The books in the library are shelved by Dewey Decimal Classification (like what is used in most school and public libraries). Sometimes you can find books you did not know about by browsing the shelves. The books in the physical sciences are shelved under the following numbers:
- 520 Astronomy
- 520 Astronomy & allied sciences
- 521 Celestial mechanics
- 522 Techniques, procedures, apparatus, equipment, materials
- 523 Specific celestial bodies & phenomena
- 524 Not assigned or no longer used
- 525 Earth (Astronomical geography)
- 526 Mathematical geography
- 527 Celestial navigation
- 528 Ephemerides
- 529 Chronology
- 530 Physics
- 530 Physics
- 531 Classical mechanics
- 532 Fluid mechanics
- 533 Pneumatics (Gas mechanics)
- 534 Sound & related vibrations
- 535 Light & related radiation
- 536 Heat
- 537 Electricity & electronics
- 538 Magnetism
- 539 Modern physics
- 540 Chemistry
- 540 Chemistry & allied sciences
- 541 Physical chemistry
- 542 Techniques, procedures, apparatus, equipment, materials
- 543 Analytical chemistry
- 544 No longer used—formerly Qualitative analysis
- 545 No longer used—formerly Quantitative analysis
- 546 Inorganic chemistry
- 547 Organic chemistry
- 548 Crystallography
- 549 Mineralogy
- 550 Earth sciences & geology
- 550 Earth sciences
- 551 Geology, hydrology, meteorology
- 552 Petrology
- 553 Economic geology
- 554 Earth sciences of Europe
- 555 Earth sciences of Asia
- 556 Earth sciences of Africa
- 557 Earth sciences of North America
- 558 Earth sciences of South America
- 559 Earth sciences of Australasia, Pacific Ocean islands, Atlantic Ocean islands, Arctic islands, Antarctica, extraterrestrial worlds
- 560 Fossils & prehistoric life
- 560 Paleontology
- 561 Paleobotany; fossil microorganisms
- 562 Fossil invertebrates
- 563 Miscellaneous fossil marine & seashore invertebrates
- 564 Fossil Mollusca & Molluscoidea
- 565 Fossil Arthropoda
- 566 Fossil Chordata
- 567 Fossil cold-blooded vertebrates
- 568 Fossil Aves (birds)
- 569 Fossil Mammalia