BOOK NUMBERS 
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Biscoe time and Olin biografy book numbers 
biscoe time numbers This scheme provides for arranging books by 
years from 1000 B ¢—2000 A D. Each number consists of a single initial 
letter followd by figures, and these again, if necessary, by letters. Any 
year of the 19th century, in which the greater proportion of our books 
belong, is designated by a letter and single figure. For the 3 preceding 
centuries a letter and 2 figures are needed, only incunabula and ancient 
writings requiring a letter and 3 figures. Few characters are wasted for 
the period when few books were written, as A, B, and C cover the years 
to 1499 A D. 
To D, E, F, which stand for centuries, 2 figures must be added, the 
number for a book publisht in 1652 being E52; in 1507, Do. 
B, covering the first 10 centuries and C, covering 5 centuries, must be 
followd by 3 figures; thus a book issued in 1472 would be numberd Cy472. 
Table of Biscoe numbers 
A B.C. 
B A.D.i—999 
C 1000-1499 
1500-1599 
1600-1699 
1700-1799 
1800-1809 
1810-1819 
1820—18209 
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{ 
LT 
J 1830-1839 
& 1840-1849 
L 1850-1859 
M 1860-1869 
N 1870-1879 
Y) 1880-1889 
1890-1899 
1900-1909 
IQIO—IQIQ 
S 1920-1929 
T 1930-1939 
U 1940-1949 
V 1950-1059 
W 1960-1969 
1970-1979 
. 1980-1989 
4 1990-1999 
American books take their numbers from the last copyright date; English 
and other foren books, from date of publication: e. g. Dana’s Text book 
of geology, Phil. 1864, copyright ’63 has as its booknumber M3; edition 2 
of the same book publisht and copyrighted in 1874 is N4. Weller’s 
Portable atlas of physical geography, London 1873, is N3. 
A series or set takes its number from the first volume, even tho that 
may be lacking in the library set; e. g. Popular science monthly, v. 10-22, 
is Mz, the date of v. 1 not of v. 10. When more than one volume in the 
same class calls for the same number, these numbers are differentiated 
by adding lower case letters; e. g. Bradbury & Emery’s Academic algebra, 
Wells's Short course in higher algebra and Sensenig’s Numbers universalized, 
all publisht in 1889 call for Og. Supposing them to come into the library 
in the above order, Bradbury would be Og; Wells, Oga; Sensenig, Ogb. 
In a closely clast library additions to final subdivisions are seldom more 
than one a year. In the exceptional cases, use of a letter allows for 26 
additions; the numbers are therefore neither long nor complicated.. 
If in dout, an approximate date may be used and corrected later when 
full information is acquired. Hunting down obscure dates consumes a