Dewey

Welcome to the 22-23 school year! So excited to have you in our library family!!

Dewey Decimal System is the most widely used method for classifying books in the library. It is named after Melvil Dewey, an American Librarian who developed it in 1876. This system is a numerical scheme for the arrangement of subjects of nonfiction books, and it classifies books by dividing them into 10 main subject groups that are called categories. Each category is represented by figures beginning with 000 and going on to 999. Each number stands for a special topic. Every book is given a number and is put on the shelf in number order. Books with the same number are put in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

The Ten Main Classes

000 Computer science, information & general works

100 Philosophy & psychology

200 Religion

300 Social sciences

400 Language

500 Science

600 Technology

700 Arts & Recreation

800 Literature

900 History & geography

Watch the Edpuzzle and answer the questions on the back of your Worksheet.

Google Worksheet

1. Write the following call numbers in the order from least to greatest: 596.32 ade, 597 kin, 596.3 zab, 596 ke.

2. Game: Shelve-it

a. Play level 3! List the first three books in the correct order on your worksheet.

3. Fun: Dewey Decimal

a. I am a book about tigers. What Dewey Decimal category am I in? 200 or 500

b. How many categories are in the Dewey Decimal System?

c. Name the category "200".

d. Which book would be in the 300's? Cinderella, Noah's Ark, or Where the Sidewalk Ends.

e. I am a book about cars. I was found in the 600's, am I in the right place?

f. Where am I if I am a book about the Holocaust? (Which Dewey category?)

g. Name the category "900".

4. Why is it important to put books on the correct shelf in the library?

5. Activity: Dewey Order

a. Directions: Uncover the hidden picture by putting the terms in order. Enter the numbers 1 through 8 below.

6. Activity: Quia Books and More

a. True or False: The index of a book gives definitions of words.

b. True or False: Fiction books are shelved in number order.

c. True or False: A fiction book by Judy Blume would come before one by Avi.

d. True or False: The spine of the book has the call number on it.

e. True or False: There are ten basic classes of numbers in the Dewey Decimal System.

7. Game: Dewey. Give the correct Dewey number 000-900

a. Where are generalities?

b. Where is Language?

c. Where are Technology and Applied Sciences?

d. Where are Philosophy and Psychology?

e. Where is Religion?

8. Game: Where in the library? Play the matching game.

a. Match the cards and write the answers below.