Deweying It by the Numbers: Introduction

This library and most public and school libraries in the country use the Dewey Decimal Classification System for their non-fiction books. There has been a move by some in the library world to drop the system. I know that some might find the string of numbers confusing, but it is actually one of the better ways to classify books out there, especially when it comes to finding a particular book or a particular subject.

Here is a breakdown of the basic Dewey list:

The Ten Main Classes

000 Computer science, information & general works
100 Philosophy & psychology
200 Religion
300 Social sciences
400 Language
500 Science
600 Technology
700 Arts & recreation
800 Literature
900 History & geography


Over the next couple of weeks I will be writing on how I find the Dewey Decimal System useful, starting with the 000s all the way to the 900s (and then back to biographies, which, while 92s, are shelved separately). For a really in-depth treatment of Dewey on a blog, check out 025.431 The Dewey Blog (025.431 is the Dewey Decimal Subject for, you guessed it, the Dewey Decimal Classification).