Call Numbers: Elements and Design
From Ranganathan (1967) and later Comaromi (1981) we
learn that the expression “call number” entered American library
terminology from a period when users did not have access to
shelves and had to “call” a book from the closed stack.4
It is usual practice to view ‘call numbers’ as consisting of the
following elements (Ranganathan, 1967; Lehnus, 1980; Comaromi,
1981; Satija, 1990):
• Collection mark (whether explicit or implicit) which
indicates to which collection or which part of a collection
within a library a document belongs, e.g. reading room only,
borrowing overnight, textbooks, etc. In principle, a book can
be moved from one collection to another and can be placed
in temporary collections when part of an exhibition or
seasonal arrangement (Ranganathan, 1967: pp. 154). A
collection, temporary or permanent, can be denoted by the
colour of label, or by different kinds of symbols, e.g. the
letter ‘R’ could be used to mark a reference collection,
reading, reading room, or even rare books. When the symbol
of a collection is missing this usually means that the notion
of the collection is implied, i.e. the book belongs to the main
collection.
• Class mark – denoting the subject area to which a document
belongs