Dewey Decimal ClassificationFaculty In-service

Dear Teachers:

• Today, we will be reviewing the Dewey Decimal Classification system as you likely learned in your own schooling.

• We will then take the classification system to the next level by discussing how to classify websites for easy access on our new teacher webpage.

• This PowerPoint will be placed on the intranet server for your reference at a later date.

• You will also be able to use the information here to help your students better use the library for their work in your class.

Dewey Basics

• Dewey proposed that all knowledge could be summarized into 10 main classes.

• His system, developed in 1876, is still used by most K-12 school and public libraries.

• As our knowledge has expanded, the classification scheme has evolved, but all materials still have a place in the system.

Why classify?

• Breaking down resources into categories makes it easier to locate an item.

• Categories are subject driven, making it more likely that the material meets the user’s specific needs.

• An objective, universal system means that users do not have to figure out how each collection is arranged.

Call Numbers

• These are essentially the book’s “address,” an identifying mark to know where the book belongs.

• They are found on a “spine label” at the bottom of the outside edge of the book.

• In our media center, the spine label gives the call number, a colored dot to indicate its location in the media center, and an Accelerated Reader label, if applicable.

Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Basic/whatcn.htm

The Main Classes

Retrieved from http://www.demco.com/goto?BLK11148

000:Computer science, information, and general works

Includes:• Library and

information sciences• Encyclopedias• Associations,

organizations, museums

• Quotations

100:Philosophy and psychology

Includes:• Metaphysics• Parapsychology and

occultism• Logic• Ethics

Learn more about Owen and Mzee at http://www.owenandmzee.com/omweb/

200:Religion

Includes:• The Bible• Christian theology• Christian practices• Other religions

300:Social sciences

Includes:• Statistics• Political science• Economics• Law• Social problems• Education• Customs, etiquette,

and folklore

Read reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Henry-Picture-Puffins-Julius-Lester/dp/0140566228/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332298233&sr=1-1

400:Language

Includes:• Linguistics• English• German• French• Italian• Spanish• Latin• Greek• Others

500:Science

Includes:• Mathematics• Earth sciences• Physical sciences• Life sciences• Botany• Zoology• Fossils by Seymour Simon

Want to learn more about this book? Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Storms-Reading-Rainbow-Books-Seymour/dp/0688117082/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332298506&sr=1-1

600:Technology

Includes:• Medicine and health• Engineering• Agriculture and

animal husbandry• Manufacturing• Building and

constructionWant to know if this fits your curriculum? Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/American-Plague-Terrifying-Epidemic-Newbery/dp/0395776082

700:Arts and recreation

Includes:• Landscaping• Architecture• Sculpture, drawing,

and painting• Music• Sports and games• Entertainment

800:Literature

Includes:• Rhetoric and criticism• Poetry• Drama• Fiction• Speeches• Letters

900:History and geography

Includes:• Travel• Biography• Genealogy• History divided by

geographic location

Review

Choose one of the following games to review the classification. Try to race a friend to get them done!• http://www.quia.com/mc/7265.html• http://www.quia.com/cc/7265.html

Post-test practice

As one of our main purposes is to gather and class websites for teachers to use, try to determine to which class the following sites would belong.1. Wikipedia.org2. Gray’s Anatomy (http://www.bartleby.com/107/)3. World Cup Soccer (http://

www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html)4. Spanish Dictionary (http://www.spanishdict.com/)5. The Presidents (http://

www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents)

References

• Aliki. (1999). William Shakespeare and the Globe. New York: HarperCollins.

• DEMCO. Dewey decimal contemporary posters. Retrieved from http://www.demco.com/goto?BLK11148

• Dewey, M. (2004). Abridged Dewey decimal classification and relative index (14th ed.). Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.

• Georgia Performance Standards for Science – Grade 6. Retrieved from https://

www.georgiastandards.org/standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/SixthGradeRevisedStandards.pdf

• Georgia Performance Standards for Science – Grade 7. Retrieved from https://

www.georgiastandards.org/standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/SeventhGradeRevised2006.pdf

• Giblin, J. (1993). The riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to ancient Egypt. New York: HarperCollins.

• Hatkoff, I., Hatkoff, C. & Kahumbu, P. (2007). Owen and Mzee: The language of friendship. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

• Heiligman, D. (1998). The New York Public Library kid’s guide to research. New York: Scholastic

Reference.

• Lester, J. (1994). John Henry. New York: Puffin Books.• Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and

terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books.

• Quia quizzes. Retrieved from www.quia.com• Simon, S. (1992). Storms. New York: Scholastic, Inc.• Tibballs, G. (1997). The Titanic. New York: Reader’s

Digest.• Tubb, J. (1991). Bible lands. London: Dorling

Kindersley.• “What is a call number?” Retrieved from

http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Basic/whatcn.htm