Within a library collection, materials are typically
organized by subject. Librarians assign a call
number based on a work's subject and sources are
then shelved by that call number so that anyone
browsing the shelves will find most of the titles
on a subject together.
There are 2 main subject classification systems
that translate a work's subject and author or
title into a code (call number) that determines
where it will be shelved.
The examples below illustrate how the two main
subject classification systems, Library of Congress
and Dewey Decimal, are used to assign call numbers
for the book, The fence and the river : culture and politics at the U.S.-Mexico borderby Claire F. Fox, published in
1999, about the Mexican American Border Region and the relations between Mexico and the United States.
Library
of Congress: Used in most
college, university, and research libraries
(including UTPA!) because it handles large
collections.
Dewey
Decimal: Used in most public
and school libraries because it is more effective
for smaller collections.
