Shelving Library Books Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Library of Congress Cutter numbers are arranged alphabetically by letter and then decimally by number. Which sequence is correct?
.A35, .A4, .B19, .B2
.A35, .B19, .A4, .B2
.B19, .B2, .A35, .A4
.A4, .A35, .B2, .B19
2. You find a book with an unreadable spine label, and its exact call number cannot be confirmed visually. What should you do?
Estimate its number from the books beside it
Shelve it alphabetically by title in the nearest section
Leave it on an open shelf for another worker to notice
Check its barcode or catalog record and set it aside or report it if the location remains uncertain
3. A book’s subject seems adult, but its spine label assigns it to a juvenile shelving area. What is the safest shelving response?
Place it in the adult subject area because content overrides the label
Remove the label and create a new call number based on the title
Follow the assigned label, or flag a suspected error according to local procedure before changing placement
Shelve it wherever there is space until the next inventory
4. Which sequence correctly orders these Dewey Decimal numbers?
590.08, 590.81, 590.8, 590.9
590.08, 590.8, 590.81, 590.9
590.8, 590.08, 590.81, 590.9
590.9, 590.81, 590.8, 590.08
5. Books with otherwise identical call numbers are ordered by ascending publication year. Which year belongs between 2019 and 2022?
2017
2023
2020
2018
6. In standard Library of Congress shelving, the number following the initial letter or letters is treated as a whole number. Which order is correct?
QA 9, QA 10, QA 76, QA 100
QA 10, QA 100, QA 76, QA 9
QA 100, QA 10, QA 9, QA 76
QA 9, QA 76, QA 10, QA 100
7. A shelf is packed so tightly that removing a book may damage its spine. What is the best response?
Pull harder while gripping the top of the spine
Lay the item horizontally on top of the tightly packed row permanently
Shift books across nearby shelves according to procedure before reshelving the item
Move only the largest books to an unrelated shelf
8. What is the main purpose of a call number on a library item?
To identify the borrower currently responsible for it
To record how many times the item has circulated
To show the item’s retail price and edition
To identify its shelving location and relative order within the collection
9. Four books share the Dewey number 641.5 and have the author marks ADA, BRO, CHE, and DIA. Which book belongs third?
CHE
BRO
ADA
DIA
10. When shifting books to relieve a crowded shelf, what should be preserved?
The visual grouping of books by height before call-number order
Only the order of books on the original shelf, even if adjacent shelves become mixed
Equal numbers of books on every shelf, regardless of call-number breaks
The full call-number sequence, with usable growth space distributed according to local practice
11. What does “shelf reading” mean in routine library work?
Reading a sample of books to judge their literary quality
Checking items in shelf order to find and correct misplacements
Scanning shelves only to count empty spaces
Reviewing circulation records to select popular titles
12. A tall volume has an “OVERSIZE” location marking in addition to its call number. Where should it normally go?
At the end of the nearest standard shelf, regardless of call number
In the designated oversize area, ordered there according to local rules
Flat on top of the bookcase so its spine remains visible
In the regular sequence with its top edge projecting beyond the shelf
13. Under standard Library of Congress ordering, which call number comes first?
QA 76
QA 7
QB 1
Q 180
14. Using standard Dewey Decimal numerical order, which sequence is correct from first to last?
398.19, 398.2, 398.21, 398.3
398.2, 398.19, 398.3, 398.21
398.19, 398.21, 398.2, 398.3
398.3, 398.21, 398.2, 398.19
15. A shelf shows 823.91, 823.9, and 823.92 in that order. What correction is needed under Dewey Decimal numerical ordering?
Move 823.92 before both other books
Move 823.9 before 823.91
No correction is needed because shorter labels follow longer ones
Move 823.91 after 823.92
16. A fiction section alphabetizes titles by the same author while ignoring initial articles such as “A” and “The.” Which order is correct?
Night Road, The Island, Winter, A Garden
The Island, A Garden, Night Road, Winter
A Garden, The Island, Night Road, Winter
Winter, Night Road, The Island, A Garden