A simple guide to using the Dewey Decimal System Searching for Books Cathy Oxley Library Services Coordinator, Redlands College, Qld

A simple guide

to using the

Dewey Decimal

System

In 1847 an American librarian named Melville Dewey made up a way of classifying books called the ‘Dewey Decimal Classification System’ This system is now used in most libraries all over the world. It uses 10 categories of numbers, with decimal places to group similar things together Melville Dewey

In 1847 an American librarian named Melville Dewey made up a way of classifying books called the ‘Dewey Decimal Classification System’

This system is now used in most libraries all over the world.

It uses 10 categories of numbers, with decimal places to group similar things together

Dewey Decimal System Puts similar things together

Dewey Decimal System 591.77 595.7 Insects Sea creatures

General Knowledge Encyclopedias Books about libraries & museums Journalism Computers Controversial or unexplained topics Dewey System - 000 s

General Knowledge

Encyclopedias

Books about libraries & museums

Journalism

Computers

Controversial or unexplained topics

Psychology Philosophy Thinking about ourselves Who am I? Why am I here? Ideas Image from: http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Prog_Study/Soc_Sciences/Psych/faculty.htm Dewey System - 100 s

Psychology

Philosophy

Thinking about ourselves

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Ideas

Image from:

http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/Prog_Study/Soc_Sciences/Psych/faculty.htm

Beliefs Religions Mythologies Where did we come from? Who created us? Images from: http://www.womenonwaves.org/article-1020.385-en.html http://www.warangers.asn.au/history.htm http://www.thaliatook.com/pix/zeus.jpg Dewey System - 200 s

Beliefs

Religions

Mythologies

Where did we come from?

Who created us?

Images from:

http://www.womenonwaves.org/article-1020.385-en.html

http://www.warangers.asn.au/history.htm

http://www.thaliatook.com/pix/zeus.jpg

Communities - Learning to get along together Trade Commerce Politics Government Education Law Transport Welfare Folk lore and fairy tales http://www.acmeanimation.com/ http://jeannero.free.fr/dessins-animes-2 Dewey System - 300 s

Communities - Learning to get along together

Trade

Commerce

Politics

Government

Education

Law

Transport

Welfare

Folk lore and fairy tales

http://www.acmeanimation.com/ http://jeannero.free.fr/dessins-animes-2

Languages How do we communicate with each other? Images from: http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/canada4.htm http://www.reuels.com/reuels/media/do4/do41720-4.jpg Dewey System - 400 s www.macalester.edu/ ~art/f2001/big/Arabic.jpg

Languages

How do we communicate with each other?

Images from:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/canada4.htm

http://www.reuels.com/reuels/media/do4/do41720-4.jpg

Natural Science Maths Nature and the world around us The universe The earth Animals Birds Reptiles Fish Dewey System - 500 s

Natural Science

Maths

Nature and the world around us

The universe

The earth

Animals

Birds

Reptiles

Fish

Applied Science Technology How we have changed the natural world to make it more useful Anything that people invent, engineer, grow, manufacture, process and build Dewey System - 600 s

Applied Science

Technology

How we have changed the natural world to make it more useful

Anything that people invent, engineer, grow, manufacture, process and build

Sport Recreation How people use their leisure time Art Craft Dance Music Dewey System - 700 s

Sport

Recreation

How people use their leisure time

Art

Craft

Dance

Music

Literature The stories, poems and plays people write in their leisure time http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/famlit/howtokit/writcont/p1.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/formwriting.GIF http://www.phillumeny.com/html/beginners_guide.html Dewey System - 800 s

Literature

The stories, poems and plays people write in their leisure time

http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/famlit/howtokit/writcont/p1.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/formwriting.GIF

http://www.phillumeny.com/html/beginners_guide.html

Geography History Biographies The rest of the world How they live now How they lived long ago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy http://www.youthlinks.org/index.do Dewey System - 900 s

Geography

History

Biographies

The rest of the world

How they live now

How they lived long ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy

http://www.youthlinks.org/index.do

500 - Natural Sciences 590 - Zoological science (animals) 595 - Other Invertebrates (animals without backbones) 595.7 - Insects 595.78 - Lepidoptera (creatures with 4 wings & scales) 595.789 - Butterflies How do the numbers work?

500 - Natural Sciences

590 - Zoological science (animals)

595 - Other Invertebrates (animals without backbones)

595.7 - Insects

595.78 - Lepidoptera (creatures with 4 wings & scales)

595.789 - Butterflies

Location code (specific to our Library) Dewey Decimal number First 3 letters of the author’s last name Book Labels / Call Numbers P 595.789 TER

Location code (specific to our Library)

Dewey Decimal number

First 3 letters of the author’s last name

BPL - Bag Primary Large CH - Chart P - Primary PAR - Primary Accelerated Reader PB - Picture Book PM6 - Primary Multiple R - Reference S - Secondary SRB - Secondary RIB-IT Location Codes

BPL - Bag Primary Large

CH - Chart

P - Primary

PAR - Primary Accelerated Reader

PB - Picture Book

PM6 - Primary Multiple

R - Reference

S - Secondary

SRB - Secondary RIB-IT