Question

Find a book on the shelf

Answer

Books are shelved by the Library of Congress classification system in the Daley Library and by the NLM classification system in the health sciences libraries.

When you see a book you want in the UIC Library Catalog:

  1. Note the location — which library and the location within that library.
  2. Record the whole call number.
  3. Consult a floor plan or call number guide in the library to find out where the book is shelved.
    • In the Daley Library, most books you may check out are on the north and south ends of the 3rd and 4th floors. They are arranged by call numbers that begin with one or two letters. Call number ranges can be found in the following locations:
      • A-BF 3rd Floor South
      • BH-HB 3rd Floor North
      • HC-PN 4th Floor South
      • PN-Z 4th Floor North

Other items may be found elsewhere:

  • Reference books 2nd Floor North
  • Loeb Classics 2nd Floor North
  • Journals and Periodicals 2nd Floor South
  • Microforms 2nd Floor South
  • Curriculum Collection 2nd Floor West
  • Maps 3rd Floor West
  • Documents and Census 3rd Floor East
  • Theses 3rd Floor East
  • Regular Oversized (*) Shelved with General Collection
  • Double Oversized (**) 4th Floor West

Please see Visiting the Library.

If you can't find the book on the shelf, Ask a Librarian.

Using the catalog

Check the location and availability of the book you find in the UIC Library Catalog. This tells you:

  • the library (location)
  • the location within that library
  • the call number where the book is shelved

Be sure to note the location of the book — it might be in another UIC library, online or in microforms. If the status is "available" it is not checked out.

Request an item

If you don't want to look for a needed book on the shelf, you can sign in to your library account and click GET IT. Library staff will retrieve the item and hold it for you at the circulation desk at the UIC library of your choice.

Persons with disabilities, as well as faculty and UIC unit heads, may assign someone else to pick up an item on their behalf.

Metadata

  • updated: Jan 16, 2024
  • views: 1716

Help Center generic call to action