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Finding a Document on the Shelf
SuDocs Classification

The following shows you how to find a document with a Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification number at Colorado State University. For an outline of the scheme see Superintendent of Documents Classification Outline.

SuDocs call numbers begin with letters of the alphabet. Each letter stands for the issuing agency of the document (not the subject, as does the Library of Congress Classification). No two items have exactly the same call number, but there are Government Documents found at Colorado State University in both print and microtext format. The shelflist (located on the 2nd Floor West) has information about government documents owned by the Library that are older than 1976.

An example SuDocs number looks like this: SI 1.
1/A:
AE 82/5

The number before the period is read as a whole number:

    C 76.
    C 77.
    C 79.
    C 80.

    Complete Numbers:

    A 88.62:P 32/5
    A 89.4/2:33/3
    A 93.2/2:AG 8

The next part differs from LC numbers in that the number after the period, and before the next punctuation, is read as a whole number (not as a decimal), just like the number before it. Therefore, 8 is shelved before 30, 30 is shelved before 246, and 246 is shelved before 3023. A "/" (slash) or a ":" (colon) indicates the next section:

    I 19.
    8:

    I 19.
    75:

    I 19.
    412:

    I 19.
    1008:

    I 19.
    2486:

    or
    LC 2.2:
    LC 2.12:
    LC 2.981:
    LC 2.982:
    LC 2.4642:

    complete numbers:

    A 89.
    8/A:
    4

    A 89.
    12
    151

    A 89.
    15:
    4/10

    A 89.
    26:
    14/3

    or

    A 93.9/2:AG 8
    A 93.18/3:F 5
    A 93.249:28/985
    A 93.2486:46

Generally, if one understands the number this far, locating an item should be possible most of the time.

When a string of numbers is followed by words or abbreviations, the words go in alphabetical order:

Y 10.2:B 85/2/978-82/SUPP then
    Y 10.2:B 85/2/978-82/UPDATE

In SuDoc numbers, sections are divided by periods (.) or colons (:); between the two there can be sections within numbers divided by slashes (/) or hyphens (-).

Within a section (between a period and colon in the example below), the nothing comes before something rule applies:

    Y 4.W64:W 325
    then Y 4.W64/2:ST2
    (W64: before W64/2:)

When the number matches up to a punctuation point and letters follow, items are shelved alphabetically:

    SI 1.1/A:AE 82/5
    SI 1.1/A:B 615
    SI 1.1/A:UL 8
    SI 1.1/A:W 419

Now try the SuDocs number exercise.

Content: Naomi Lederer