Dewey Decimal Classification System

Presented to Seventh and Eight Grade Students

Developed by Paulina Kuforiji

Table of Content Introduction History of Melvil Dewey History of Dewey Decimal Classification System Other Developments of Dewey Decimal Classification

System How is the Dewey’s System Organized? Dewey Browse Locating Dewey’s Decimal Classification Call

Number Understanding A DDC Call Number Classifications in Dewey’s System Review References

History of Melvil Dewey Melville Louis Kossuth

Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 to a poor family who lived in a small town in upper New York state. He was interested in simplified spelling, he shortened his first name to from “Melville” to Melvil as a young adult. Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey

The “Father of Modern Librarianship.”

History of Dewey Decimal Classification System

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system is the world's most widely used library classification system.

Dewey invented the Decimal Classification system at the age of 21 in 1870.

This invention was published in 1876.

Other Developments of Dewey Decimal

Classification System Dewey changed librarianship from a

vocation to a modern profession. He helped establish the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876.

He was the associations secretary from 1876-1890 and its president for the 1890/1891 and 1892/1893 terms.

He was also co-founded and edited Library Journal.

How is the Dewey System organized?

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system provides a logical system organized by subjects.

It uses simple decimal notation to divide recorded knowledge into 10 main classes, and each category is 100 divisions and 1,000 sections.

Each group has a main title and is represented by three numbers.

Classifications of Dewey’s System

000-099General Works

100-199Psychology & Philosophy

200-299

Religion & Mythology

300-399Education & Social Sciences

400-499Language

500-599Natural Sciences & Mathematics

600-699Technology (Applied Science)

700-799Arts, Sports & Recreation 

800-899Literature & Rhetoric

900-999Geography, History & Travel

Classifications of Dewey’s System

Every Dewey Decimal (DDC) call number begins with three numbers (808), some with decimal numbers followed by various letters, and/or number combinations.

Numbers to the right of the decimal point in DDC call numbers are decimal numbers. Therefore, 808.042 comes before 808.0669.

Locating Dewey’s Decimal Classification

Call Number The Dewey Decimal

Classification call number can be easily found on the spine of the book

500Lee

200Bya

000Mea

Understanding A DDC Call Number

One of the best ways to learn to read the DDC numbers is by looking at the subject areas. The following example is an example of a book from the Columbus Library Collection.

Example: Fletcher, . How to

Write Your Life. Juv. Coll. 808.0669 Fle.

808 represents Literature & Rhetoric

000-099 – General Works

Encyclopedias Reference

Books Bibliographies

The numbers up to 099 are used for bibliographies, encyclopedias and other reference books.

100-199Psychology & Philosophy

Psychology Philosophy and Logic

Who am I? (Man thinks about himself.)

200-299Religion & Mythology

Christianity Other

Religions

Who made me? (Man thinks about God.)

300-399Education & Social

Sciences

Education History Law

Man thinks about other people.

400-499Language

English French Spanish Other Languages

How can I make that man understand me? PHILOLOGY (Language) (Man learns to communicate with others through words.)

500-599Natural Sciences &

Mathematics

Mathematics Earth sciences Plants Animals

How can I understand nature and the world about me? (Man learns to understand nature on the land, in the sea, and in the sky.)

600-699Technology (Applied

Science)

Medicine Agriculture Family

living

How can I use what I know about nature? APPLIED SCIENCE AND USEFUL ARTS (Technology)

700-799Arts, Sports & Recreation

Drawing Music Recreational

& performing arts

How can I enjoy my leisure time? Create and enjoy music, paint pictures, dance and play games.

800-899Literature & Rhetoric

American Literature

Old English Literature

Literatures of Other Languages

How can I give my children a record of man's heroic deeds? (Storytelling, create sagas, fables, epic poetry, and plays about man’s ancestors and groups of people.  Writing for people to read.)

900-999Geography, History & Travel

Geography Biographies Ancient History

How can I leave a record for men of the future? Man writes about travel, people, and events

Review Who created the Dewey

Decimal Classification System?

How is the Dewey’s System Organized?

Where do you find the DDCS number on a library book?

How many main classifications are there?

References

http://www.oclc.org/dewey/ http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/summaries/deweysummaries.pdf http://www.oclc.org/dewey/versions/ddc22print/intro.pdf http://mte.asd103.org/library/dewey/deweystory.htm http://www.mikids.com/Deweygroups.htm http://www.bclibrary.ca/VRD/helpdesk/dewey.php http://www.homeschoollearning.com/units/unit_09-10-01.shtml http://library.wcsu.edu/web/help/finding/dewey/ http://www.ipl.org.ar/youth/dewey/dewey.html http://www.moyak.com/researcher/resume/papers/dewey.html http://www.deweybrowse.org/ http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/blsymbols.htm http://learningat.ke7.org.uk/socialsciences/Psychology/PsyImages/

psylogo.jpg http://tinyurl.com/22f9nu