The Dewey Decimal Classification System Rob Case MEDT
The Dewey Decimal Classification System Rob Case MEDT 6463 Project 3
Why Study the Dewey Decimal System? • We will look at the Dewey Decimal Classification System so that you can learn how materials are organized in your Media Center. • This will make it possible for you find materials you need for class and for pleasure reading.
Who Was Melvil Dewey? • Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 in Adams Center, New York. • Keenly interested in simplified spelling, he shortened his first name to Melvil as a young adult and dropped his middle names. For a short time, even spelled his last name as Dui.
Who Was Melvil Dewey? (cont. ) • Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system when he was 21 and working as a student assistant in the library of Amherst College. • Melvil Dewey is known as the “Father of Modern Librarianship. ” • Dewey founded the first library school. • Dewey helped establish the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876, and is credited with creating the world's first library science curriculum.
Dewey Decimal Classification System 000 - General Works 100 - Philosophy and Psychology 200 - Religion 300 - Social Science 400 - Language 500 - Natural Science and Mathematics 600 - Technology (Applied Sciences) 700 – Arts and Recreation 800 - Literature 900 - Geography and History
General Works 000 -099 • Books with many subjects all in one • These books include Bibliographies, Encyclopedias, Books of Facts, etc • This section also includes books related to news media, journalism and publishing as well as magazines, journals and serials
Philosophy and Psychology 100 -199 • Books on philosophy, psychology, paranormal, logic and ethics • Books on feelings, thoughts and ideas • Books on how to study and other self-improvement
Religion 200 -299 • Books on all the ideas of religion and natural theology • Books on the bible and the Christian denomination • Books on different world religions and what they believe
Social Science 300 -399 • Books about sociology, anthropology, economics and education • Books regarding laws and government • Also includes books about customs, etiquette and folklore.
Language 400 -499 • Books involving language and linguistics • Books about foreign languages such as Spanish, French, German, etc • Also includes Thesauri, Dictionaries and books about English grammar
Natural Science and Mathematics 500 -599 • Books about science, mathematics, astronomy, physics and chemistry • Includes books about rocks, animals, insects, fossils, weather, etc. • These books help us understand our environment and the world around us
Technology (Applied Sciences) 600 -699 • Books about technology, medicine and engineering • Includes books about agriculture, home economics and chemical engineering • Also includes books on manufacturing and buildings
Arts and Recreation 700 -799 • Books about art and recreation • Includes books about painting, photography, landscaping, and architecture • Also includes books on music and sports
Literature 800 -899 • Books about literature and rhetoric • Includes books about poems, plays, short stories, riddles and jokes • This section features classic works of writing by William Shakespeare
Geography and History 900 -999 • Books about geography and history • Includes books about groups of people, countries, and war • This section features books about travel and atlases
How does the Dewey Decimal System Work? • The DDC classifies or categorizes nonfiction books into ten main divisions which are arranged from lowest number (000) to highest number (999). - 133. 5 - 255. 3 - 333. 5 • A book is assigned a Dewey number based on its subject matter. In most libraries the Dewey number and the first three letters of the author's last name become the book's call number. They are arranged alphabetically if the call number is the same. - 133. 5 Abc - 133. 5 Bcd - 133. 5 Def
Dewey Decimal System Review Activities Try these online review activities to practice what you have just learned: Ø “Do We” Really Know Dewey http: //library. thinkquest. org/5002/index. shtml Ø Quia Matching Game (need Java script to run) http: //www. quia. com/jg/7265. html Ø Library Skills Game http: //www. ccsd. edu/bardonia/Learning. Games/Library. Skills/ Ø Let’s Do Dewey http: //frank. mtsu. edu/~vvesper/dewey 2. htm
Sources • Flickr (2006). Melvil Dewey Image. Retrieved April 2009 from: http: //www. flickr. com/photos/brianbrarian/200420263/ • OCLC (2008). How one library pioneer profoundly influenced modern librarianship. Retrieved April 2009 from: http: //www. oclc. org/dewey/resources/biography/ • OCLC (2008). A Brief Introduction to the Dewey Decimal Classification. Retrieved April 2009 from: http: //www. oclc. org/dewey/resources/biography/ • Patschke, K. (2000). Melvil Dewey: The Father of Librarianship. Retrieved April 2009 from: http: //www. booktalking. net/books/dewey/
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