In the past, libraries have provided information for the public.A major flaw in the library system was that it became difficult to find a book in a large collection.The Dewey Decimal System was invented to fight this issue.The lives of librarians were made a little easier by this system.The system is not well known to non-librarians.A guide to various functions of the Dewey Decimal System will be provided in this article.
Step 1: The library has a card catalog.
The system is likely computerized.If you're having trouble, ask the library for help or just look it up.Nonfiction books are not covered by the Dewey Decimal System.The books are organized by topic, ranging from genetics to Victorian England to astrology.
Step 2: The book's entry contains a call number.
There will be more than one digit in the call number.Before you start your search, record the author's last name and number.
Step 3: Go to the shelves.
The books with the same first digit are the ones you pass.You can search for books with the same second digit.Let's say you are looking for a book with a Dewey number.Ignore the decimals until you find the aisle that 319 would fall under.The correct aisle would be "300.2–3403.99" since 319 falls between 300 and 340.You can find the books starting with 319 by walking down the shelf.You can find the one you're looking for by searching within the books.319.21 falls between 322.20 and 327.22 according to the value of the decimal.
Step 4: The author's last name and call number should be on the label.
Check the author's name to make sure you found the book you selected in the card catalog.
Step 5: There are ten general areas of content.
Most books could be sorted into ten general categories by Melvil Dewey.Below is a list of the ten areas with their corresponding numbers.000 - Generalities, Computer Science, and Information 100 - Philosophy and Psychology 200 - Religion 300 - Social Sciences (anthropology, archeology, sociology) 400 - Language 500 - Natural Sciences.700 - The Arts, 800 - Literature and Rhetoric, and 900 - Geography and History.
Step 6: Understand the divisions and sections.
There are more specific categories that fall under the larger areas in each of the ten areas.The smaller sections are even more specific because of the additional decimals.If the topic is even more specific, Decimals are added.An example of this specification process is below.
Step 7: Use the system to browse.
It's great when you're browsing.If you wanted a book about ethics, you would go to 170.You could find a book on an area of ethics if you scanned the shelves.In an alphabetical arrangement, you might find a book on turtles next to one about turbulence in politics.
Step 8: You can learn the categories online.
If your library is large and you don't want to spend a whole day looking at books in the Arts, you can go online for a guide to the various general categories.The University of Illinois is one of the websites with Dewey Decimal System guides.