Why is it that sometimes my search query retrieves built numbers that do not seem related to my original search? 

It’s a good rule of thumb to look at all Relative Index terms associated with built numbers.  (Relative Index terms are available at the bottom of each record.)  Because built numbers that only appear in the Relative Index do not have regular captions, the first (in alphabetical order) Relative Index entry associated with a built number is used as the caption.  In many cases, more than one index entry is associated with a built number, and an ellipsis (. . .) at the end of the “caption” in a built number record is your visual cue that more than one Relative Index entry exists for that number.  For example, the built number 635.93438 includes the caption, “Blackberry lily,” the first Relative Index term assigned to this number.  Let’s say that a librarian is classifying a gardening book about growing irises.  A search for “irises” in the All Fields index would retrieve this built number because Irises is one of the Relative Index terms assigned to this built number. 

Last revised: 31 January 2004