Q. How are books organised in library?
Answer
Books in the library are organised into collections.
Each library has a Main Collection. The Thompson Library in Stoke also houses the Art Collection and has a Core Collection for books in high demand; often books which are on reading lists. There is also a media collection in Thompson and at the Health Library at Blackheath Lane.
We have a Wellbeing Collection on all sites, which contains resources to help you maintain a healthy balance between your studies and your life, including jigsaws, novels and more.
When you find a book through the Library Search it will tell you which of the collections the book is located in.
We organise books on the shelves in subject order using the Dewey Decimal System.
It is a system that gives books on the same subject the same number (the call number). The call number is the number you need to find a book on the shelf.
- Books are organised on the shelves in number order.
- Search for a book on the catalogue to get the call number and its location.
- The call number on the spine of the book, followed by the first 3 letters of the author's surname.
- Books with different titles can have the same call number so make sure you get the book you want.
See the Links & Files section below for more detailed resources on this topic.
