Fiction: All fiction books are located in the main room around the leisure reading area and near the circulation desk. Fiction is arranged alphabetically by author. Many excellent fiction titles are listed in the RAP (Reading Award-winning Picks) List on this web. Spine labels will look like this: FIC  STE

Story Collection: Also a fiction book - but contains a collection of short stories in one volume. These are distinguished by the "SC" on the spine label. Some story collections are by one author, and some are by numerous authors.

Non-Fiction: Non-fiction titles are arranged numerically using the Dewey Decimal System.  Numbers start at 00.01 at the left of the stack area in the new room and run around the room from left to right until reaching 999.

000-099 General Works: books that deal with no particular subject, such as encyclopedias, periodicals, newspapers, etc.  

100-199 Philosophy: psychology, ethics, etc. EXAMPLE: 150 is the number for psychology. 

200-299 Religion: Christian and non-Christian beliefs.  EXAMPLE: 220 is the number for the Bible.

300-399 Sociology: government, economics, law, education, etc. EXAMPLE: 331 is the number for labor and capital.

400-499 Language: readers, grammars, dictionaries, etc., in all languages.  EXAMPLE: 423 is the number for dictionaries of the English language.

500-599 Science: mathematics, astronomy, geology, botany, zoology, etc. EXAMPLE: 598.2 is the number for bird books.

600-699 Useful Arts: medicine, engineering, home economics, etc. EXAMPLE: 641 is the number for cookbooks.

700-799 Fine Arts: architecture, needlework, painting, music, amusements, sports, etc. EXAMPLE: 770 is the number for photography.

800-899 Literature: poems, dramas and essays in all languages.  EXAMPLE: 822.33 is the number for books by and about Shakespeare.

900-999 History: travel, collective biography (lives of several people), histories of all countries and all ages.  EXAMPLE: 973 is the number for a history of the United States.

Biographies: Biographical books and collected biographies (about more than 1 person) are denoted by 920 (collected) and 92 (biography). These are shelved at the end of the  non-fiction section. They are shelved alphabetically by the subject of the biography..

Special Collections: Professional - PROF on the spine label. Located at the very end of the stack area. Maine Collection - ME on the label and the spine label is yellow. These are books by Maine authors and/or about Maine. Oversized - O on a green spine label. Found at the end of the 900's and houses an area of books too large for the regular shelves. Blue spine labels signify a book written in Spanish.

Reference: Are arranged by Dewey 

Decimal number in the main reading room with REF on the spine label. These books normally do not circulate, but there may be instances when the book may go out overnight.

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pages maintained by Barbara Finlay Library Media Specialist