The Montvale Free Public Library

There are four lines of letters (or letters and numbers) on each label, followed by a line with CD plus the year the Library purchased the item. There is a specific reason for each of the first four lines.
       First line -- Groups related recordings by musical form
       Second line -- First letters of composer, performer or group
       Third line -- First letters of keywords of the title
       Fourth line -- First letter of performer (or conductor) followed by the last two digits of the manufacturer's number

Say what?????

O.K. Here are two examples from the Library's collection....

This is the album Me and Mr. Johnson by Eric Clapton
(Reprise Records, c2004)

Here are the letters found on the cd's label, plus explanations for each line:

What's on the label	What it all means
MB	MB is the category for Blues
CLAP	CLAP is for Clapton
MMJ	MMJ comes from the title
C3-2	C for Clapton, plus #s from the cd manufacturer's number
CD2004	When the Library purchased it

This is the Broadway cast album of The Producers,
starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick
(Sony Classical, c2001)

Here are the letters found on the cd's label, plus explanations for each line:

What's on the label	What it all means
K	K is the category for Broadway shows
BROO	BROO is for the composer
PROD	PROD comes from the title
B46	B for Brooks, plus #s from the cd manufacturer's number
CD2004	When the Library purchased it

Want to see a complete listing of all the ANSCR codes used by the Library?

Well, it sort of makes sense. But what's this "BOX" I sometimes see on a label?

For a boxed collection of cds (think operas) that does not fit easily in the browser bins, the Library adds the term "BOX." These boxed sets are shelved just above the browser bins.

O.K., I get the categories. But how are the categories organized in the browser bins?

Remember your alphabet? That's how the categories are arranged.

Within each bin there are four sections. Start with the first section on the left, and the cds are arranged alphabetically from front to back within that section. Compare the cd labels line by line: If the first lines are the same, look at the second lines. If the first and second lines are the same, look at the third lines. Etc., etc., etc.

So this, for example:

MA
MCCAR
LWR
M29

would come before this:

MA
SPRING
TJ
S29

which would come before this:

MA
SPRING
VM
S14

When you've finished searching the first section, move to the one immediately to the right. When you've finished searching all four sections, go to the browser bin immediately BELOW the one you just searched. Again, work from left to right.

No browser bin below? Shift to your right and start at the top!