Kim Gillingham is a retired library and information specialist with over 30 years of experience. She has a Master's in Library Science from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, and she managed the audiovisual department of the district library center in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, for 12 years.
She continues to do volunteer work for various libraries and lending library projects in her local community. This article has been viewed 65, times. For centuries, libraries have served an important role providing information for the public.
However, for quite a while there was a major flaw in the library system: in a large collection, finding a specific book became difficult and tedious. But the system is complex and largely unknown to non-librarians. This article will serve as a guide to various functions of the Dewey Decimal System DCC and how to navigate through its seas of knowledge.
Curious why the dewey decimal system exists? Kim Gillingham, retired librarian, tells us: "The Dewey Decimal system is a method for finding nonfiction books according to subject. You can use it to browse through the shelves by finding the number corresponding to your subject and looking for titles with the same number. Find the range of books that includes the first 3 digits of the call number in the stacks, then walk along the shelf until you find books that match those digits.
Next, go down the row until you locate a book with a label that also matches the numbers after the decimal point. Keep reading for more tips, including how to understand the Dewey Decimal classification system!
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Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Search for your book in the library's card catalog.
This system is likely computerized. If you are having trouble, ask a librarian for help or have her simply look it up for you. The Dewey Decimal System applies only to nonfiction books. Obtain the call number contained in a book's entry.
The call number will contain three digits or more. Go to the shelves. Skim the spines of the books you pass to find the ones with the same first digit as your desired book. Then search those books for ones with the same second digit, and so on. Here's an example: Let's say you are looking for a book with Dewey Decimal number Find the aisle that would fall under, ignoring the decimals for now.
For example, " Walk down the shelf looking at the spines until you find the books beginning with Search within the books beginning to find the one you're looking for. These are arranged by the value of the decimal, so Look for a label matching both the call number and the author's last name. There may be multiple books with the same call number, so check the author's name to confirm that you've found the one you selected in the card catalog.
Method 2. Know the ten general areas of content. Melvil Dewey originally created ten general categories that most books could be sorted into. The ten areas are listed below with their corresponding numbers. Understand divisions and sections. Each of the ten areas contain 99 divisions - more specific categories that fall under the larger areas.
Additional decimals indicate the even even smaller sections, which are even more specific. Decimals are added if the topic is even more specific. Browse using the system. The Dewey Decimal System is great when you're browsing. If you wanted a book on Ethics, for example, you would go to Once you were there you could scan the shelves for a book on an area of Ethics that interested you. This is infinitely more convenient than alphabetical arrangement, in which you might find a book on turtles next to one about turbulence in politics.
Look online to learn the categories. If your library is large and you would rather not spend a whole day browsing books on the Arts, you could go online for a guide to the various general categories, divisions, and sections. Is there a clue to learning the Dewey system, now that I'll be working in a regular city library? Not Helpful 0 Helpful There is no relationship between the two systems. One to three letters of the author's last name appear below that code.
For example, the call number for a book by Nathaniel Hawthorne might look like this:. The designation means that the book belongs in the fiction shelves among books by authors whose last names begin with "Haw. Find the shelf for authors whose last names begin with the letters on the book's spine label, and file the book alphabetically.
If two authors have the same last name, then file the book by the author's first name. For example, a book by Julian Hawthorne is placed to the left of a book by Nathaniel Hawthorne because "J" is before "N" in the alphabet. Thus, a book with the call number When comparing two call numbers, look for the first digits that differ as you read the call number from left to right. The book with the smaller digit is always shelved to the left of the other book, no matter how many numbers follow.
Libraries often file North American and British fiction alphabetically and foreign literature numerically. Fictional works such as plays and epics also tend to be filed numerically. David Swan has been a professional writer since , working primarily on academic titles. He has written and edited textbooks on green business, community redevelopment and the chemistry of hazardous materials.
How to Shelve Books in a Library. Types of Library Classification Schemes. How to Read the Copyright Page of a Book. How to File Fiction in Dewey Decimal. David Swan Updated April 17,
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