1. Audience & Objective
Audience: 6-8th grade Middle School Students using a Library Media Center
Objective: Introduce/Refresh student knowledge of Dewey Decimal System
Materials: Powerpoint accessible through a Wiki that allows students to access more information, games, and quizzes.

2. Dewey Decimal Classification System
A Key to the Library

3. Dewey Basics What is it? The Dewey Decimal Classification System
(also called DDC) is the method we use to
organize non-fiction books in the library.

4. Dewey Basics
How can I find the Dewey Decimal Number for a certain book?
Each book has a Call Number on the spine
or edge of the book.
The call number gives the Dewey Decimal
number and the first three letters of the
author’s last name.

5. Dewey Basics How does it work? Book topics are split up into
10 general categories.
Each of these categories are represented
by a three digit number.

6. General Categories: 000 - Generalities 100 - Philosophy and Psychology
200 - Religion
300 - Social Sciences
400 - Languages
500 - Pure Sciences
600 - Technology and Applied Sciences
700 - The Arts
800 - Literature
900 - Geography and History

7. 000 - Generalities What book topics are found in the 000’s?
Information Books (Encyclopedias, Almanacs)
Computer Science (Programming manuals)
Bibliographies

8. 100 - Philosophy & Psychology
What book topics are found in the 100’s?
Philosophy
Psychology
Logic
Paranormal

9. 200 - Religion What books topics would be in the 200’s?
Christian topics
Other religions
Can you name a famous book that would
be found in this section?

10. 300 - Social Sciences What topics are found in the 300’s? Economics
Sociology
Civics
Law
Education
Jobs and Professions
Customs

11. 400 - Languages What book topics are found in the 400’s? Grammar
Foreign Languages
Dictionaries

12. 500 - Pure Sciences What book topics are found in the 500’s?
Mathematics
Astronomy
Chemistry
Geology
Biology
Zoology
Botany

13. 600 - Technology & Applied Science
What book topics are found in the 600’s?
Medicine
Television
Food and drink
Home living
(sewing, cleaning, household items)

14. 700 - The Arts What book topics are found in the 700’s? Architecture
Painting
Music
Photography
Sports
Recreation

15. 800 - Literature What book topics are found in the 800’s? Literature
Poetry
Plays
Literature from other Countries/Languages

16. 900 - Geography & History What book topics are found in the 900’s?
U.S. History
World History
Travel

17. Checkpoint! 500’s - Pure Science
What section would you find a math book in?
500’s - Pure Science

18. Checkpoint!
Where would you find a book of poems?
800’s - Literature

19. Checkpoint! 400’s - Language
Where would you find a book about the German Language?
400’s - Language

20. Beyond the Basics
After you classify a book into one of the ten basic topics, you can narrow it even further!
You show this classification in the tens place of the number:
250

21. Beyond the Basics
Let’s take a closer look at the 500’s section and how the topics are broken down further.
What topics were in this section?

22. Beyond the Basics 500 – Pure Science 500 - Science 510 - Mathematics
520 - Astronomy
530 - Physics
540 - Chemistry
550 - Earth sciences and geology
560 - Fossils and prehistoric life
570 - Life sciences; biology
580 - Plants (botany)
590 - Animals (zoology)

23. Beyond the Basics
Each smaller topic within the main topic of Pure Science has been given a number to narrow down the book topic.
You can narrow down topics even further by assigning a number to the ones place of a number: 598

24. Beyond the Basics Let’s take a closer look at the 590 - Animals
591 Zoology
592 Invertebrates
593 Protozoa
594 Mollusks
595 Other invertebrates
596 Vertebrates
597 Cold-blooded vertebrates, fishes
598 Birds
599 Mammals

25. Beyond the Basics
Each digit in the Dewey Decimal Number represents a classification to narrow down book topics.
The classification can continue past a decimal point in the number.

26. Beyond the Basics The call number of a book in our collection:
941.1 Fry
What topic does the 900 represent?
900 - Geography & History

27. Beyond the Basics The call number of a book in our collection:
941.1 Fry
What topic does the 40 represent?
940 - General History of Europe

28. Beyond the Basics The call number of a book in our collection:
941.1 Fry
What topic does the 1 represent?
941 - British Isles

29. Beyond the Basics The call number of a book in our collection:
941.1 Fry
What topic does the .1 represent?
Scotland

30. Beyond the Basics The call number of a book in our collection:
941.1 Fry
What topic does the Fry represent?
First three letters of the author’s last name.

31. Beyond the Basics
Each digit in the Dewey Decimal Number represents a classification to narrow down book topics.
The classification can continue past a decimal point in the number.

32. Dewey in Practice You want a book on Pandas.
What general category would you look?

33. Dewey in Practice Pure Science - 500 You want a book on Pandas.
What general category would you look?
Pure Science - 500
What kind of science are you looking for?

34. Dewey in Practice Animals - 590 You want a book on Pandas.
What general category would you look?
Pure Science - 500
What kind of science are you looking for?
Animals - 590
What type of animals are you looking for?

35. Dewey in Practice Mammals - 599 You want a book on Pandas.
What general category would you look?
Pure Science - 500
What kind of science are you looking for?
Animals - 590
What type of animals are you looking for?
Mammals - 599
Good! You would look under 599 for this topic!

36. Dewey in Practice You are given the following call number: Coo
What are the first three letters of the author’s last name?
What general topic does the 600 represent?
Coo
600 - Technology and Applied Sciences

37. Dewey in Practice
You’ve completed the PowerPoint introduction to the Dewey Decimal System!
You can browse around the LearnDewey Wiki for more information or to quiz yourself.
You are also ready to go find a book!

38. Sources
LMC: Dewey decimal system explained. (2008). Retrevied April 11, 2009 from
Reynolds, J. & Shields, K. (n.d.) Dewey decimal classification system (13th Abridged).
Retrieved April 11, 2009 from