Dewey Decimal Classification

1
Dewey Decimal Classification

• Library Services

2
Background

• Developed by Melvil Dewey
• Librarian
• 1873
• Published in 1876
• Divides nonfiction books into 10 categories

3
Interesting Facts

• Published by Forest Press
• Owned by OCLC Online Computer Library Center,
  Inc.
• Most widely used library classification system in
  the world
• Used in more than 135 countries

4
More Interesting Facts

• Has been translated into over 30 languages
• Used for other purposes
• Browsing mechanism for resources on Web
• Includes both fiction and nonfiction books
• Most fiction not included in DDC

5
United States Usage

• 95 of all public and school libraries
• 25 of all college and university libraries
• 20 of all special libraries

6
The Categories

• 100s Philosophy Psychology
• 200s Religion Mythology
• 300s Social Science
• 400s Philology (language)
• 500s Natural Science
• 600s Applied Science and Useful Arts

7
The Categories (Continued)

• 700s Fine Arts Recreation
• 800s Literature
• 900s History, Geography, Biography
• 000s General Works

8
Melvil Dewey

• Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey
• Shortened name later
• Went by name Dui for awhile
• Invented DDC
• Twenty-one years old
• Working as student assistant in Amherst College
  library
• Pioneer in library education

9
More on Melvil Dewey

• Changed librarianship from vocation to modern
  profession
• Founded first-ever library school at Columbia
  College (now Columbia University)
• Often referred to as Father of Librarianship
• Founded American Library Association (ALA) 1876

10
References

• Middle Tennessee State University, 2002,
  lthttp//www.mtsu.edugt (October 2002)
• Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 2002,
  lthttp//www.oclc.org/home/gt (October 2002)
• Mt. Erie Elementary School, Anacortes, WA, 2001,
  lthttp//www.mte.anacortes.k12.wa.usgt 
  (October 2002)