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Article issued September 10, 2001
Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Decimal Classification System
Part 1 of a 2-Part Series
If it weren't for Melvil Dewey, finding the books you want in the library might be as frustrating as looking for a needle in a haystack. Dewey invented a system of grouping books of similar subjects together, classified by numbers. His invention, called the Dewey Decimal System, brought much-needed order to libraries.
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey, the youngest of five children, was born on December 10, 1851, in a small town in northern New York. Later he shortened his first name to Melvil, dropped his middle names and, for a short time, even spelled his last name as Dui.
As a child, Dewey loved to organize and sort things and also had a talent for mathematics. He attended Amherst College where he worked in the library to help pay for his education. Dewey was dismayed at the way books were arranged. Arrangements varied from library to library but in all cases, users had to look in many places to find books on the same subject. Melvil worked towards improving library classification systems. Combining his zeal for math and his orderliness, he invented the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) System when he was twenty-one, working as a student assistant in the Amherst College Library. Upon graduation, he became a librarian at the college.
Before Dewey developed his classification system there was no uniform system used in libraries This irked Dewey, a proponent of order and simplicity. He developed a way to classify books that would work for all libraries. Dewey devised a system of Arabic numbers and decimals to categorize books according to subject. He received permission from Amherst to apply his new system to the college library. Amherst published his system in a pamphlet entitled "A Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library" which is now in its 21st edition and has expanded to fill four large volumes.
Dewey's work created a revolution in library science and set in motion a new era of librarianship. Melvil Dewey well deserves to be considered the father of modern librarianship.
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General Resources about Melvil Dewey
The Dewey Decimal Classification System
The Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) is a system that classifies or categorizes nonfiction books into ten main divisions. These classes are further divided into ten subdivisions and the use of decimals allows for additional categories. A book is assigned a Dewey number based on its subject matter. In most libraries the Dewey number and the first one, two or three letters of the author's last name become the book's call number, or its address on the library shelves. Nonfiction books are arranged numerically on the shelves according to DDC, ranging from 001 to 999.
The Dewey Decimal Classification System is the most widely used classification system in the world. Libraries in more than 135 countries use the DDC to organize and provide access to their collections. The DDC has been translated into over thirty languages. Libraries of every type apply Dewey numbers. Some Internet search engines use Dewey as a browsing mechanism.
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General Resources about the Dewey Decimal Classification System
LESSON 1:
Dewey Vocabulary
Concepts:
You will learn about using a dictionary.
Lesson:
Throughout the Homeschool Learning Network's two Dewey Decimal units, certain words are highlighted in red. These are vocabulary words. Have students compile a list of the words as they go through the units. Here are a few more words to add to the vocabulary list:
- Proponent
- Psychology
- Literature
Have students use their dictionaries or WordCentral's Student Dictionary and write a definition for each term. An answer sheet can be found here
LESSON 2:
Meet Melvil Dewey
Concepts:
You will learn about reading silently and skimming, reading for information, and reading biographies of great Americans.
Lesson:
Read several online biographies of Melvil Dewey and complete the Meet Melvil Dewey questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire are here.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 3:
Become Familiar with Dewey's Classification System
Concepts:
You will learn about decimals, numeration systems, and using library collections.
Lesson:
Have students visit The Dewey Decimal Classification System site and familiarize themselves with the ten main categories of the system.
After visiting and reading the Web site, have them complete the Become Familiar with Dewey worksheet by filling in the blanks. For the answer key, click here.
LESSON 4:
Dig into Dewey
Concepts:
You will learn about numeration systems, decimal systems, summarizing simple information, and library organization.
Lesson:
Children will become familiar with the ten main categories and the subdivisions of the Dewey Decimal Classification System
Visit the IPL Youth Division Dewey Decimal Collection. Click on the broad categories and you will discover many links to sites that represent the Dewey subdivisions. Do some exploring and get to know these Web sites.
To extend the lesson, have students thoroughly examine one Web site listed under each of the main categories and explain how or why it fits into that Dewey Decimal category.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 5:
"Do We" Know Dewey?
Concepts:
You will learn about numeration systems, using library systems and decimals, developing skills for locating information, and biographies of great Americans.
Lesson:
Some very resourceful students have explored the world of Melvil Dewey and the system he created to categorize nonfiction library books. Visit their silver award winning ThinkQuest Web site "Do We" Know Dewey for some fun activities that will help you become familiar with the Dewey Decimal Classification system. There are activities on this site for learners of all ages.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 6:
Dewey and the World Wide Web
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, developing skills for locating information, summarizing information, researching, and classifying information.
Lesson:
Have learners search the Internet for sites that meet each one of the ten main categories of the Dewey Decimal System. After finding a site, the learner should note the URL and title of the site and explain why the site should be placed in that category. Encourage students to be creative with their final products. They may be written, oral, pictorial, electronic, or Web-based.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 7:
Dewey Detective
Concepts:
You will learn about library systems, and developing skills for locating information.
Lesson:
This lesson can be completed at your local library or by visiting a library's online catalog. Have students complete the Dewey Detective worksheet.
Students may use a printout of the ten main categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification System to assist in this assignment. Be sure each answer includes the complete call number.
As an alternative to completing the worksheet, take your children to a library and have them retrieve the books from the shelves and show them to you.
Answers will vary. Use a copy of the Dewey Classification System to check the answers.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 8:
The Other Classification System
Concepts:
You will learn about the Library of Congress classification system.
Lesson:
While the Dewey Decimal Classification System is the most used classification system today, there is another popular system in use-- The Library of Congress Classification System (LC). It is used at the Library of Congress and at academic and research libraries in the United States and Canada.
Uncover the mysteries of the Library of Congress Classification System by reading through the tutorial Understanding Call Numbers. More information can be gained by reading Library of Congress Classification System. Need more info? Read Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers.
After reading about the LC System of Classification, have learner discuss the differences and similarities between LC and Dewey systems. Students may create a comparison/contrast chart or use a diagram to express their ideas.
Additional Resources:
Article by Valerie Guarini, HLN Curriculum Development
Article © Homeschool Learning Network, All Rights Reserved.
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