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Understanding the Dewey Decimal System
Mrs. Paula McMullen
Library Teacher
Norwood Public Schools
Who was Melvil Dewey?
Developed the Dewey Decimal System in 1876.
Founded the American Library Association.
Set up the first professional library school.
8/12/2009 2Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
What Drove Dewey Crazy?
Not being able to find books easily on the library shelves,
So he developed a better way to find books – and named it after himself!
8/12/2009 3Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
What is the Dewey System?
System developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876 to organize books.
Divides all knowledge into ten large categories.
Each category is divided into tendivisions and then into ten subdivisions.
Every book can be placed in a category, and then into a division and subdivision.
8/12/2009 4Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Dewey Categories
Let’s look at how Dewey divided all knowledge into ten large categories, each with 100 numbers assigned to it:
8/12/2009 5Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
(000-999)Ten Dewey Categories
000-099 – Generalities
100-199 – Philosophy & Psychology
200-299 – Religion & Mythology
300-399 – Social Sciences
400-499 – Languages
500-599 – Natural Sciences
600-699 – Applied Sciences & Technology
700-799 – Fine Arts
800-899 – Literature
900-999 – History, Geography & Biography
8/12/2009 6Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
(500-599)Natural Sciences Category
Let’s see how Dewey divided the Natural Sciences Category into ten smaller divisions, each with ten numbers assigned to it:
8/12/2009 7Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Divisions in Natural Sciences
510 - Mathematics
520 - Astronomy
530 - Physics
540 - Chemistry
550 - Earth Sciences
560 - Paleontology
& Paleozoology
570 - Biology
580 - Botany
590 - Zoology
8/12/2009 8Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
(550-559)Earth Sciences Division
Let’s look at how Dewey divided the smaller Earth Sciences division of the Natural Sciences category into ten even smaller subdivisions, each with a single number assigned to it:
8/12/2009 9Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Subdivisions in Earth Sciences
550 - Earth Sciences
551 - Geology, hydrology, meteorology
552 - Rocks & Minerals
553 - Economic geology
554 - Earth sciences of Europe
555 - Earth sciences of Asia
556 - Earth sciences of Africa
557 - Earth sciences of North America
558 - Earth sciences of South America
559 - Earth sciences of other areas
8/12/2009 10Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Rocks & Minerals Subdivision
Let’s see how Dewey assigns the same three-digit number to books about rocks:
8/12/2009 11Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
552 – Rocks & Minerals
All books that are about rocks will have this Dewey number:
552
8/12/2009 12Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
How Does it Work?
Dewey uses a “code” of numbers.
Each book is put in a category, division, and subdivision according to its subject.
Each book is given a three-digit number.
5 – Natural Sciences
5 – EarthSciences
2 – Rocks &Minerals
552 MCM
8/12/2009 13Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Why is it called the Dewey “Decimal” System?
Additional digits after the decimal point further narrow the subject.
Books on a specific subject have the same number and are next to each other on the shelf.
567.95 – natural sciences
6 – paleontology &
paleozoology
7 – fossil cold-blooded
vertebrates
.9 – dinosaurs
8/12/2009 14Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
How does Dewey help us find books?
Books on the same subject are given the same Dewey number.
All books on the same subject are shelved together.
Books are arranged in number order from 000-999.
8/12/2009 15Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Ten Dewey Categories
Let’s look at the ten categories of the Dewey Decimal System and see the kinds of books we would find in them:
8/12/2009 16Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
000-099Generalities
8/12/2009 17Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
100-199Philosophy & Psychology
8/12/2009 18Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
200-299Religion & Mythology
8/12/2009 19Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
300-399Social Sciences
8/12/2009 20Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
400-499Languages
8/12/2009 21Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
500-599Natural Sciences
8/12/2009 22Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
600-699Applied Science & Technology
8/12/2009 23Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
700-799The Arts
8/12/2009 24Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
800-899Literature
8/12/2009 25Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
900-999Geography, History & Biography
8/12/2009 26Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Let’s Review Dewey!
Books on the same subject are given the same Dewey number.
All books on the same subject are shelved together.
Books are arranged in number orderfrom 000-999.
8/12/2009 27Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
Don’t Forget Fiction Books!
Fiction books have not been given Dewey numbers.
The call number for a fiction book is “F” and letters from the author’s last name.
Fiction books are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.
8/12/2009 28Mrs. Paula McMullen, library
teacher, Norwood Public Schools
