Content

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For centuries, libraries have played an important role in providing information to the public. However, there are occasional major flaws in the library system: in a large collection, finding a particular book is a pain and a pain. To deal with this problem, Melvil Dewey invented the revolutionary Dewey Decimal System (DCC). This system has spread and has made the lives of librarians everywhere a little easier. But the system is quite complex, and often people who are not librarians will not know it. This article is about the different functions of the DCC (Dewey Decimal System) and how to get knowledge about it.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Search for a specific book

1. 

   
   
   Look for your book in the library's catalog. This system has likely been computerized. If you are having problems, ask the librarian for help or ask the librarian to look up for you.
   • The Dewey Decimal system applies only to science-reality books. This system organizes books by topic, from genetics to Victorian England, to cosmology.

2. 

   
   
   Please get the number from the description of the book. The number will be 3 or more digits. Take note of that number and the author's last name before starting your search.

3. 

   Go to the bookshelves. Browse the spines of books to find shelves with the same first numbers as the book you're looking for. Then look for books with the same number 2, and so on. Here is an example:
   • Let's say you are looking for the book with the number in Dewey's decimal system being 319.21.
   • Look for a bookshelf that can hold the number 319, let's skip the decimals for now. For example, "300.2–340.99" is probably the correct shelf, since 319 is between 300 and 400.
   • Go down that shelf and look at the spines of the books until you find the books that begin with number 319.
   • Look in the books beginning with 319 to find the one you want. They are sorted by decimal, so 319.21 is between 319.20 and 319.22.

4. 

   
   
   Look for labels that match both the author's serial number and last name. There may be more than one book with the same number, so check with the author's name to confirm that you have found the book you need. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Browse and categorize

1. 

   Know 10 general content areas. Melvil Dewey initially created 10 general categories to which most books are classified. Those 10 fields are listed below with their respective numbers.
   • 000 - Informatics, informatics and general works
   • 100 - Philosophy and psychology
   • 200 - Religion
   • 300 - Social science
   • 400 - Language
   • 500 - Science
   • 600 - Technology
   • 700 - Arts and entertainment
   • 800 - Literature
   • 900 - History and geography

2. 

   Understand the subclasses and segments. Each of the 10 domains has 99 subclasses - more specific categories fall within the larger domains. The additional decimals refer to the smaller categories, they are even more detailed. Decimals are added if the topic is more specific. An example of this sorting procedure is shown below:
   • 500 science and mathematics
   • 590 Zoology
   • 595 Arthropods
   • 595.7 Pests
   • 595.78 Pollen beetles
   • 595,789 Butterfly

3. 

   Please browse using the system. The Dewey decimal system comes in handy when you go through it. If you want an ethics book, you can go up to 170. Once you are there you can browse through the bookshelves for books in the area of ​​ethics that interest you. This is definitely more convenient than the alphabetical arrangement, where you will likely find a turtle book next to a book on political upheaval.

4. 

   Search online for categories. If the library is large and you don't want to spend all day browsing art books, you can go online for tutorials on categories, classes, and segments. Websites with the Dewey decimal indexes include OCLC, University of Illinois, IPL. advertisement

Advice

• Don't be afraid to ask the librarian for help in locating the book. Most librarians will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.
• For titles that are not clear to you, tell the librarian for reference. Reference librarians are very adept at finding information in databases.
• Many libraries are organized with the lowest numbers near the entrance and the highest numbers further away.
• The Library of Congress developed its own classification system, which is more suitable for large collections. This system is often referred to as "LC" or "LOC" for short.
• If you are categorizing books for a library or bookstore, you may need to understand the system better. The following resources can help:
  • If you are unsure how to organize a book on a somewhat unusual subject, refer to the official brochure, manual, and glossary.
  • Keep your collection up to date by following the regular Dewey Decimal updates, or the less mainstream Dewey blog.

Related posts

• Locate a Book in a Library
• Become a Librarian
• Make Time to Read a Book when You’re Busy (Make time to read books when you are busy)