Cataloging Policy and Procedure Manual

The Classification System

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by Kendra Arrowood
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John_Dewey_lib.jpgThe Classification System

Books in the library are arranged on the shelves according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System (developed by Melville Dewey).  This system, the most commonly used in school and public libraries, divides knowledge into ten different broad subject areas, called classes, numbered 000 - 999. Materials which are too general to belong to a specific group (encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, library science, etc.) are placed in the 000's.

The Ten Main Classes of the "Dewey" System:

 000    Generalities
 100    Philosophy & Psychology
 200    Religion
 300    Social Sciences
 400    Language
 500    Natural Sciences & Mathematics
 600    Technology (Applied Sciences,
            including Medicine)

 700    The Fine Arts
 800    Literature & Rhetoric
 900    Geography & History

SubclassesThe ten main classes are divided up into smaller classes by several sets of subclasses:

EXAMPLE:


500 - Pure Sciences & Mathematics
510        Mathematics

520        Astronomy & allied sciences
530        Physics
540        Chemistry
550        Earth Sciences
560        Paleontology, Paleozoology
570        Life Sciences
580        Botanical Sciences
590         Zoological Sciences 

Specifying Subdivisions

Smaller divisions (to subdivide the topic even further) are created by expanding each subclass and adding decimals if necessary.  

EXAMPLE:
520      Astronomy & allied sciences
 
523     Specific celestial bodies & phenomena
                        523.1         The universe
                        523.2         Solar system
                        523.3         The moon
                        523.4         Planets 
                        523.41       Mercury 
                        523.42       Venus 
                        523.43       Mars

Before a book is placed on the shelves it is:

  • Classified according to the subject matter it covers (given the Dewey number).
  • Three letters are added to this number. This represents the author's last name or the first word of the title (if the book is edited with no one author).
  • The number indicates where  the book will be shelved in the library.