Dewey Decimal PowerPoint

1. Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
THE DEWEY DECIMAL
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:
SO SIMPLE, EVEN A CAVE-PERSON
CAN DO IT!

2. Melvil Dewey
The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
is the most widely used library
organization system in the world.
The system groups books by topic,
dividing them into 10 main classes or
categories. Each of those categories is
sub-divided into 10 additional
categories, with each division becoming
more and more specific.
Dewey developed the DDC when he was
just 21 years-old—as a student assistant
librarian at Amherst College.

3. How can one classify
ALL knowledge?
Dewey’s Design
Dewey created 10 main classes by thinking
like a cave-person.
What questions would a cave-person ask?

4. 000s: General Information:
Cave-Person wonders:
Before I begin…
Encyclopedias
Reference Books, Almanacs
Guinness Book of World Records
031
GLE
001.9
KAL
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
Numbers are
on the spines
of books
Library Journal, 2009

5. 100s: Philosophy and Psychology
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
155.2
JON
155.9
GOO
Who am I?
Cave-Person thinks about self.

6. 200s: Religion and Mythology
Who made me?
Cave-Person wonders about maker.
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010 297
GOR
Click cover for book review
201
RAU

7. 300s: Social Sciences
Who is the person in the next
cave?
Cave-Person thinks about other people and the issues they face.
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
Click cover for book review
301.451
CLE
362.29
WOR

8. 400s: Language
How can I make another understand
me?
Cave-Person communicates with others
through words.
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010 422
HOU
419
COS

9. 500s: Natural Sciences
Cave-Person asks: how can I
understand nature and the world around
me?
Cave-Person is curious about the natural
world—both living and nonliving
elements.
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
530
STR
569.9
STE

10. 600 s: Technology
How can I use what I know about
nature?
Primitive Cave-Person observes the natural world, then
creates—based on that knowledge: developing tools and
machines, cooking techniques, medicine, etc…
614.5 Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
ZAH
614
ADE

11. 700s: Fine Arts and Recreation
How can I enjoy my leisure time?
With all the free time created by technology,
the cave-person begins to create art, music,
dance, and sports to express the self.
709 781.642
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010
GRE
CAR

12. 800s: Literature
How can I give my children a record
of humankind’s heroic deeds?
Cave-Person becomes a storyteller, creating fables, poetry, and
plays about family, friends, and ancestors –and records these
stories for others .
Clipart.com 811 School Edition, 2010
MOR
823
GRE

13. 900s: Geography & History
How can I leave a record for the
future?
Cave-Person writes about events that have
occurred elsewhere, and about people who
participated in these events.
909.82
954.02
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010 KAU
PRE

14. Quick Review: Dewey Decimal
System
 000 General Knowledge
 Almanacs, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries
 100 Psychology & Physiology
 Who am I?
 200 Religion
 How did I get here? Who made me?
 300 Social Sciences & Folklore
 Who is the cave-person next door?
 400 Languages & Grammar
 How do I communicate with him/her?
 500 Math & Science
 What can I know about the natural world?
 600 Medicine & Technology
 What can I do/make with what I know about the natural world?
 700 Arts & Recreation
 What can I do for fun? How can I express myself?
 800 Literature
 How can I tell my children about how great we are?
 900 Geography & History
 How can I tell future generations about what we accomplished?
Clipart.com School Edition, 2010