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Article issued September 11, 2001
Dewey Decimal System
Part 2 of a 2-Part Series
There are many books on many different subjects on the shelves of libraries all over the world. Most libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification System to categorize their nonfiction collections, making it easy for the user to locate the materials they need. How does the Dewey Decimal System work?
The Dewey Decimal System is a method of arranging library books and materials in order on the shelves. Melvil Dewey invented this system for nonfiction books. There are ten divisions or categories. Each category holds books about the same subject. Each division is divided again and once again.
The first level of the Dewey Decimal System is categorized by 100s. The ten main classes are:
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Languages
500 Science
600 Applied science
700 Arts
800 Literature
900 History
The second level of each of the above categories is then divided up into 10's. For example, the divisions for science are:
500 Natural sciences
510 Mathematics
520 Astronomy
530 Physics
540 Chemistry
550 Earth sciences
560 Palaeontology
570 Life sciences
580 Botany
590 Zoology
A third level of categorization is delineated by 1's. For example, the delineation for Mathematics is:
510 Mathematics
511 General principles
512 Algebra & number theory
513 Arithmetic
514 Topology
515 Analysis
516 Geometry
519 Probabilities & applied mathematics
Dewey's system brought much-needed order to libraries. Prior to the Dewey Decimal System, libraries used haphazard and various ways to shelve the nonfiction collections. In some libraries, the books were organized by size: tall books together, then medium-size books, then short books. In other libraries, books were shelved according to date of purchase. A reader had to look in many places to find all the books on the same subject.
Each book (or other library item) has its own "call number", consisting of numbers and letters, assigned according to the Dewey Decimal System. Call numbers are usually found on labels on the spines of books. They tell us the location of the book on the shelves, and also the general topic of the book.
Learn more about the ten main categories and subdivisions at James Hardiman Library. A full listing can be found at Thompson-Nicola Regional District Library System Web page
Learn more!
General Resources about the Dewey Decimal System
LESSON 1:
Getting to Know the Dewey Decimal System
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, numeration systems, decimals, classifying and categorizing.
Lesson:
There are ten main divisions in the Dewey Decimal System. Once you become familiar with these divisions, you will be able to find books on any subject by just browsing through your library's nonfiction shelves.
Learn more about the main categories in the Dewey Decimal System by visiting The Dewey Decimal Classification System http://www.tnrdlib.bc.ca/dewey.html#000. Then complete the Getting to Know Dewey worksheet. The Answer Key is here.
LESSON 2:
Delve into the Dewey Divisions
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, classification and numeration systems.
Lesson:
Each of the ten main categories of the Dewey Decimal System is divided into ten subdivisions. The 500's, Pure Science, is a great place to see how the
subdivisions are arranged. Learn more about the subdivisions of the Dewey Decimal System and demonstrate your knowledge by completing Examine the 500's worksheet Correct answers can be found on this page.
LESSON 3:
Where Does This Book Belong?
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, developing skills for locating books in the library.
Lesson:
Every day people search the shelves of their libraries for books. Librarians make it easier to find the titles people need by categorizing nonfiction books according to the Dewey Decimal System.
Students can become more comfortable with browsing the library shelves by completing the Where Does It Belong? worksheet. The Answer Key appears here. Students will need a copy of the Dewey Decimal Classification System that includes class names and numbers.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 4:
Dewey Mural
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, classifying, and numeration systems
Lesson:
Prepare for the lesson by gathering pictures that "fit" different Dewey categories (ex: cars, planes, doctors, pets, etc., for 600s.) You can cut the pictures out of old magazines or newspapers or print some from clip art collections or Web sites.
Get a BIG piece of paper & divide it into the main Dewey categories:100s, 200s, etc. Give your student(s) a handout describing the categories and a batch of pictures to paste onto the appropriate part of the mural paper. When the mural is complete, discuss the placements and fix errors.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 5:
Read Your Way Down the Dewey Path
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, silent reading, developing skills for locating information, and written and oral book reports.
Lesson:
It's time to visit your local library or bookstore. Have your student find and read at least one book from each of the ten main Dewey categories. You will need to provide a printout of the categories. After reading the book, the student may write a brief synopsis or give an oral report. Creative reports should be encouraged. The learner may want to make a diorama, write a play, make an electronic slide show or develop a game about the book. Keep track of progress by having your student fill in a Dewey Path reading log upon completion of each book report. This lesson will take many weeks to complete.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 6:
Understanding the Dewey "Decimal" System
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, numeration and decimals.
Lesson:
Many books in the nonfiction section of the library contain decimals in their call numbers. This lesson will point out why it is necessary to use decimal points and the numbers following them to categorize information and it will explain how books having these numbers are arranged on the shelves.
First, have students read about the use of decimal points in library classification to further subdivide subjects in the nonfiction section. Take a look at the Web site Let's Dew It and read through to the explanation of the use of numbers after the decimal point on the "General to Specific" page.
Math teachers would read the number 597.3 as "five hundred ninety-seven and three tenths". Librarians would say "five hundred ninety-seven point three".
The number 641.543 can be translated in math class as "six hundred forty-one and five hundred forty-three thousandths". A librarian would read it as " six hundred forty-one point five four three".
Nonfiction books are arranged from the lowest number to the highest number. If books have the same first three digits you must look at the numbers following the decimal point to arrange them in the correct order. When books have the same exact numbers on the top line of the shelf label, look at the second line to arrange them in the correct order.
Practice with your students by creating some of your own call numbers and having them put them in the correct order under your direction.
After the learner demonstrates a basic understanding of the concept, have him or her complete the Dewey Order worksheet. Click here for the answer key.
As an alternative or extension to this lesson, visit a library and pull some books from the shelves. Ask your child to arrange the books in the correct order. If the library permits, learners may even re-shelve the books to enhance the lesson.
Additional Resources:
- Turrell, Linda. The Complete Library Skills: Grade 6. T.S. Dennison & Company, Inc., Minneapolis, 1994.
- "Do We" Really Know Dewey?
Article by Valerie Guarini, HLN Curriculum Development
Article © Homeschool Learning Network, All Rights Reserved.
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