Ever wander into your local library and instantly feel lost? Where do you start? All libraries have their catalog of available materials organized slightly differently. At the Latah County Library District, all of our materials are cataloged the same in each branch, making your search cohesive across the county. Here is a quick rundown of our system’s categories and how they are organized:
Adult nonfiction books, audiobooks and movies use “call numbers” that are placed on the spine of each item. The call numbers indicate the subject matter the item focuses on. These call numbers are universal, known as the “Dewey Decimal System” and are used in most public libraries across the United States. For example: individual biographies generally have a call number of 921. So biographies will be in the same shelving area with the number 921 and the first three letters of the subject’s last name. So a Helen Keller book will look like “921 KEL” and will be organized alphabetically.
Adult fiction books and audiobooks will have a spine label that indicates that it is fiction with a “FIC” and the author’s last name. So a James Patterson novel will look like:“FIC PATTERSON.”
We have collections for all ages, and our age-appropriate collections have similar labels as the adult books. We have just added an extra indicator to make it easier to differentiate age categories. Our young adult/teen areas have “YA” in front of the call number and/or “FIC” label. Our juvenile/grade school areas have a “JUV” in front of the call number and/or “FIC” label. We also have entire sections in our libraries that are available for our younger readers. Picture books, board books and beginner chapter books are all organized the same as our adult books, only with a “JE” for juvenile easy and “JB” for juvenile beginner chapter books.
We can’t forget about our paperback collections. These books will have a large capital letter on the spine of the book. This letter is to indicate the author’s last name. So Nicholas Sparks paperback books will have “S” on the spine. These books are also organized alphabetically. Are you seeing a pattern? All of the materials in our collections will be on the shelf, left to right in either numerical or alphabetical order.
Let’s take a look at our movie/DVD collections. This one is easy. All of our movies will have “DVD” or “Blu-ray,” then the first word of the movie’s title. For example: “Gone with the Wind” will look like: “DVD Gone.” The movies for children will have a “JUV” indicator before “DVD.”
So what are these materials with red or yellow “NEW” stickers on the top of the spine? Those, friends, are items that are new to the branch you are visiting. These books rotate regularly so you will have access to new materials often. Keep an eye on this section of materials, you will always find something fresh.
What’s the easiest way for you to find items you might be interested in? Well, find your nearest visible library employee and just ask! Most of us will have a pretty good idea where to look for your item and while we don’t necessarily know the collection by heart, we might be able to find it for you by using ourlibrary catalog.
The Latah County Library District comprises seven branches across Latah County and is part of the Valnet consortium of libraries. This is a group of 48 public and school libraries that share resources and an online catalog. The Valnet library catalog increases your material selections by providing resources from other libraries within the consortium that can be returned to any other Valnet library. Do all of these other libraries organize their collections the same way as the LCLD? No, they do not. But most libraries use similar cataloging methods and host friendly, knowledgeable staff that can help you find subjects or specific items. This is only a quick reference guide to using your Latah County libraries, check with your particular library to find the material you are interested in.
Davis is the Juliaetta Library branch manager.
