When did this happen?

[katster]

Here is today's amusement.

I get letters in my email from my local library about books that have come in for me. (I can also log into the online system and see them, so I knew the book was at the library already.) This is what it said:

Mon Nov 20 2006
It's waiting for you! Please pick up your item within ten days.

AUTHOR: Brooks, Max.
World War Z : an oral history of th
CALL NO: 818.602 BRO
BARCODE: 31740002337115

Well, of course, other than the "I got this because my friends (hi mrfnord!) thought it was pretty cool", here's the thing I'm amused at. You see that call number?

Well, here's a call number for a book I checked out earlier:
AUTHOR: Maguire, Gregory.
TITLE: Son of a witch : a novel
CALL NO: fic s Maguire
BARCODE: 33029056887888

So...apparently this zombie war actually happened when I wasn't paying attention. I should really pay more attention to current events.

Comments

[underpope.livejournal.com]

Cataloging is a delicate art; beyond some broad guidelines, the choice of where a book ends up in the library is frequently a judgment call on the part of the librarian doing the cataloging, and that often happens on a branch-by-branch basis. The book's MARC record from the Library of Congress has it cataloged under 813.6 for Literature (and PS3602.R6445 according to the LC system -- also Literature).

Technically, all literature can be classified in the 813 section. The Dewey system does not have a separate "fiction" section; it's just an invention of most libraries to help keep their fiction collection in check. ;o)

This is Richard, former library sciences student, checking out.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Technically, all literature can be classified in the 813 section.

I thought only English language literature went there -- and possibly only English language stuff from America. But I don't know where my wife's OCLC catalog is.

[underpope.livejournal.com]

Well, okay. Conceded. You're right about that. :)