The Dewey Decimal System was invented in 1876 by Melvil Dewey when he was 21 years old. It is a classification system that organizes all information into ten main categories which are further divided into more specific topics. Each book is assigned a call number based on its subject matter that corresponds to its proper location on the library shelf. The system makes it easy to find materials on any subject in all libraries.

1. Dewey Decimal System

2. What is Dewey Decimal System?

3. Dewey Decimal System
 is a classification system that
organizes information into ten general
subject areas, which are broken into
smaller and smaller topics.

4. Who invented Dewey Decimal
System?

5. Melvil Dewey
 invented the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
system
 at the age of twenty one years old while working as
a student assistant in the library of Amherst College.
 invented the system to make it easy to find
materials in all libraries. He also founded the
American Library Association.

6. The Dewey Decimal System is
divided into ten categories/parts

7. The Dewey Decimal System
(call numbers)
 500-599
 600-699
 700-799
 800-899
 900-999
000-099
100-199
200-299
300-399
400-499

8. What is a call number?
A call number is made up of
the letters and numbers on
the spine tag.
A call number is the book’s
address on the shelf.
Call numbers are Dewey
numbers.
The call number might be
all letters or some letters
and some numbers

9. Fiction Books
Fiction books DO have Dewey Call
numbers—books by American authors
all have the Dewey number 810—but
there are so many, we leave that off
and they are shelved with call
numbers E (first three letters of the
author’s name, or F (first three
letters of the author’s name)

10. Fiction
Fiction Books are not true
Everybody book section or in the
Chapter books section.

11. Non-Fiction
Non-fiction Books are true
Dewey section of our library.
Not EVERY book in the Dewey
section is non-fiction. Fairy tales are
fiction.

12. 000-099
General Works
000-Computers, The unexplained
(UFOs, Big Foot)
020-Internet
030-Encyclopedias & Almanacs
060-Museums
070-Newspapers

13. 100-199
Philosophy and Psychology
130-Mysterious Happenings
150-Optical Illusions
170-Understanding Ourselves

14. 200-299 Religion
 220-Old Testament Bible Stories
 230-New Testament Bible Stories
 290-Mythology, World Religions

15. 300-399
Social Sciences
 300-Social Issues
 320-Government
 330-Careers
 340-Court System
 350-Military Equipment
 360-Drugs, the environment
 370-Education
 380-History of Transportation
 390-Holidays, Folklore and Fables

16. 400-499
Language
410-Sign Language
420-Dictionaries, Grammar
490-Hieroglyphics

17. 500-599
Science and Math
 510-Science Experiments
 520-Math
 530-Physical science (motion)
 540-Chemistry
 550-Weather, Earthquakes and Volcanoes
 560-Dinosaurs•570-Habitats/Biomes
 580-Plants and trees
 590-Wild animals

18. 600-699
Science and Technology
600-Inventions
610-The Human Body•620-Space ships, trains, and
car
630-Pets and farm animals
640-Cookbooks, organizing, sewing
650-Jobs and management
660-Chemical technology
670 and 680-Manufacturing
690-Building

19. 700-799 The Arts
710-Landscape art
720-Architecture
730-Origami
740-Drawing, crafts
750-Painting•760-Print making
770-Photography
780-Music
790-Sports

20. 800-899 Literature
810-Poetry, plays, jokes and riddles (American fiction goes here—the
everybody books and the chapter books but we don’t put the
numbers on!)
820-Shakespeare and other books by British authors (Harry Potter)
830-German literature
840-French
850-Italian
860-Spanish
870-Latin
880-Greek and Roman
890-Other languages


21. 900-999 History and Geography
900-American History
910-Explorers
920-Flags, Biographies
930-Ancient Civilizations
940-Knights, Castles, Europe, WWI and WWII
950-Asia and the Middle East
960-Africa
970-North and Central America, State books
980-South America
990-The Pacific Islands, Australia

22. So….if you know the Dewey Decimal
System you can….
Find books to help you with research
Find books about things you think are
fun!
Find books for your hobbies
And even get better grades…