How to Read a Call Number
The children's collection books are marked as follows:
| Easy books | E followed by a cutter number |
| Biography | B followed by a cutter number |
| Fiction | F followed by a cutter number |
| Non-fiction | Dewey decimal number followed by a cutter number |
The classification is made up of ten main classes or categories, each divided into ten secondary classes or categories, and each further divided into ten subdivisions. This in turn can be further divided. Each division becomes more specific.
The main Dewey Decimal classes are:
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy and psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Language
500 Natural sciences and mathematics
600 Technology (Applied sciences)
700 The arts (fine and decorative)
800 Literature and rhetoric
900 Geography and history
Cutter Numbers are added to the classification system, because it is possible for many books to be classified with the same Dewey classification number. The cutter number gives each book a unique number that serves as the address of the book. They usually consist of the first letter of the author’s last name and series of numbers. And if the library has several books by the same author a “work letter” is used, usually the first letter of the title of the book.
Example:
| Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling | 823.914 R797c |
| Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling | 823.914 R797p |
| Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling | 823.914 R797g |
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