Peters 4-6 Library - The Dewey Decimal System

How to Find Non-Fiction Books

Fiction books are easier to find in libraries. They are typically shelved by the author's last name. Can you imagine if they were shelved by title? You'd have to look all over the library to find The BFG and The Witches even though they were both written by Roald Dahl. That's also why fiction is not shelved be genre. Some books can easily be a mystery, a fantasy, and an adventure. Where would you put it? Non-fiction books are shelved differently. They are shelved based on subject. It wasn't always like that, though. It wasn't until a man named Melvil Dewey developed a system to organize libraries way back in the 1800's. But who was Melvil Dewey and how does his system work? Keep scrolling to find out more.

Who was Melvil Dewey?

Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) was in college when he developed an organizational method for where books are shelved in a library. Before Dewey's system became widely used, each library had its own way of organizing items and often it was only the librarian who knew where each item was shelved. This made it difficult for people to find things in libraries and each time they went to a new one they had to find out how to use a different system. The Dewey Decimal Classification System organizes information into 10 main subject areas using a number from 000-900. Each main subject groups similar topics together. The more numbers used for each book, the more specific the location of each book on the shelf. Once people knew these main subject numbers they could find books in any library using The Dewey Decimal System.

What are the 10 Main classifications ?

The ten main classes in the Dewey Decimal System were chosen because they grouped books with similar information together to make them easier to find. All of the main classes are assigned a three digit number between 000-999 and all of the main classes are associated with a common question that the class tries to answer. They are the following:

000- General Knowledge

How do we organize information?

Popular subclasses in this category are: encyclopedias, almanacs, record books, and books relating to computer science.

100- Psychology

Why do we think like we do?

Popular subclasses in this category are: paranormal (ghosts), logic and ethics. The Peters 4-6 Library mainly focuses on the ghosts.

200- Religions and Mythology

What stories shaped the world?

Popular subclasses in this category are: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as well as world mythologies

300- World Cultures

Who are the people in the world?

Popular subclasses in this category are: members of the community, government, military, world holidays, and world fairy tales and folk tales.

400- Languages

How do I communicate with others?

Popular subclasses in this category are: languages from around the world such as Spanish, French, and Italian just to name a few.

500- Math and Science

How can I explain the world around me?

Popular subclasses in this category are: math, astronomy, weather, rocks, fossils, dinosaurs, biomes, and animals.

600- Technology

How can I enhance the world around me?

Popular subclasses in this category are: medicine, engineering, cars, space travel, agriculture and pets.

700- Arts and Recreation

How can I enjoy my free time?

Popular subclasses in this category are: drawing, painting, architecture, photography, music, and sports.

800- Literature

What are the stories of our lives?

Popular subclasses in this category are: literature from other countries, drama, plays, and poetry.

900- History and biography

What was the world like in the past?

Popular subclasses in this category are: ancient civilizations, world history, United States history, geography, and biographies.

What do the Numbers Mean?

Now that you know what the main classes are it's time to understand what the numbers mean. The fist number will always be the main class. The second number assigns a subclass or division. The third number narrows the location down further to a particular subject. Then there is a decimal point. Anything after the decimal point gets very specific. It adds a classification within the subject. Learn more in the diagram below.