Finding materials on the Dubai Library shelves

To find materials in the Dubai library:

1. search the Library catalogue
2. from the list of results find a title you need
3. click on the Copies button
   
   
   
4. write down the location, call number (Call#), and status of the item
   
   
   

• Location tells you which part of the Library collection the item is in.
  
• Call number - CALL # - tells you where the item is on the shelf.
  
• Status tells you whether the item is in the Library or out on loan.
  
  Let's consider each of these separately.

Location

Using the example above from the Library Catalogue, the Location box shows that the item is held at M. This item is in the Main collection. Other locations are listed below:

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Call number (CALL #)

To find where the item is on the shelf, you need to look at the Call # (call number).

The call number is made up of three parts.

• The first part is the subject number. Books on a similar topic are given the same subject number. This means you can browse the shelves nearby for related material.
• The second part is the first two letters of the author's name.
• The third part is the first two letters of the title. Note: numbers are spelt out. In the above example the number 80 becomes eighty.

In the example above the call number is 658.4 FR EI. To find this item on the shelf:

1. find the subject number, 658
2. find the numbers following the decimal point, 658.4 (Note: numbers without a decimal point are shelved first eg. 510 comes before 510.01 which comes before 510.1)
3. find the two letters of the author's name, 658.4 FR
4. find the two letters of the title, 658.4 FR EI

This is an example of the order the books would be in on the shelves:

Some items also have a prefix. The prefix will appear on the spine (down the side) of the item. An example might be:

In this case the prefix R tells us that the item is in the Reference section.

Items are put on the Library shelves from the top to the bottom. Start at the top shelf of a bay of books, go across the shelf from left to right, down to the next shelf, across the shelf from left to right, down to the next shelf, etc. When you are at the bottom shelf go back up to the top shelf of the next bay and work your way across and down the bay. The next bay might be around the other side of the shelves.

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Status

To find out whether the item is available for borrowing or is out on loan, you need to check the Status of the Catalogue record.

As we can see from the record below, the book 'Harvard Business Review on managing people' is In, which means it is available for borrowing.

If the item is out on loan, Out will appear in the Status box.
If the item has been reserved for another student and is waiting to be picked up, Reserved will appear in the Status box.
If the item has been ordered but has not arrived yet, On Order will appear in the Status box.

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Placing a reserve on an item

If an item has the status Out, Reserved or On Order you can place a reserve on the item. This means when the item is returned it will be held for you in the Library. Sometimes you may be the second person to place a reserve on the item and you will need to wait your turn to borrow the item. If the item has a Status In, you cannot reserve the item.

To reserve an item:

1. write down the Barcode number e.g. in the above example the Barcode number is 16019
2. give the barcode number and your student card to the Library staff at the Circulation Desk. They will place the reserve for you. They will phone or email you when the item is available to borrow. Make sure the Library knows your current telephone number and email address.

You have now completed this section.

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