Dewey/Local Call Number Help

A. Book Collections:

Classification is usually BOOK COLL ## and then sequentially assigned a number with some exceptions (see below). Check shelf list, the format of BOOK COLL can differ.

B. Vault: 

For items valued over $2000 or rare enough the curator wants them in the vault. Classification is COLL V, then group, and then sequential:

C. ASL:

Arts, Sciences & Letters.  Medium rare books.  Mostly copy cataloging. Classed by Dewey, but preceded by ASL, so it’s a local call number in the item record, not Dewey.

D. Artists’ Books/Hatch Room & etc.:

If needed, Jennifer will tell you what artifactual information needs to be pulled out in the record. Detail artifact information in the records extensively, since this material is collected primarily for its artifact value. 

Add accession numbers in a 590 note if they are found in/on the item. For items acquired before 1960, the accession number may be found written on the back of the title page as well as the bottom of page 13; other than that the only other accession numbers you may come across are those written in the book most likely on the back of the title page and begin with a year (e.g. 2008.1.34). These were assigned and written by Rose when she was the Rare Books Curator.

E. Folklore Collection:

Folklore book collections (also some mixed and manuscript folk collections): no list for book coll, so use shelf list for those.  Randy will give book collection number, and write “next available number.” Note that FOLK COLL numbers may be further subdivided by authors or subject, always check call numbers in Sierra for such subdivisions. EXCEPTION: FOLK COLL 11; Randy assigns full call numbers for these and all items must be returned to her after cataloging and processing.

Folklore collection titles: These titles are to be added to any bib record with an item in Folklore using a 590 field. The only exceptions are the collections that do not have an official name. 

If a bib record has 2 folklore items in 2 different folklore collections (i.e. one copy in FOLK COLL 12 and one copy in FOLK COLL 19) then two 590's should be added to the bib record formatted as follows:

Also note that if any items are inscribed or gifts they need to be noted as such in a 590 regardless of whether the collection they are in has an official title or not. They should be formatted like this (i.e. FOLK COLL 12 no. 156 is inscribed by author.) See the FOLK COLL list online to see what collections need notes or check records in Sierra for items already cataloged in those collections to see what notes have been added to those records.

F. Pamphlet collection: 

Small or thin items that could get lost in the stacks are put into PAM collection A, B, or C, with the exception of Mormon and state document materials. The PAM books are sized-based collections with A being the smallest items, and C about 28 cm. There is also PAM D, which is OVERSIZED thin materials and is not used much.

G. State documents:  

Bob will send these for cataloging. Catalog according to non-special collections rules, with 1/5th rule for subjects; Bob will give the Dewey number. Mostly Environmental reports and similar.

H. Utah State University Archives:

The official archives of the university. Some will need collection-level cataloging, but many are books, serials, etc. Bob classes these with his own department-based call number system.

I. Dewey General Collection:

Books without a collection number, or says “Dewey” on slip, and doesn’t say “Vault,” or BOOK COLL., go into Dewey general collection. Special Collections has its own version of the Dewey Decimal system that needs to be used to assign call numbers to these items. A copy of this list can be found in Box in the Library’s “Intranet_Files” folder https://usu.box.com/s/66ych8idlj78cmw5a0z69igfc04e5rw7 

Special Collections has an ever expanding collection of biographies and family histories in the Dewey Collection. Be intensive with personal name access, and use |d subfield for vital dates whenever you can find them and there isn’t an official authority record. The website http://www.familysearch.org can help you find these dates.  For biographies remember to indicate Biog: b (biography); a (autobiography); or c (collective biography) in the Fixed Field.

Also check Subject Cataloging Manual sections H1845 Local history and genealogical source materials and for diaries, H1538 Diaries for subjects and sub-divisions.

Assigning Dewey numbers to Special Collections books (usually by Special Collections):

1. Check if it’s one of the Collecting topics (see below) and assign that number.

2. Consult Special Collections Dewey Call number list on intranet see if a number has been designated for the main topic or collecting topic.

3. Check the online catalog using subject search to see if Special Collections has previously assigned a Dewey number to that subject.

4. If all else fails, assign a number using DDC 17^th ed. If topic is too new to appear in that edition, use the newest edition of DDC.

Add a cutter to the Dewey number using the Four Figure cutter table macros. In Connexion use the built in macro to create the cutter number or OCLC has a Dewey Cutter Program you can download and use separate from Connexion. http://oclc.org/support/services/dewey/program/license.en.html   

Generally, the Cutter number will represent the main entry. If the main entry begins with a vowel or “s” use the first two letters of the first significant word plus the Four Figure cutter number (e.g. Iv3, Ar69t, etc.). Special Collections prefers the cutter to only have 1 to 3 numbers after the letter so anything longer should be cut down to three numbers.

            Example:

SCA Cutter numbers also should NOT end with a 0, if a macro supplies one ending in a 0, remove the zero for our cataloging.

If the cutter number has already been used add an additional letter or letters (lowercase except for >L=, no hyphen) to differentiate it.  Usually the additional number or letters are based on the title, or, in the case of a title main entry, on some other element unique to that item such as editor, publisher, subject, etc.

Dewey Collecting topics:

 Biographies:

1. Individual: use 920 with a Four Figure cutter for the subject person, followed by a hyphen and a letter (uppercase) for the author.

2. Autobiography: same as above, but add small letter for first significant word in title instead of first two letters of author=s last name.

3. Indians of North America: use 970.2 instead of 920.

4. Faith-promoting biographies of Mormon leaders (First presidency & Quorum of the 12): use 289.392 instead of 920.

Family histories:

use 929.2 and cutter by family name.

Community (in Utah) histories:

cities, towns, communities. Use 979.27 with a Four Figure cutter based on the name of the community, plus a hyphen followed by the first letter (uppercase) of author’s last name (for “s” or vowel use first two letters).

Histories of wards or stakes:

use 289.397 with cutter for the name of the ward or stake plus hyphen and first letter of the author’s last name.

Collective biographies:

Centering around a particular topic, class of people, etc. Use 925 with cutter for the topic, class of people, etc.

If no unifying topic, cutter by main entry (title).