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ENG 250 -- Prof. Pastore
Professor Sarah Cohn
Head of Reference
October 9, 2025
CCNY LIBRARIES
PRINT BOOKS
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AGENDA
Aboutness
Library organization
OneSearch
Stacks adventure
Getting help
TODAY'S
ABOUTNESS
Choose a Book!
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What is it about?
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Look at the cover, title page, table of contents, index, skim a few paragraphs of the first chapter
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On the post it, write 3-5 key words you think encapsulate what the book is about
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Bonus: what one thing is the book most about?
And grab a post it
- Vanessa Bell
- Art
- Painting
- Oil painting
- Abstract painting
- Modernism
- Post-impressionism
- England
- London
- Bloomsbury Group
ORGANIZATION
LIBRARY
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Research libraries use the Library of Congress Classification call number system
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Developed in 1897 for the Library of Congress collection
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Each book gets a call number, functionally a book address
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What the book is about determines what call number it gets, and subsequently where in the library it goes
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Call numbers start with a letter
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Each letter is a subject area
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This is where what the book is most about comes into play
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Library of Congress Classification Call Numbers
Organize the books we have according to call number, to the best of our abilities
Toni Morrison
Black Panthers
New York City
Sculpture
PS 3563 .O8749 B4 1987
PS 3563 .O8749 B438 1999
PS 3563 .O8749 P37 2014
PS 3563 .O8749 P377 1999
TR 681 .B52 S53 2022
E 185 .615 .S7247 2024
F 1435.3 .S34 O54 2024
NB 497 .H4 A4 1994
NB 1296.2 .R87 1989
F 128.65 .T5 I58 1991
F 128.9 .P85 F47 2020
F 128.9 .P85 L44 2014
F 130 .N4 P47 2011
HD 8039 .T162 U636 2007
HD 9999 .C9473 N49 2007
HV 9481 .N62 R555 2023
JC 599 .U52 C35 2011
LD 3818.8 .T72 1994
CATALOG
LIBRARY
What trails do you want to follow?
Take key words, ideas, & concepts from your writing
You will use those to search the library catalog
library.ccny.cuny.edu
OneSearch
Databases
- Access to all 200+ databases at CCNY
- Alphabetical or sort by subject
- Disciplinary databases for narrower/more specific searching
- Catalog of print & ebooks
- Request books from other CUNY Libraries
- Also searches for scholarly articles
- Casts a wide net--multidisciplinary
STACKS!
HIT THE
How to Find a Book
- In the online catalog, the call number is horizontal: PS 3515 .U789 2018
- On books, the call number is vertical. Start at the top, then move to each line in order.
- The combination of the first two lines will direct you to the floor and row of shelves.
Start here to find the correct floor
Next, find the aisle that encompasses this number within the correct letter range
In the aisle, look at the call numbers on the books and match this row. Only one book will have this number within the broader range
Last line is the publication year
Call Number Locations
Cohen Library
Getting Help
Professor Sarah Cohn
Head of Reference
scohn@ccny.cuny.edu
Reference Desk: Cohen Library
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday 10am-4pm
Fall 25 Pastore
By Sarah Cohn
Fall 25 Pastore
Prose Workshop
