LC Call Numbers - Space Dot Space

What is this?

One pattern that can show up in LC call numbers in catalogs is a space followed by a dot followed by another space, like this:

  • HD251 . A7
  • E111 . .G350 1950
  • GN419.15 . D46 2007

Why is this trouble?

This is usually just slightly messy but may cause inconsistency in labeling and confusion in shelving, like this: 

GN       GN
419.15   419.15
.D46     .
2007     D46
         2007

Exceptions

I don't know of any well-formed call numbers matching this pattern.

How to Find

If you are in Alma, there is an analysis to search for this issue in the "Looking for Trouble" folder. Go to the "LC Call Numbers" folder and look for the "Space Dot Space" analysis. Many of these will also be caught by the Dot Space Letter analysis, but many may not appear there if they match common exceptions.

If you can search or filter your call numbers, search for " . ".