FINDING BOOKS, MOVIES, AND OTHER ITEMS IN THE LIBRARY

• I found what I wanted in the catalog. Now how do I find it in the library?

  First, check to see if the item is in and available. If the record shows that its location is “Standard Shelving Location” then it is on the shelf. Next, double check the Library location—is it at the Mesquite Main Library or the Mesquite North Branch Library?
  Finally, write down the call number of the item—this will show you which section and shelf the item is on.

• What is a call number?

  The call number indicates the location of an item. It will be listed on the record in the catalog, and it will be on a label on the item, usually on the spine so it is facing out when all the items are together on the shelf. The call number can let you know what the format of the item is and if it is fiction or nonfiction; it also lets you know if the item is intended for children, for teens, or for adults.

• What do the letters at the beginning of the call number mean?

  Those letters will help you identify which broad area in the library your item is in.
  
  

  Areas in the Adult Section:

  Nonfiction books do not have a letter at the beginning of the call number. They are cataloged by the Dewey Decimal System, which puts materials with the same subject matter together on the shelf.
  
  AL indicates Adult Literacy books; they can be nonfiction or fiction. These are books that can be used by adults learning to read.
  
  B indicates a Biography; these books come at the end of the nonfiction section and are filed by the name of the person the biography is about.
  
  F indicates the book is Fiction; they are filed by the author’s last name. The mystery, science fiction, and western genres are cataloged separately from general fiction.
  
  L indicates that the book is Large Print, useful for readers with visual difficulties. Large Print books can be nonfiction, biography, fiction, or genre fiction.
  
  MI indicates a book on the MISD Recommended Reading List. This section can include nonfiction or fiction, and can include books from the Juvenile and Young Adult sections. Within the MI section, books are filed by the author’s last name no matter what the original call number was.
  
  MN indicates that the book is rented from the McNaughton company. McNaugton books can be nonfiction or fiction, and they will be newer, more popular titles. Renting books from McNaughton allows us to have extra copies of popular titles while they are in high demand.
  
  MYST indicates that the book is in the Mystery genre.
  
  O indicates that the book is Oversized; these are nonfiction books that are too large to fit on the standard sized shelf.
  
  PAP indicates a Paperback book. A note in the catalog listing will indicate whether the paperback is nonfiction, general fiction, mystery, science fiction, western, or romance.
  
  R indicates a Reference book. These books are all nonfiction; they are designated for use in the library only and can not be checked out.
  
  RG indicates Reference Genealogy books. These books contain useful information for people researching their family history and can not be checked out.
  
  SC indicates that the book is a Story Collection or a book of short stories. Mystery, science fiction and western story collections are cataloged separately from general fiction story collections.
  
  SCIFI indicates that the book is in the Science Fiction genre. This section may also include fantasy titles.
  
  SP indicates that the book is in the Spanish Language; it can also include books printed in English and Spanish. These books can be nonfiction or fiction.
  
  WEST indicates that the book is in the Western genre.

  Areas in the Young Adult Section:

  YA F indicates Young Adult Fiction. These titles are aimed at teens in middle school and high school.
  
  YA PAP indicates Young Adult Paperback. A note in the catalog listing will indicate if the paperback is a graphic novel, which includes manga.
  
  YA SC indicates Young Adult Story Collection.

  Areas in the Juvenile Section:

  J indicates that the book is in the Juvenile section. J Nonfiction books are cataloged by the Dewey Decimal System, which puts them in order by subject content.
  
  BL indicates that the book is either on the current Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee list or is a past winner of the Texas Bluebonnet Award.
  
  CA indicates that the book has won the Caldecott award for illustration.
  
  E indicates an Easy, or picture, book. Easy books can be further divided into

  • E A: alphabet books
  • E C: concept books
  • E H: holiday story books
  • E N: number books
  • E P: wordless books

  E READER indicates an Easy Reading book, designed to help children who are beginning to learn to read on their own. These can range from very simple books for kindergarteners, up to high 2nd grade or low 3rd grade reading levels.
  
  J B indicates a Juvenile Biography.
  
  J F indicates Juvenile Fiction.
  
  J PAP indicates a Juvenile Paperback book
  
  J SC indicates Juvenile Story Collection.
  
  NB indicates that the book has won the Newbery Award for children’s literature.
  
  SP E indicates a Spanish Language picture book.
  
  SP J indicates that the book is in the Spanish Language; it can also include books printed in English and Spanish. These books can be nonfiction or fiction.

  Areas in the Audio-Visual Section:

  AC indicates an Audio Cassette; AC J indicates a Juvenile Audio Cassette. Audio Cassettes usually come in multi-part sets; the case is labeled to indicate how many cassettes are included. They can be either nonfiction or fiction.
  
  BK indicates a Book Kit; BK J indicates a Juvenile Book Kit. A book kit will include a book or pamphlet with an audio cassette, CD, or DVD. Book kits may be in a case on a shelf, or in a hanging bag. They can be either nonfiction or fiction.
  
  CD indicates a Compact Disc; CD YA indicates a Young Adult Compact Disc; and CD J indicates a Juvenile Compact Disc. CDs can be either spoken word or recorded music, and they can be either nonfiction or fiction.
  
  CR indicates a CD-ROM; CR J indicates a Juvenile CD-ROM. They can be either nonfiction or fiction; and can take the form of a reference work or game.
  
  DVD indicates a DVD; DVD J indicates a Juvenile DVD. They can be either nonfiction or fiction.
  
  PLA indicates a Playaway. Playways are a form of spoken word recordings which do not require a separate player, as audio cassettes and CDs do.
  
  VC indicates a Video Cassette; VC J indicates a Juvenile Video Cassette. They can be either nonfiction or fiction.