If you can confirm the pattern from the shelflist, and the call number in your record appears to match it, you may accept the number.

   • If the pattern is unclear, or if there appears to be a conflict, check the LC class schedules, including any relevant tables.

HTML document last reviewed:  25 January 2010