The Dewey Decimal Classification System

1. The Dewey Decimal Classification System

2. So…what IS the Dewey Decimal System?? •The Dewey Decimal System is a system of call numbers used to ORGANIZEnon-fiction books in the library. Question: What is a call number and where do you find one?

3. A Call Number is… …a group of numbers and/or letters put together to tell you where in the library to find your book. A call number is located at the bottom of the book on the spine. Call numbers are in numerical order.  For example: 590, 591, 592 But how does this help you find your book?

4. There are lots of subjects books can be about. Some subjects have nothing in common—like wolves and cookbooks. Others are very similar—like flowers and trees. Dewey grouped all the similar subjects together. He settled on ten big groups of subjects. Then he assigned a number to those big subjects. This first basic classification looks like this:

5. Dewey’s 10 Main Categories: 000 Generalities (Reference) 100 Philosophy & Psychology 200 Religion & Mythology 300 Social Sciences & Folklore 400 Languages 500 Science & Math 600 Technology (applied science) 700 Arts & Recreation 800 Literature 900 Geography & History

6. Here is an example of the breakdown in the 500 section:

7. Categories go from “broader” to “more specific” • 900 Geography and History • General history of North America • 976 General history of North America: • South Central United States • 976.8 Tennessee • 976.873 Anderson County

8. Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out how Dewey Decimal Numbers work on the library shelves. HINT: THINK MONEY!!!! AS IN DOLLARS AND CENTS!!! If you aren’t sure whether 919.65 is shelved before or after 919.57, THINK MONEY. Which is larger, $919.65, or $919.57? Smaller Bigger So on the shelf, these two books will look like this: 919.57 919.65 ($919.57) ($919.65)

9. Choose the correct order the books should be on the library shelf: A. B. C. 398 389.6 399.2 199 532 552.2 206.9 522.1 119 522.1 532 552.2 199 119 206.9 398 389.6 399.2

10. Wait! There are also letters on the spine labels along with the numbers. WHY?

11. Here is one reason: Subject/Author: Sometimes you don’t want just ANY book about dinosaurs, you want the ones by Don Lessem. So printed just below the Dewey number on the spine of the book there are three letters: *First 3 letters of the author’s last name.* The Dewey Number + the three letters = the “call number.” This is the address for the book! 567.9LES

12. This is the easy way to look at the book’s address: 567.9LES The SUBJECT The AUTHOR

13. But wait, there is more… FICTION works the same way: At LCMS, we use FIC to designate Fiction. On the spine you’ll see: 1. FIC on the top line 2. The first three letters of the author’s last name below. A novel by Walter Dean Myers has the “call number” FIC MYE. FICMYE

14. Yes, there is still more…. BIOGRAPHIES are DIFFERENT! At LCMS, the Dewey Number for BIOGRAPHY is 921. The three letters below the 921 are the first three letters of the SUBJECT’s last name, not the author’s. So all the books about Benjamin Franklin have the same call number: 921 FRA. 921FRA

15. Finally, always remember: IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR IN THE LIBRARY, ASK THE LIBRARIAN!