"Or, everything you must know before learning about the Dewey Decimal Classification System."

1. Fiction / Nonfiction Review
Or, everything you must know before
learning about the Dewey Decimal
Classification System

2. The Dewey Decimal System is a
way to organize non-fiction
books in the library so you can
easily find them.
This way to find books was
invented by Melvil Dewey.

3. Review: Non-Fiction
• Non-fiction books are
true--these are real
stories or
informational books.
• We can find non-
fiction books in the
Dewey Decimal section
of our library.
• Not EVERY book in
the Dewey Decimal
section is non-fiction.
For example, fairy
tales and folk tales
are fiction.

4. The Dewey Decimal System is
divides all non-fiction subjects into
ten classes using a different set of
call numbers for each class.

5. Review: What is a call number?
• A call number is made
up of the letters and
numbers on the spine
label.
• A call number is the
book’s address on the
shelf.
• Call numbers are
Dewey Decimal
numbers.

6. Review: What is a call number?
• The call number might
be all letters or some
letters and some
numbers.

7. Review: Non-Fiction
E 591.56
(for Early Non-fiction)
Che
(first three letters of
the author’s last
name)

8. Review: Non-Fiction
J 398.2
(for Juvenile Non-Fiction)
Cob
(first three letters of
the author’s last
name)

9. Review: Non-Fiction
548
(for Middle School Non-
Fiction)
Sym
(first three letters
of the author’s last
name)

10. The Dewey Decimal System
Call Number Classes
•000-099
•100-199
•200-299
•300-399
•400-499
•500-599
•600-699
•700-799
•800-899
•900-999
Each
class
has
books on
the same
or
related
subjects.

11. Religion
Everything in
the world
NOT made
by people
Thinking and
feeling
People Everything
in the
world made
by people
What you
do for
fun
Poetry
and
Drama
Past
events
and
places

12. But what about Fiction?
Fiction books DO have Dewey call numbers,
but because there are so many we leave
the Dewey number off and shelve them
only by the first three letters of the
author’s last name.

13. Review: Fiction
• Fiction Books are not
true--these are stories
that someone has made up.
• We can find fiction books
in the Early book section
or in the Chapter books
section in our library
(Early Chapter, Juvenile
Fiction or Middle School
Fiction).

14. Fiction
E(for Early Books)
Les
(first three letters
of the author’s last
name)

15. Fiction
EC
(for Early Chapter Books)
Bro
(first three letters of
the author’s last
name)

16. Fiction
J Fic
(for Juvenile Fiction)
Sni
(first three letters
of the author’s last
name)

17. Fiction
Fic
(for Middle School Fiction)
Phi
(first three letters of
the author’s last
name)