How to Make a Call Number for Your Fossils

Here's an instructable for all those fossil hunters out there who find a fossil and decide they want to label it with a call number.

First you need to find out what kind of fossil you have. There are many ways of doing this. I would recommend buying a fossil identification handbook. I have two and I would recommend that you have two books also. one for out in the field and a second for at home use.

Next you need to take that book and once you've found out what fossil you have you need to look up this information- Scientific Name, Informal Name, Order, Family, State, Type Of Rock, Range.

Now here's where you make the call number. Ok first you take the date that you found the rock. That date would be 11/21/08. Alright now to make the first part of the call number remove the slashes out of the date and you get this 112108. Now there you go that was the easy part of the call number.

Next you take the first letter out of all the first letters of the fossils info. in this order. Scientific Name, Informal Name, Order, Family. Ok so now your call number should look something like this....112108-CBSPC.

Ok now you just take the first letters of the info- State, Type of Rock, and the Range. Now your call number will be finished and look something like this....... 112108-CBSPC-NYMSCP........