If you want to volunteer or get a job at the library, you need to know how to put the books down.The Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress Classification System are used to classify all library books.The Dewey Decimal System is used by most public libraries and high schools.
Step 1: You can learn how the Dewey Decimal System works.
It is easy to learn the system because it is built on a decimal base.Every class of book has a category number and a cutter number, which are numbers to the right of the decimal point.The numbers on the spine of the library book are referred to as the call number.Each of the subcategories contains 10 subdivisions, and the system is comprised of ten classes.The Dewey Decimal System has 10 main classes.
Step 2: The purpose of call numbers is to group books of the same subject together, and is comprised of at least two parts.
The cutter number is the Class number.The class number is a whole number and the cutter numbers are placed after the decimal point.
Step 3: You can get a feel for how a classification is broken down.
This is an example of how you would find a book about American fiction.The second number after the 8 indicates that the book is further classified as American literature in general.The first number after the decimal point refines the classification even further.A book with a call number of 813.4 tells you that it is American fiction written in the 19th century.The more specific the subject is, the more numbers it has.
Step 4: The Library of Congress uses 20 different classifications.
The class corresponds to the letter of the alphabet.C History (Except America), E American History, F Local American history, G Geography and Anthropology, J Political Science, K Law, Music, N Fine Arts, P Language and Linguistics, Q Science and math, R Medicine.
Step 5: The class is further divided into subclasses using a combination of letters and numbers.
The more numbers and letters contained in a call number, the more specific the classification is, and the easier it is to find a book.The last four numbers in the call number were published in 1951.