Dewey Decimal System

What is Dewey Decimal System?

Dewey Decimal System

is a classification system that organizes information into ten general subject areas, which are broken into smaller and smaller topics.

Who invented Dewey Decimal System?

Melvil Dewey

invented the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system at the age of twenty one years old while working as a

student assistant in the library of Amherst College. invented the system to make it easy to find materials in all

libraries. He also founded the American Library Association.

The Dewey Decimal System is divided into ten categories/parts

The Dewey Decimal System (call numbers)

500-599 600-699 700-799 800-899 900-999

000-099 100-199 200-299 300-399 400-499

What is a call number?A call number is made up of the letters and numbers on the spine tag. A call number is the book’s address on the shelf.Call numbers are Dewey numbers.The call number might be all letters or some letters and some numbers

Fiction BooksFiction books DO have Dewey Call

numbers—books by American authors all have the Dewey number 810—but there are so many, we leave that off and they are shelved with call numbers E (first three letters of the author’s name, or F (first three letters of the author’s name)

FictionFiction Books are not trueEverybody book section or in the

Chapter books section.

Non-FictionNon-fiction Books are trueDewey section of our library.Not EVERY book in the Dewey

section is non-fiction. Fairy tales are fiction.

000-099 General Works000-Computers, The unexplained (UFOs, Big Foot)020-Internet030-Encyclopedias & Almanacs060-Museums070-Newspapers

100-199 Philosophy and Psychology130-Mysterious Happenings150-Optical Illusions170-Understanding Ourselves

200-299 Religion

220-Old Testament Bible Stories 230-New Testament Bible Stories 290-Mythology, World Religions

300-399 Social Sciences300-Social Issues320-Government330-Careers340-Court System350-Military Equipment360-Drugs, the environment370-Education380-History of Transportation390-Holidays, Folklore and Fables

400-499 Language410-Sign Language420-Dictionaries, Grammar490-Hieroglyphics

500-599 Science and Math 510-Science Experiments 520-Math 530-Physical science (motion) 540-Chemistry 550-Weather, Earthquakes and Volcanoes 560-Dinosaurs•570-Habitats/Biomes 580-Plants and trees 590-Wild animals

600-699 Science and Technology

600-Inventions610-The Human Body•620-Space ships, trains, and car630-Pets and farm animals640-Cookbooks, organizing, sewing650-Jobs and management660-Chemical technology670 and 680-Manufacturing690-Building

700-799 The Arts710-Landscape art720-Architecture730-Origami740-Drawing, crafts750-Painting•760-Print making770-Photography780-Music790-Sports

800-899 Literature810-Poetry, plays, jokes and riddles (American fiction goes here—the everybody books and the chapter books but we don’t put the numbers on!)820-Shakespeare and other books by British authors (Harry Potter)830-German literature840-French850-Italian860-Spanish870-Latin880-Greek and Roman890-Other languages

900-999 History and Geography900-American History910-Explorers920-Flags, Biographies930-Ancient Civilizations940-Knights, Castles, Europe, WWI and WWII950-Asia and the Middle East960-Africa970-North and Central America, State books980-South America990-The Pacific Islands, Australia

So….if you know the Dewey Decimal System you can….Find books to help you with researchFind books about things you think are fun!Find books for your hobbiesAnd even get better grades…

Happy Hunting!!!