The Dewey Decimal System is the oldest library classification system to exist. The DDS breaks up all library materials into 10 broad areas by field of study, which is then broken up into smaller categories. It was first published in the United States in 1876 by Melvil Dewey, and has been revised and expanded through 23 major editions since then. The latest edition was issued in 2011. This classification system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries. This system is used in most public school libraries.
The 10 categories that make up the Dewey Decimal System are:
- 000 General Knowledge
- 100 Psychology and Philosophy
- 200 Religions and Mythology
- 300 Social Sciences and Folklore
- 400 Languages and Grammar
- 500 Math and Science
- 600 Medicine and Technology
- 700 Arts and Recreation
- 800 Literature
- 900 Geography and History
Within these 10 categories, there are smaller groupings that focuses on certain topic under the specific category. For example, under Literature, you can find books on plays, poetry, Shakespeare, and more. Each topic is assigned "call numbers", which helps keep the books organized by section, category, and is easy to find if needed. The purpose of the DDS is to provide information that can be accessible.
What are the advantages of using the Dewey Decimal System?
- This library classification system is universal. This system also uses numerical notation, which makes it much easier to use all over the world compared to using a system with a language/alphabetical system that is different depending on the country.
- Every topic is listed by subject, making it easy to narrow down what you are looking for.
- When it comes to locating the physical book, it is easy because they are separated by topic and call number. You simply locate the book number you are looking for and can find it easily in the library.
- This system is developed and maintained in a national bibliographic agency, the Library of Congress.
What are the disadvantages of the Dewey Decimal System?
- Some books may be categorized in a different subject area. For example, a book on sports medicine can ideally be placed in 2 different sections. If you can't find it in the medicine section, it might be listed somewhere else that deals with sports.
- The numerical part of the system may seem a little confusing to some people. If one book has a lot of numbers listed, they might get confused on where to look, especially if they are not familiar with the system.
If I had my own media center/library in a school, I would continue to use this library classification system. I remember learning about the Dewey Decimal System and going about how to use it in my school's library when I was in elementary school. While I haven't had frequent visits to my town's library over the years, some of that information was still helpful to me when it came to using the library at my college for certain projects. There were books that contained specific information that I necessarily could not find on the Internet, or couldn't access. If I needed a certain book and it wasn't available at my library, I was able to find it in another library and try to obtain it.
References
http://mcpl.info/childrens/how-use-dewey-decimal-system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification
https://www.oclc.org/dewey/features/summaries.en.html
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