Books with Many Subjects
Call numbers Can focus a subject
You've learned that the first line of call numbers represents the general subject of the book. But often subjects are linked with other subjects. Like Art and Music, or Gaming and Education. Libraries choose the main subject so that books on a similar topic are next to each other. Examples:
Using Library of Congress, if the topic is leadership ...
- leadership in business starts with HD
- leadership for lawyers starts with KF
- leadership for politics starts with JK
- leadership for school principals starts with LB
Using Dewey Decimal, if your topic is leadership ...
- leadership in business starts with 658
- leadership for lawyers starts with 347
- leadership for politicians starts with 320
- leadership for principals starts with 371
Finding Books with many subjects
If a book has three, four, or more subjects, will the library buy many copies to have one copy for each subject call number?
Of course not. Keeping track of multiple subjects is the job of the library catalog -- the database you use to locate library materials. The physical book can only be on one place, but the electronic record for the book can include references to all the subjects in the book. The library catalog is the best tool to start your search for library materials.