The book collection is on the main and lower levels of the library. Books are organized by the Library of Congress Classification system (see details of this arrangement system in the boxes to the right).
Books with call numbers starting with A-E are on the Main floor, and books starting with F-Z are on the lower level.
The DVDs are on the main level, and organized numerically (DVD 1, DVD 2, and so on).
The small Course Text collection is located at the beginning of the main level stacks.
Juvenile books are located in room L119b on the lower level, and are organized by the author's last name, then by year of publication.
The Library has over 50,000 volumes and 6,000 DVDs. The online database collections include 45,000 journals, 8,000 music scores, 7,000 music albums, and 6,000 videos.
Some older Library materials are kept in an off-campus facility. As they become visible in the catalog, SXU alumni, faculty, staff, and students can request books from off-site storage. The books are returned to the Library in one business day.
The books in the library are grouped by subject according to the Library of Congress Classification arrangement.
The "call numbers" found on the spines are a combination of letters and numbers ... creating a subject hierarchy.
Single subject books are found within their most specific classifications. You can find them side by side on the shelves.
Books containing multiple subjects are often given the number relating to higher-level concepts. For instance, books on grasshoppers and praying mantises will be classified under the higher level insect code. Browsing will not be an effective way to find these chapters. Searching subject headings in the catalog will provide access to this chapter level information.
Browse the Library of Congress (LC) call number system ... and see how the books arranged on the shelves align with official Subject Headings.