The Gangwish Library Catalog provides records of all hard-copy books, periodicals and electronic resources held at the library in Ottawa, KS.
The OPAC Discovery Service webpage and video tutorial provided below contain useful information over how to use the library catalog's many features.
The Dewey Decimal Cataloging System (DDC) coordinates materials on the same subject and on related subjects to make items easier to find on the shelves by using a combination of letters and numbers.
The Dewey system has ten main classes, which are listed below:
Each of the above classes each has ten divisions. These divisions are further divided--and then further divided. Each division becomes more specific. The more numbers added to call number, the more specific the subject. In this way, the Dewey classification system progresses from the general to the specific. For a detailed summary for each number see the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The decimal place is used to make the number even more specific.
In the Gangwish Library, we make use of several abbreviations in our catalog on books on our shelves to designate where they might be found in the library or what collections they belong to.
What do the Letters in front of the Dewey Number at the Gangwish Library Mean?
ATLAS Map
J Juvenile Books
R Reference Books
L Leisure Books
Oversized Large Books
P Periodical
The Master’s Thesis
VHS Video recording
DVD DVD recording
If you have a question about where to find a book or what the Dewey number is for a specific subject, we have pamphlets at the desk and on the wall that can help you to locate a book. Otherwise, feel free to ask any of the library staff for their help to locate the material for you.
