University and District Library

How the Library Media Are Shelved

The media provided by the University and District Library are structured systematically, i.e. by content, and shelved by shelf numbers. The shelf number is printed on the spine of the book.

Example of a shelf number:

11 = PIF23-2(3)+4

The first two numbers designate the location and availability:

11 = Sankt Augustin, borrowable

12 = Sankt Augustin, not borrowable

13 = Sankt Augustin, Filmotheque, borrowable

17 = Sankt Augustin, Audiotheque, borrowable

21 = Rheinbach, borrowable

22 = Rheinbach , not borrowable

23 = Rheinbach, Filmotheque, borrowable

27 = Rheinbach, Audiotheque, borrowable

31 = Sankt Augustin, "Literaturkabinett" (special collection of novels), borrowable

37 = Sankt Augustin, Audiobooks in our "Literaturkabinett" (special collection of novels), borrowable

41 = Rheinbach, "Literaturkabinett" (special collection of novels), borrowable

47 = Rheinbach, Audiobooks in our "Literaturkabinett" (special collection of novels), borrowable

The sequence of letters that follows the location designates the allocation of the books to subjects. It consists of three or four letters and ranges from AAA to ZZZ. Each sequence of letters stands for a particular group (in our example: PIF = comprehensive accounts of Business Administration. Comprehensive illustrations of Economics).  As the books are shelved by subjects, books that are similar in content are grouped together on the shelves. For further information on the respective subjects please refer to the Classification Scheme.

→ GHB-Systematik (German)

The numbers that follow the letters - in our example 23-2(3)+4 - have the following meaning:

23 = consecutive number of a title within a subject, which designates the precise location of the book on the shelf

-2 = volume number (for works consisting of several volumes)

(3) = edition, the most up-to-date work in the Library collection is the one with the highest edition number

+4 = number of copies (for books of which several copies are available in the Library)

Links

Classification Scheme (German)