A single dash indicates the omission of the preceding
heading; a subsequent dash indicates the omission
of a subordinate heading or of a title. A dash
connecting numbers signifies to and including;
following a number it signifies continuation.
A ? following a word or entry signifies probably.
Brackets enclose words added to titles or changed
in form.
The German diphthongs ae, oe, ue are written, ae,
oe, ue.
Dates are all given in years of the common calendar,
and Arabic numerals are uniformly used for all numbers.
The Subject Catalogue on large cards can be used to
advantage only with the aid of the Classification
or Index. To find what the library has
on any given subject, get from the Index the class
number of that subject. Under this number in
the Subject Catalogue will be found the full titles
of the books, with imprints, cross references, and
notes. The class number, by which the cards are
arranged, is given in the upper left corner and immediately
under it is the book number. Any other class
number given in the left hand margin refers to another
subject of which the book also treats. When the
class number at the top is followed by an additional
figure in brackets, the subject as given in the printed
scheme has been subdivided in arranging the cards.
This subdivision will be found on the first card of
the catalogue which bears this class number.
These figures in brackets determine the arrangement
of the titles in the Catalogue, but on the shelves,
in the Shelf Catalogue, and in calling for and charging
books, they are entirely disregarded. Thus a book
numbered 942(7).14 would be in the Catalogue among
the 942 cards arranged by the figure in brackets as
though it were a decimal, but it would be called for
as 942.14, the brackets indicating that the final classing
was limited to the Catalogue and was not extended
to the shelves. If a fourth figure is added without
brackets, the final classing is extended to the shelves
as well as to the catalogue, and all the figures must
be used in calling for the book. In such cases
the added figure is treated as a decimal in the arrangement,
though the decimal point is not written.
The last card which bears any class number, gives
under that number, followed by the word SEE the call
numbers of other books which treat of the same subject,
but are classed elsewhere. General cross references
are also made in many cases without specifying individual
books, as from Commerce as a question of SOCIAL
SCIENCE (380) to Commerce as a USEFUL ART,
Book-keeping Business Manuals, etc. (650).
In such cases there is a card under 380 marked SEE
650, and under 650 there is a card marked SEE 380.
From whatever stand-point a subject is approached,
the cross references guide at once to the same subject
treated in its other relations. These cross references
both general and specific are often accompanied by
brief notes, characterizing the books to which reference
is made.
