The Dewey Decimal system is generally used by most public and school libraries, as it is more effective for organizing smaller collections. In this system, resources are arranged by general subject and smaller subclasses, referenced through the numbers 000 to 999. When placed on the shelf, resources are arranged in increasing numerical order of assigned decimal number, allowing patrons to easily locate their required resources. When multiple resources have the same classification number, the next section of the call number (usually the first letter or letters of the author's surname) is placed in alphabetical order. This system allows for a smooth progression along the shelf from more general subjects, to more, and more specific topics within that general subject area.

Click here for an overview of the classfication scheme used in the Dewey decimal system.

While the Dewey Decimal System is a very intuitive and easy to use system, its limited subject capacity for makes it inappropriate for use in larger libraries.

Most university, college, and research libraries (including the University of Alberta) use the Library of Congress system to organize material within their collection, as it is capable of managing a considerably large number of resources. Because resources are all classified by subject, you can often find several helpful resources on the same shelf, or at least nearby.

This system uses a combination of letters and/or numbers to organize materials by subject. Call numbers are assigned to resources according to their primary subject area, and then collections within that subject area are arranged by specific topic, author and date of publication.

There are 21 broad categories into which all information is sorted. Click here for a listing of these categories.