The books and media of the library are arranged by topic using the Regensburg classification scheme (RVK).
Each book and medium is assigned a class number (notation). This results in an 'address' of sorts, which is expressed in the shelf mark, a combination of numbers and letters on the signature label on the book/medium.
You can look up subject codes for the classification scheme in Regensburg Verbundklassifikation Online.
The notation is the part of the shelf mark that says something about the content of the book. For instance, in the shelf mark 65/HR 1010 H816, the notation HR 1010 stands for 'General literature, compendia, authors' handbooks for English and American Studies'
Please check the back of the map for an overview of the library and shelf locations by class number and subject. Downloadable pdf map
Reading rooms
The majority of holdings are openly accessible in the reading rooms or the Book Tower. The Regensburg classification scheme ensures that related topics are located next to each other. Borrowing from the reading room collection
Closed stacks
A large part of the holdings is not freely accessible but located in the closed stacks. Items from the stacks must be requested in Passau Search Portal and then fetched from the collection area or the check-out desk of the Regional Library, as indicated in the request. Borrowing from the closed stacks
Reserve collections
Books and other media with three-digit location codes are part of a professor's reserve collection. To access these items you will generally have to contact the relevant professor's office.
Items in the reading rooms and closed stacks are arranged using a systematic classification scheme – each item has its own prescribed place. The shelf mark is the 'address' of the item, consisting of a combination of letters and numbers. The shelf mark is affixed to the book or other media.
The shelf mark consists of the location code, the notation according to the Regensburg classification scheme and an individual code for the author's name or beginning of the title, the volume and/or edition number (if applicable) and the number of copies.
see also Location code
| 64 | GN | 3722 | C981 |
| Location code | Notation indicating the subject: German Studies, modern period, 1946-1990 | Sub-classification: secondary sources on Elias Canetti | Coded version of the author's name: Curtis |
