Dewey Decimal
Classification System
Presented to 6º Grade Students
LIBRARY G.I
Who created the Dewey Decimal
Classification System?
Melvil Dewey was born on December 10, 1851
Melvil Dewey created the number order system
for library books when he was 21 years old.
Melvil Dewey started the first school for
librarians.
Ten Main Classifications in
Dewey’s System
The world’s knowledge is divided
into 10 categories or groups.
Each group has a main title and is
represented by three numbers.
HOW IS DE LIBRARY CLASSIFY?
Dewey Decimal
Classification System
Generalities – 000 Science & Math – 500
Philosophy – 100 Technology – 600
Religion – 200 The Arts – 700
Social Science – Literature – 800
300 Geography & History - 900
Language – 400
Brings order to the massive
amount of world knowledge
You Can Judge A Book by Its
Cover!
The Dewey Decimal
Classification call
number can be found on
the spine label.
Why?
When the book is
shelved, the Dewey
Decimal Classification
200 500
000
Mea Bya Lee call number can be
easily seen.
Generalities - 000
Encyclopedias
News media
Rare Books
Encyclopedias, References
Philosophy - 100
Paranormal phenomena
Psychology
Logic
Man thinks
Religion - 200
Bible
Historyof Christianity
Other Religions
About God
Social Science - 300
Law
Education
Folklore
About man’s neighbors
Language - 400
English
Spanish
Other Languages
Man talks with other men
Natural Science
& Math - 500
Mathematics
Earth sciences
Plants
Animals
Man discovers
all that is
around him
Technology – 600
Medicine
Agriculture
Family living
Man makes useful
things
The Arts - 700
Drawing
Music
Recreational & performing
arts
Man makes
beautiful things
Literature - 800
American Literature
Old English Literature
Literatures of Other Languages
Man writes
Geography
& History - 900
Geography
Biographies
Ancient History
Man writes about
travel, people, and
events
Left-to-right, Top-to-bottom
Now, if you're having trouble
finding your book on the
shelf,
remember this rule for
how the books are shelved:
left-to-right, top-to-
bottom
That means you start at
the left on the top shelf
and move to the right
until the shelf ends.
Flashback!
What Do You Remember?
Who created the Dewey Decimal
Classification System?
What does the DDCS do for our
library?
How many main classifications are
there?
Where do you find the DDCS number
on a library book?
Resources Used…
All clipart taken from the Microsoft Clipart web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us&cag=1
Information on the Dewey Decimal Classification taken from:
Weisburg, H. & Toor, R. Teacher’s Portfolio of Library Skills
Lessons & Activities (1985). The Center for Applied Research in
Education, Inc.