The Numbers in Nonfiction

We have learned the recipe for making a nonfiction call number.

numbers (for the subject)

first three letters of the author’s last

name

Now let’s learn more about the numbers in a nonfiction call

number.

How do we know what number

goes with each subject ?By using something cool

called The Dewey Decimal System !!

The Dewey Decimal System is a tool used to sort

books intogroups or

categories

This system was invented by a man

named Melvil Dewey.

He was a librarian who lived long ago.

Sorting books by subject, what a brilliant idea!!

I think I’ve got it !!

10 general groups for sorting all of the subjects

General means broad, lots of

subjects will fit into each group.

Here are the 10 general groups for sorting books

in the Dewey Decimal System:

General Works Philosophy

Religion Social Studies

Language Science

Technology Arts and Leisure

Literature History/Geography

This seems like a lot to remember, but don’t worry you’ll learn it all quickly.

So let’s get going !!!!

000s-General WorksBooks that fit in this

group have many different subjects in them. Like: Encyclopedias or The Guinness Book

of Records

This is also where books on unexplained subjects would be found-like The Loch Ness Monster.

100s-PhilosophyBooks that fit in this group tell about how we think and feel.

200s-ReligionBooks in this group tell about different religions or stories from the bible.

300s-Social StudiesBooks in this group tell

about how people live together.

holidays and customsgovernment, military

Fairy tales and folk tales are also placed in the 300s. Many were written to teach a lesson about behavior

and.. That’s social studies.

400s-LanguageBooks in this group are about different languages or grammar.

noun

verb

adjective

500s-ScienceBooks in this group

are about things from nature.

600s-TechnologyThis group has books that are about man-made things.

700s-Arts and LeisureBooks in this group are

about things we do for fun.

800s-LiteratureBooks in this group

are stories, plays, or poetry.

This is the group fiction books were put in long ago when The Dewey Decimal System was first invented.

Today we have too many fiction books in our libraries to organize them in this way, so fiction books have their own way of being organized.You know, in ABC

order, by author !

900s-History/Geography

Books in this group tell about events of the past and countries of the world.

Biography- 921Don’t forget this group. It contains books about famous people’s lives.

Knowing these big groups will help make it easier to find the books you want in the nonfiction section.

Remember, nonfiction call numbers are placed in number order first, so that means all of the books about the same subject end up near each other on the shelf.That’s Smart !!!!

Let’s See What You’ve Learned

Call numbers help us find

the books we want to read !!!

1. What is the recipe for a nonfiction call number?Numbers (for the subject)

First three letters in the author’s last name

2. What system tells us what numbers go with each subject?

Dewey Decimal System

3. Who is responsible for inventing the Dewey Decimal System?

Melvil Dewey

4. Mr. Dewey matched a number with each _____________.

a) author

b) subject

c) title

5. All school libraries use the Dewey Decimal System.

a) false

b) true