1. The Dewey Decimal System
Why Dewey?
The Dewey Decimal System

2. The Dewey Decimal Classification System is a way of putting Non-fiction books and other library resources (like videos) in order so that they can be easily located.
What’s Non-fiction?
Non-fiction materials are not made up. They are filled with facts or real things about people, places, animals, and events.

3. Why is the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) Important?
The DDC tells you where to find books in the library.
The DDC tells you about the general subject of the book.

4. He Invented the Dewey Decimal System
Meet Melvil Dewey
He Invented the Dewey Decimal System
Born December 10, 1851
Melvil Dewey was an educator at the age of 17
Invented the Dewey Decimal System at age 21

5. How are the books organized?
The Dewey Decimal System is composed of 10 categories, which are broken into smaller and smaller areas.
ALL libraries have these same 10 categories!
Each category is assigned numbers known as classification numbers or Dewey Numbers.

6. 000 - 099 General Reference What is General Reference? Biographies
Books about books
Manuscripts
Encyclopedias
Reference Books

7. 100 - 199 Philosophy & Psychology
Feelings
Making Friends
Superstitions
Ethics
Logic
Mortality
Man thinks about himself.

8. 200 - 299 Religion Bible Stories Buddhism Christianity Judaism Islam
Other world religions
Man thinks about God.

9. 300 - 399 Social Sciences Careers Customs Environment Families
Folktales
Government
Manners
Money
Recycling
Man thinks about other people.

10. 400 - 499 Language Chinese English French German Spanish Sign Language
Includes dictionaries
Man learns to communicate
with others through words.

11. 500 - 599 Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Animals
Biology
Chemistry
Dinosaurs
Fish
Geology
Insects
Planets
Plants
Man learns to understand nature on the land, in the sea, and in the sky.

12. 600 - 699 Technology (Applied sciences)
Computers
Cookbooks
Engineering
Farming
Health
Human Body
Inventions
Manufacturing
Nutrition
Man learns to make all the things people use such as: medicine, planting crops, cooking food,
and building structures.

13. 700 - 799 The Arts Architecture Crafts Drawing Games Jokes Music
Puppets
Songbooks
Sports
Man learns to paint pictures, make music, dance, and play games.

14. 800 - 899 Literature & Rhetoric
Children's Literature
Plays
Poetry
Shakespeare
Writing
Man puts thoughts into writing for all people to read.

15. 900 - 999 Geography & History Biographies Countries Native Americans
States
Travel
Wars
Man writes about people,
places and events.

16. And There You Have It! Now you can search for any book on any subject
in any library you visit!
Good READING!

17. Website Classified by the Dewey Decimal System on the Web
Need to find websites on particular subjects?
Go to
for a listing of websites
classified by the
Dewey Decimal System

18. References
Melvil dewey image. Retrieved on March 17, 2008 from Melvil%20Dewey.jpg
A story about the dewey decimal system of classification. Retrieved on March 17, from
Dewey decimal system. Retrieved on March 17, 2008 from
“Do we” really know dewey? Retrieved on March 17, 2008 from
Information literacy library media skills. Retrieved on March 17, 2008 from DeweyDecimal/sld002.htm