Call numbers are the backbone of organizing and accessing information. They make the process practically effortless, compared to the alternative. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy to categorize information as it is to access it afterwards. What if a meeting takes place and the results aren’t published until years later? Wonder no more. Here are a few reminders regarding imprint dates.

In 1982, the decision was made to add the date of imprint in monographs to the call number. Therefore, older library books do not have the publisher or “imprint date” in the call number.

• If a book is published with a date range, 1999/2000, use 1999.

• If published date is 1969 and it has a later printing date (1979), use 1969.

• A mulitvolume set begins publishing in 1990 and vol. 5 publishes in 1995, use 1990 in all the volumes of the call numbers.

• A conference or meeting was held in 2004 and the proceedings were published in 2005, use 2004 in the call number.

• A call number can be subarranged by two dates. For example: JK526 2000 .A27 2003, is classification for a book about the 2000 presidential elections published in 2003.

• Some call numbers are subarranged by date only. For example: CD1106 1918. Letters are added starting with “a” and assigned in the order in which they are received. For example: CD1106 1918a.

• Classification letters with dates and no numbers are temporary call nubers. For example: KB .R68 1965. Please bring call numbers of this type to the cataloger’s attention for reclassification.