Book and Film Numbers Used by the FamilySearch Library: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:55, 21 June 2013

Introduction[edit | edit source]

The Family History Library has used a few different methods to number its books and films since the library started in 1894. These old numbers for books and films are no longer used so the current numbers for the books and films must be determined.

There have been two systems for numbering books and three systems for numbering films.

Book Numbers[edit | edit source]

1. Previous book numbering system[edit | edit source]

The first numbering system for books used a topic code or a geographic code and a number, such as:

R8A21 (reference books began with an 'R')
NY 134 (a book about New York)
Eng 369 (a book about England)

The numbers were assigned in the order the book was received into the library's collection.

Family histories were grouped into classes 'A' or 'B', such as:

A5D8
B15A139

There was no direct corrolation between any of the letters in the call number and the surname of the family whom the book was about.

2. Current book numbering system[edit | edit source]

The current book numbering system is based on the universally recognized Dewey Decimal system, with only slight alterations. The Dewey Decimal system designator for histories is the 900 series. Since the majority of the library's books are historical in nature, the 900 series is used most in the library. Other designators seen in the library are:

000 series for general works (such as 030 for encyclopedias and 040 for biographies)
200 series for religion
400 series for language (including dictionaries)

The 940 series is for European histories. These include:

941 British Isles (in the Family History Library this is for Scotland and 941.5 for Ireland)
942 England & Wales in particular
943 Central Europe; Germany
944 France & Monaco
945 Italian Peninsula & adjacent islands
946 Iberian Peninsula & adjacent islands
947 Eastern Europe; Russia
948 Northern Europe; Scandinavia

For the United States and Canada, these are the designators:

970 General history of North America
971 Canada
972 Middle America; Mexico
973 United States
974 Northeastern United States
975 Southeastern United States
976 South central United States
977 North central United States
978 Western United States
979 Great Basin & Pacific Slope

All of these designators are used in the Family History Library with slight additions and variations. Within a region, such as 974 for Northeastern United States, an added period (.) and additional number designates a state within that region, such as 974.7 for New York state. Additional numbers after the .7 further narrow the designation to a county within the state. Another example would be 942.1 for the county of Middlesex in England.

The numbers may be followed by a slash and a letter and number, such as /A1. This last part indicates a city or town within a county. An example would be 942.1/L1 = London, Middlesex, England.

The remaining part of a book number indicates the subject of the book and the name of the author such as:

H2ab for a history by Benjamin Allen
X22b for a census index created by the Bedfordshire Family History Society

Microfilm Numbers[edit | edit source]

1. First numbering System[edit | edit source]

The first numbering system for films used an F (for film), then F.H. (for family history) or a geographic code, then a number or a letter and number and often a part number. A part number designated a separate film in a film series. Examples:

F F.H. 441
F Ga. 7
F Me. 11 pt. 289
F Pa. C 9f pt. 1
F Mass. H3
F N.Y. C 16b
F Vt. W 25a pt. 2

2. Second numbering system[edit | edit source]

The second numbering system was just numbers, starting at number 1, often with a part number attached. These numbers were also called "red numbers" because, for a number of years, the numbers were printed in red ink on the film boxes. Again a part number designated a separate film in a series of films. Examples:

1448
1379 pt. 4
2756 pt. 356
7079 pt. 2
2745
14505 pt. 1059

The tricky part of this system is how to know if a number without a part number -- such as 2745 -- is an old, red number or if it is a current number. Old, red numbers stopped at about 60,000, so any past that are current numbers.

3. Third numbering system[edit | edit source]

The current numbering system started over with number 1 and new films are assigned the next sequential number. No letters or part numbers are used. As the library now has over 2 million films in its collection, zeros are sometimes added on the front of a film number to make it a 7-digit number, but they are not needed. Numbers are good with or without the leading zeros. For example:

0000001
4821
20589
490682
2087254

Converting Old Film Numbers to New[edit | edit source]

Here are several ways to convert the old GS film numbers into the current Family History Library film numbers.

Use the "Old microfilm number conversion" charts in this wiki.
Search the The Family History Library Catalog by the locality or author of the record on the film.
Consult List of all film call numbers in the Genealogical Society from 1938 to April 1958, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Genealogical Society, Library Division. Available on fiche.
Use the old CD version of the catalog in the DOS version of FamilySearch. This version is available in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and may be available in a family history center near you. The center staff can help you convert the number.

If you need to convert an old GS book number, consult one of these resources, most of which are available on film or fiche.

Changed call numbers, Great Britain. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Library Division.
Changed numbers of American publications and United States. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Library Division.
Changed numbers of Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Library Division.
Changes of family history "A" group call numbers. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Library Division.
Changes of family history "B" group call numbers. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Library Division.
Contact the Family History Library.

@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 *7079 pt. 2
 *2745<br>
-*140
+*14505 pt. 1059
-The tricky part of this system is it is hard to know if a number -- such as 2745 -- is an old, red number without a part number or if it is a current number. Old, red numbers stopped at about 60,000, so any past that should be current numbers.
+The tricky part of this system is how to know if a number without a part number -- such as 2745 -- is an old, red number or if it is a current number. Old, red numbers stopped at about 60,000, so any past that are current numbers.
 ==== 3. Third numbering system  ====