Call Numbers: Correction of Duplicate Call Numbers

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Catalogers are not expected to check the catalog to avoid duplicate call numbers. They may choose to do so when they know of or suspect a common call number. When duplicate call numbers are referred to us by Circulation or other staff they are corrected according to the guidelines below:

If the duplicate is a result of two editions of the same work being published in the same year, use a small letter after the date. The first such duplicate is resolved by a "b" then "c" etc.:

PS3552.R685434 D3 2004     (Da Vinci Code, published by Thomas Nelson)
PS3552.R685434 D3 2004b   (Da Vinci Code, published by Doubleday)

This method is also used when cutters have an assigned meaning, such as A25 for selections A3 for autobiography and A4 for letters:

B945.J24 A4 1997                 (a collection of William James' letters)
B945.J24 A4 1997b               (another collection of his letters, published the same year)

If the duplicate is caused by different books on the same subject that just happed to have the same cutters and dates, this can usually be resolved by adding a 5 to one of the cutters.  Before doing this, check to be sure that the call number you are creating has not already been used.

JZ1318.G57916 2004            (Globalization and South Africa)
JZ1318.G579165 2004          (Globalization and Southern Africa (imaginary book, initially marked with the same call number as the real title above))
JZ1318.G57917 2004            (Globalization and the humanities)

In crowded parts of the schedules like this, we will not achieve perfect alphabetical arrangements on the shelves. Use judgement to modify duplicate cutters to interfile books in a reasonable matter.