1. The Caveman’s Guide to the Dewey Decimal System

2. The Story of the Numbers Used for Nonfiction Books In 1873 Mr. Melvil Dewey devised a system of classifying books which is used in many libraries. He chose certain main subjects and numbers, so that all nonfiction books on the same subject would be together on the shelf.

3. The Dewey Decimal System The Dewey Decimal Classification is the most widely used library organization system in the world. In the U.S. the Library of Congress system is also used, primarily in university libraries. The Dewey Decimal system groups books by topic by dividing them into 10 basic categories, and each of those categories is further split into 10 categories, and so on.

4. Dewey’s Plan He chose these subjects by imagining himself to be a Caveman. He asked himself questions he thought such a man would have asked.

5. 000's Before I Begin Generalities Information I need to know before I begin. These are books which contain information on many subjects such as encyclopedias and other reference books. Today information about computers and oddities such as Bigfoot and UFO’s is also found here.

6. 100's Who am I? PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY Man thinks about himself.

7. 200's Who made me? RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY Man thinks about God.

8. 300's Who is the man (or woman) in the next cave? SOCIAL SCIENCE Man thinks about other people.

9. 400's How can I make that man understand me? Language Man learns to communicate with others through words.

10. 500's How can I understand nature and the world about me? NATURAL SCIENCE Man learns to understand nature on the land, in the sea, and in the sky.

11. 600's How can I use what I know about nature? APPLIED SCIENCE AND USEFUL ARTS (Technology) Primitive man learned about fire and how to make weapons. He learned through the ages about the wheel, about medicine, planting crops, cooking food, building bridges, and how to make all the things we use.

12. 700's How can I enjoy my leisure time? FINE ART AND RECREATION or (Arts) By this time, primitive man had more time to do the things he enjoyed. He learned how to paint pictures and to create music. He also learned how to dance and play games.

13. 800's How can I give my children a record of man's heroic deeds? LITERATURE Man became a storyteller. He created fables, poetry, and plays about his ancestors and the people he knew. Later, man recorded these stories for all people to read.

14. 900's How can I leave a record for men of the future? GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY Man began to write about events that had occurred everywhere, and about people who had participated in these events.

15. Dewey Decimal System 000 General Knowledge Encyclopedias, Computers, Oddities 100 Philosophy & Psychology Deep Thoughts, Feelings, Emotions 200 Religion Sacred Writings and Teachings 300 Social Sciences & Folklore Almanacs, Family, Careers, Environment, Law, Government, Military, Education, Fairy Tales 400 Languages & Grammar Grammar, Dictionaries, Sign Language, Foreign Language

16. Dewey Decimal System 500 Math & Science Mathematics, Astronomy, Geology, Weather, Dinosaurs Plants and Wild Animals 600 Medicine & Technology Health, Nutrition, Transportation, Cookbooks Farming, Domestic Animals and Pets 700 Arts & Recreation Drawing, Crafts, Music, Movies and TV, Sports, Games Cartooning – manga and graphic novels 800 Literature Poetry, Plays. Literary Criticism, some Short Stories 900 Geography & History Countries, States, Travel, Native Americans, Wars and World History (arranged first geographically, then chronologically) Collective Biographies (find Biographies of Individuals in their Subject Areas)

17. FICTION Novels, classics, even most short stories – Arranged alphabetically first by the author’s last name, then first name, then title.

18. Practice with Dewey Practice categories: Dewey Decimal System Categories flashcards Dewey Decimal System Categories matching game Practice with decimal numbers: http://www.aaastudy.com/dec-order.htm#section2 Remember: When two books have exactly the same call number, FIC or a decimal number, you must then consider the author’s entire name, last name first, as in Dewey, Melvil. Books with exactly the same call number by the same author will then be alphabetized by title, ignoring the articles (a, an, the) if and only when they appear at the beginning of the title.

19. Works Cited  Complete Library Skills Activities Program by Arden Druce who cited it from School Library Journal, February 1961. Copyright R.R. Bowker Company/Cahners magazine Division.  http://mte.anacortes.k12.wa.us/library/dewey/ deweystory.htm http://mte.anacortes.k12.wa.us/library/dewey/ deweystory.htm  Modified by S. Koch, Mesa Ridge HS May 7, 2012 and Christopher Ullman, Moody Bible Institute June 23, 2016