Where do the spaces and periods go in LC call numbers in Alma?
Alma uses MARC 21, which designates the 852 field in the holdings record for location, call number, and other information.
Call numbers in the 852 field can have several subfields, but they are made up of two basic pieces:
- $h - classification part
- Describes the topic: what the item is "about"
- Consists of one or more letters (class and subclass) representing an area of knowledge
- Can only occur once in the 852 field
- $i - item part
- Contains information about the specific work. There can be many works on the same topic, but they have different authors, publication dates, etc. and that information is recorded here.
- Consists of one or more letters and/or numbers representing a Cutter, date, or term
- Can occur multiple times in the same 852 field
Alma always adds a space between the $h and $i subfields. The cataloger must follow rules that govern where to place spaces and periods within each subfield. Do not edit a call number just to change the way it looks in the catalog or on a spine label.
B127.N4 L86
852 $h B127.N4 $i L86
B127 is the class number for special topics in Chinese philosophy. N4 is the Cutter for the subject Neo-Confucianism. There is a period (but no space) between the class number and the subject Cutter.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
L86 is the Cutter for the author’s surname (Luo). There is no period before the author Cutter because it is the second Cutter.
B1294 .M33 2005
852 $h B1294 $i .M33 2005
B1294 is the class number for commentaries, interpretation, and criticism (with or without translations) of John Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.” There are no periods or spaces in this class number.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
M33 is the Cutter for the author’s surname (Mackie). There is a period before the author Cutter because it is a single Cutter.
There is a space between the author Cutter and the year.
2005 is the year of publication.
GV1469.62.D84 X36 2017
852 $h GV1469.62.D84 $i X36 2017
GV1469.62 is the class number for individual fantasy games. D84 is the Cutter for Dungeons and Dragons. There is a period (but no space) between the class number and the subject Cutter.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
X36 is the Cutter for the title (Xanathar's Guide to Everything). There is no period before the title Cutter because it is the second Cutter.
There is a space between the title Cutter and the year.
2017 is the year of publication.
PZ7.P2843 Fo 1991
852 $h PZ7.P2843 $i Fo 1991
PZ7 is the class number for juvenile literature by authors who began to publish around 1870, through 2014. P2843 is the Cutter for author's surname (Paulsen). There is a period (but no space) between the class number and the author Cutter.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
Fo is the Cutter for the title (The Foxman). There is no period before the title Cutter because it is the second Cutter.
There is a space between the title Cutter and the year.
1991 is the year of publication.
Q360 .A84
852 $h Q360 $i .A84
Q360 is the class number for general works on cybernetics. There are no periods or spaces in this class number.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
A84 is the Cutter for the author’s surname (Ash). There is a period before the author Cutter because it is a single Cutter.
QA76.9.B45 H377 2021
852 $h QA76.9.B45 $i H377 2021
QA76.9 is the class number for special topics in computer science software. B45 is the subject Cutter for big data. There is a period (but no space) between the class number and the subject Cutter.
Alma adds a space between $h and $i.
H377 is the author Cutter for the author's surname (Hasselbalch). There is no period before the author Cutter because it is the second Cutter.
There is a space between the author Cutter and the year.
2021 is the year of publication.
