dewey decimal

1. Dewey Decimal
Classification System
Presented to Second & Third Grade Students
Developed by Karen Ward
Library Media Specialist
Eichold-Mertz Elementary School

2. Who created the Dewey Decimal
Classification System?
 Melvil Dewey was born on December 10, 1851
 Melvil Dewey created the number order system
for library books when he was 21 years old.
 Melvil Dewey started the first school for
librarians.

3. Ten Main Classifications in
Dewey’s System
 The world’s knowledge is divided
into 10 categories or groups.
 Each group has a main title and is
represented by three numbers.

4. The Big Ten!
 Generalities – 000
 Philosophy – 100
 Religion – 200
 Social Science –
300
 Language – 400
 Science & Math – 500
 Technology – 600
 The Arts – 700
 Literature – 800
 Geography & History - 900
Brings order to the massive
amount of world knowledge

5. You Can Judge A Book by Its
Cover!
 The Dewey Decimal
Classification call
number can be found on
the spine label.
 Why?
 When the book is
shelved, the Dewey
Decimal Classification
call number can be
easily seen.
500
Lee
200
Bya
000
Mea

6. Generalities - 000
 Encyclopedias
 News media
 Rare Books
Encyclopedias, References

7. Philosophy - 100
 Paranormal phenomena
 Psychology
 Logic
Man thinks

8. Religion - 200
 Bible
 History of Christianity
 Other Religions
About God

9. Social Science - 300
 Law
 Education
 Folklore
About man’s neighbors

10. Language - 400
 English
 Spanish
 Other Languages
Man talks with other men

11. Natural Science
& Math - 500
 Mathematics
 Earth sciences
 Plants
 Animals
Man discovers
all that is
around him

12. Technology – 600
 Medicine
 Agriculture
 Family living
Man makes useful
things

13. The Arts - 700
 Drawing
 Music
 Recreational & performing
arts
Man makes
beautiful things

14. Literature - 800
 American Literature
 Old English Literature
 Literatures of Other Languages
Man writes

15. Geography
& History - 900
 Geography
 Biographies
 Ancient History
Man writes about
travel, people, and
events

16. Flashback!
What Do You Remember?
 Who created the Dewey Decimal
Classification System?
 What does the DDCS do for our
library?
 How many main classifications are
there?
 Where do you find the DDCS number
on a library book?

17. Resources Used…
All clipart taken from the Microsoft Clipart web site:
Information on the Dewey Decimal Classification taken from:
Weisburg, H. & Toor, R. Teacher’s Portfolio of Library Skills
Lessons & Activities (1985). The Center for Applied Research in
Education, Inc.
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us&cag=1