Dewey Decimal System facts for kids

Part of the relative index of the Dewey Decimal Classification

A library book shelf in Hong Kong classified using the Dewey classification scheme

The Dewey Decimal System is a way to put books in order by subject. It is often used in public libraries and schools in the United States and other countries. It places the books on the shelf by subject using numbers from 000 to 999. It is called "decimal" because it uses numbers to the right of the decimal point for more detail (e.g. 944.1 for History of Brittany). Each subject has its own group of numbers. The system was created by Melvil Dewey in 1876. It is also called the Dewey Decimal Classification. The classification has been changed many times. The latest change is number 23 in 2011. There is also a smaller one for small libraries called "Abridged Dewey".

Each subject is broken up into 10 smaller, more specific categories.

• 000 – Computer science, information, and general works
• 100 – Philosophy and psychology
• 200 – Religion
• 300 – Social sciences
• 400 – Language
• 500 – Science
• 600 – Technology
• 700 – Arts and recreation
• 800 – Literature
• 900 – History and geography

Other pages

• Literature
• Reading
• Book

Images for kids

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  Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal classification

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  1885 - Dewey Decimal Classification

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  Children being taught the top-level categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification system at a library in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the 1960s

See also

In Spanish: Sistema Dewey de clasificación para niños