Cutter numbers
What Is a Cutter-Sanborn Number?
A Cutter-Sanborn author number is a compact filing device derived from a name or other filing entry. In a library that uses it, the mark helps arrange items within a class. It answers a different question from the class number: where should this entry file among its neighbors?
Separate the subject from the filing entry
Think of a cataloging worksheet with two separate decisions. First, a cataloger chooses a class number for the content. Next, the cataloger establishes the entry used for arrangement within that class. The author number belongs to the second decision. A surname alone cannot tell a program whether a book concerns chemistry, local history, or library management.
For a fictional teaching label, read 025.3 / B556c / 2026 as three parts: an illustrative class, an author mark with a title workmark, and a year. This is a constructed example, not a catalog record for a published book. The letter c here represents the title word “Cataloging”; it is not a copy number.
What the generator actually does
LibCatalogTools compares a normalized surname, optionally followed by a first initial, with its bundled table entries. It uses the last entry at or before that search string in its sorted lookup. The screen displays the matching entry so you can inspect the basis of the result. A generated match is a candidate to review against your catalog.
The current implementation uses two initial letters for names beginning with S or a vowel and one for other names. DDC mode can add a lowercase title workmark. These are application behaviors to compare with your local author-number practice; they are not a claim that every library uses the same construction.
Cutter-Sanborn and LC Cutters are different workflows
Do not assume that changing the display to LC converts a Cutter-Sanborn lookup into an LC shelflisting decision. The LC Cutter table is a different guide, and the final LC number depends on the existing shelflist. See the Library of Congress explanation.
In practice, retain a verified number already assigned to the appropriate edition when your institution accepts it. When establishing a new mark, examine nearby entries and record any local adjustment. A tool-generated number that disrupts shelf order needs review even when it looks plausible.
Try a small review exercise
- Choose one book already cataloged by your library and note its established filing entry.
- Enter that name in the generator and compare the displayed table match with your existing mark.
- Check the records immediately before and after it in the same class.
- Write down whether a difference comes from the table, title workmark, digit length, or a local adjustment.
This comparison is more informative than testing an unfamiliar name with no shelf context. It also gives new staff a concrete example of why automatic formatting and cataloging judgment are separate tasks.
Frequently asked questions
Is an author number unique to one person?
No. Names may share a mark, and marks can be used in different classes. A Cutter is not a personal identifier.
Does every call number contain a Cutter-Sanborn number?
No. Libraries use different arrangements, including LC Cutters, alphabetical filing, and local schemes.
References and further reading
Official references support the standards discussed here. Worked examples and local workflow suggestions are instructional illustrations.