do we know dewey?

Do We Know Dewey?

Using the Dewey Decimal System in the Media Center

Melvil Dewey, a librarian, invented the Dewey Decimal Classification System in 1846 to sort books by subject.

How does it work?

There are always three numbers to the left of the decimal point.

These organize information into 10 general classes, which are then broken down into smaller topics.

The numbers to the right organize subjects even more specifically.

000 Computer Science, Information and General Works

Books in this group have many different subjects

Computers and the Internet

EncyclopediasWorld RecordsReferencesNews MediaRare BooksUnexplained Subjects

100 Philosophy and PsychologyEmotions and FeelingsSupernatural EventsAstrology

200 Religion 220 = Bible Stories221 = Old Testament225 = New Testament

290 = World Religions296 = Judaism

The TENS and ONES numbers separate each class into divisions and sections.

300 Social Sciences

How people live together

HolidaysCustomsGovernment Military

Fun Fact!

Fairy and folk tales were written to teach lessons about behavior –

that’s Social Studies!

400 Language

Different Languages and Grammar

500 Natural Science and Math

MathematicsThings from Nature

Earth SciencesPlants

Animals

600 Technology (Applied Sciences)

Man Made ThingsAnd Inventions

Human BodyMedicineSpace ScienceFarmingAgricultureFamily LivingPetsCooking

630 contains:FarmingFarm AnimalsCatsDogsPetsHorses

Fun Fact!

It’s the numbers AFTER the decimal point that organize these into more

specific categories!

636.1 = Horses636.7 = Dogs636.8 = Cats636.9 = Pets

That way all the cats are with the cats and not with the

chickens or ducks!

700 Arts and LeisureThings we do for fun!

DrawingMusicRecreational and Performing ArtsSports

796.323 = Basketball796.332 = Football796.357 = Baseball796.44 = Gymnastics796.962 = Hockey

The more numbers after the decimal point, the more specific the category!

Cheerleaders and Girls

Gymnastics don’t belong

mixed in with Football or

Hockey – they could

get hurt!

800 Literature and Rhetoric

StoriesPlaysPoetryAmerican LiteratureOld English Literature

Fun Fact!“Fiction” books can be placed in

813 – American Fiction.

Because there are so many,it’s easier to keep them

Under F for Fiction and then by Author, Series and Title.

900 Geography and History

Past EventsCountries of World

Biographies 920 - 928

Are shelved alphabetically by the subject’s last name, not by the author!

Fun Fact!

Books are shelved NUMERICALLY by:1. The first three numbers BEFORE

the decimal point2. Then by the numbers AFTER the

decimal point

After books are grouped numerically, they are organized ALPHABETICALLY by:

1. The AUTHOR’s last name2. The TITLE of the book

Information for this presentation was obtained from several free school and library internet sources including Wikipedia, Language arts at pppst.com, thinkquest.org, mikids.com, and breitlinks.com.

Featured books were chosen randomly from the shelves, photographed and extracted by myself (some better than others).

Copyright 2013 by Natalie RS McManus