Dewey Decimal System

The Dewey Decimal System is a way to organize the library so you can find books easily

This way to find books was invented by Melvil Dewey

The Dewey Decimal System is divided into ten categories, or

parts

The Dewey Decimal System (call numbers)

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

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

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.

What is a call number?

• The call number might be all letters or some letters and some numbers

Fiction Books

Fiction 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 (+ the first

three letters of the author’s name), or FIC (+ the first three letters of the author’s name)

Fiction

• Fiction Books are not true--these are stories that someone has made up.

• We can find fiction books in the Everybody book section [our picture book section] or in the FICtion section [our chapter book section] in our library.

Non-Fiction • Non-fiction Books are true--these

are real stories or informational books.

• We can find non-fiction books in the Dewey section of our library.

• Not every book in the Dewey section is non-fiction. For example, fairy tales are fiction, but shelved in the non-fiction section (398.2). So are poems (811).

000-099 General Works

• 000-Computers, The unexplained (UFOs, Big Foot)

• 020-Internet

• 030-Encyclopedias & Almanacs

• 060-Museums

• 070-Newspapers

100-199 Philosophy and Psychology

• 130-Mysterious

Happenings

• 150-Optical Illusions

• 170-Understanding Ourselves

200-299 Religion

• 220-Old Testament Bible Stories

• 230-New Testament Bible Stories

• 290-Mythology, World Religions

300-399 Social Sciences

• 300-Social Issues

• 320-Government

• 330-Careers

• 340-Court System

• 350-Military Equipment

• 360-Drugs, the environment

• 370-Education

• 380-History of Transportation

• 390-Holidays, Folklore and Fables

400-499 Language

• 410-Sign Language

• 420-Dictionaries, Grammar

• 490-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-Inventions

• 610-The Human Body • 620-Space ships, trains, and cars • 630-Pets and farm animals • 640-Cookbooks, organizing, sewing • 650-Jobs and management • 660-Chemical technology • 670 and 680-Manufacturing • 690-Building

700-799 The Arts + Recreation

• 710-Landscape art

• 720-Architecture

• 730-Origami

• 740-Drawing, crafts

• 750-Painting

• 760-Print making

• 770-Photography

• 780-Music

• 790-Sports

800-899 Literature • 810-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 literature • 840-French • 850-Italian • 860-Spanish • 870-Latin • 880-Greek and Roman • 890-Other languages

900-999 History and Geography

• 900-American History

• 910-Explorers

• 920-Flags, Biographies

• 930-Ancient Civilizations

• 940-Knights, Castles, Europe, WWI and WWII

• 950-Asia and the Middle East

• 960-Africa

• 970-North and Central America, State books

• 980-South America

• 990-The Pacific Islands, Australia

So….if you know the Dewey Decimal System you can….

• Find books to help you with research • Find books about things you think are

fun! • Find books for your hobbies • And even get better grades…

Happy Hunting!