|
 Many
public and school libraries (including the public libraries in Pembroke
and Pembroke Dock) use a system of arranging non-fiction (information)
books invented by Melvil Dewey, an American librarian, in 1876 -
the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme (the Dewey system,
for short).
According to Dewey's system, all books on the same subject are
found in the same place, and books on similar subjects are found
nearby.
To each subject he gave a 3 figure number, which can be made longer
by adding a decimal point and then adding more numbers after it
— the longer the number after the decimal point, the more
detailed the subject. (The school library only takes this number
to three decimal places!)
Step 1
First of all, knowledge is divided up into ten main sections
like this:
|
Section number
|
Subjects
included
|
Dewey numbers range between
|
|
000
|
General: encyclopedias, directories, books of
facts and records. To this area have been added IT and
the unexplained. |
000–099
|
|
100
|
Philosophy and Psychology: books about ideas,
thinking, and the mind |
100–199
|
|
200
|
Religion: religions and beliefs |
200–299
|
|
300
|
Social Issues: books about how society works
and functions |
300–399
|
|
400
|
Languages |
400–499
|
|
500
|
Science: maths, astronomy, physics, chemistry,
nature, plants, birds and animals, the weather |
500–599
|
|
600
|
Technology: machines and inventions, electronics,
medicine and the human body, farming, pets, food and cookery |
600–699
|
|
700
|
The Arts: drawing, painting, photography, music,
dance, theatre, hobbies and sports |
700–799
|
|
800
|
Literature: poems, plays and critical works |
800–899
|
|
900
|
History and countries, including explorers and
biographies (books about the lives of famous people) |
900–999
|
|
Step 2
Then each of these main divisions is divided into ten.
For example:
|
Section number
|
Subjects
included
|
Dewey numbers
range between
|
|
700
|
The Arts - general books covering a number of
arts
|
700-709
|
|
710
|
Town Planning |
710-719
|
|
720
|
Architecture |
720-729
|
|
730
|
Sculpture |
730-739
|
|
740
|
Drawing/Decorative Arts |
740-749
|
|
750
|
Painting and Paintings |
750-759
|
|
760
|
Printing and Graphic Arts |
760-769
|
|
770
|
Photography |
770-779
|
|
780
|
Music |
780-789
|
|
790
|
Theatre, Games, Sport |
790-799
|
|
Step 3
Each of these more general divisions is then divided up again,
to allow for easier location of more specific topics.
For example:
|
Section number
|
Subjects included
|
|
730
|
Sculpture |
|
731
|
Processes, forms and subjects of sculpture |
|
732
|
Sculpture up to 500 AD |
|
733
|
Greek, Etruscan and Roman sculpture |
|
734
|
Sculpture from c. 500 to 1399 AD |
|
735
|
Sculpture from 1400 |
|
736
|
Carving and carvings |
|
737
|
Coins |
|
738
|
Ceramic arts |
|
739
|
Art metalwork |
|
Step 4
These subjects can become even more specific by adding a decimal
point and more numbers.
For example:
|
Section number
|
Subjects
included
|
|
738.1
|
Ceramics and Pottery
|
|
738.2
|
Porcelain
|
|
The more numbers after the decimal point, the more specific
the subject.
For example:
|
Section number
|
Subjects
included
|
|
738.12
|
Clay
|
|
738.23
|
Kilns
|
|
Finding out the Dewey number
The good news is that you don't have to remember all these numbers.
The Library has several subject indexes, which are alphabetical
lists of subject with their numbers.
|
