New Student Orientation Guide

A quick guide to the UC Merced Library, built for summer orientations and ASCEND.

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LC Classification

Library of Congress Classification Subject Areas
Letter	Subject Area
A	General Works
B	Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	World History
E	History of the Americas
F	History of the Americas
G	Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H	Social Sciences
J	Political Science
K	Law
L	Education
M	Music
N	Fine Arts
P	Language and Literature
Q	Science
R	Medicine
S	Agriculture
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Naval Science
Z	Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources

To drill down into the LC Classification Outline, use the link below:

Library of Congress Classification Outline

FAQs

Photo of the third floor of the Library. Students are studying at tables.

Photo Credit: UC Merced Library

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Library:

UC Merced Library FAQs
Start here for some of the most common questions we get asked!

How do I use the Library?

UC Merced Library has many options for self-guided learning. Below is a list of places to start with tutorials in various formats:

Starting Your Research Series
This tutorial can be done all together or in sections.
Library DIY Video Tutorials
Self-guided tutorials to learn more about searching, databases, the research process, citation management and more.

How to Write a Literature Review - A Self-Guided Tutorial
by Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco Last Updated Jan 6, 2025 43 views this year
Introductory Tutorials for MLA, APA and ASA Styles from UC Merced Library
by Bronwen Maxson Last Updated Jan 6, 2025 6 views this year

Where to search for books and more?

UC Library Search This link opens in a new window
Locate books, articles, and more from all UC campuses and beyond in this unified discovery and borrowing system. Use filters and alternative search scopes to narrow your results. Connect via the VPN to view all content available to you. Log in to your account to request material.

Where are the books? Use LC Call Nos. to find them!

Library of Congress (LC) Call Numbers are like an item's address to help you find where it lives on the shelf. Each letter stands for an academic discipline. In the image below, L is for Education, LD is for Individual Institutions - United States. Can you guess which institution is at LD781.M47 H47 2009?

Photo of UC Merced Library shelves with books displaying call numbers in the LD781 range.

A magnified image of call numbers in the LD781 range.

To read a call number, read the number from left to right or top to bottom as follows:

Alphabetically (L before LC, LC before LD)
Numerically (781 before 782)
Alphabetically (.M before .N)
Decimal order (.M47 before .M48 or .M5)
(Sometimes there are more pieces in alphabetical and then numerical order here, e.g.: H47)
Finally, chronologically (2009 before 2010) This is year of publication and may or may not be included.

Lastly, the shelf is organized from top to bottom in sections, so you'll zig-zag down each section to look for your call number before moving to the next section of the shelves.