The Iva M. Freeman Library collections are organized using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. This means each item in the library has an individual call number to indicate where it can be found on the shelf in relation to the rest of the collection. When you search for resources in the online catalog, you will see the call number in the record together with the title, author, and publication information.
The first few letters or prefix of the call number tells you which Kendall collection the item belongs to. In the example, the letters are CUL, which means the item is in the Culinary collection. An item might also have a call number starting with BUS for Business, or HOSP for Hospitality, or CURR for Curriculum. The Main collection has no prefix, so call numbers start with the Dewey number. Reference books in all sections are prefixed by REF. Signs posted throughout the library identify the collections and the Dewey numbers on each shelf.
On the spines of the books, the numbers will appear in this order:
| CUL | Prefix - Identifies which Kendall collection the item belongs to. |
| 641.59485 | Dewey Number - indicates where the item belongs in the Dewey classification system. |
| N712 | Cutter Number - If more than one book in the collections falls under the same Dewey number, an additional number known as a Cutter is added. Cutter numbers typically start with the first letter of the author's last name. |
