Classification Systems
Melvil Dewey was the first individual to devise a classification system used by most modern libraries. Here is what he has to say about his system:
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"The primary objective of libraries is to give service. As an aid in achieving this end, most libraries organize their books and other materials by subject matter.
"Classification is one kind of organization. To classify a collection of objects is to place together in "classes" those objects which have certain characteristics in common and to separate thise which do not have these characteristics in common. For instance, one might classify a collection of postage stamps according to countries of issue, each of which would be a separate class, and the stamps of each country by monetary denomination, each of which would be a subclass. Or, one might classify them instead by size, by shape, by color, by subject illustrated, or by any other characteristic which has significance to the classifier...
"Libraries generally classify books using their subjects as the characteristics by which they are grouped" (Dewey 9). |
Dewey divided all knowledge into ten major classes:
|
|
| 000
| General Works
| 100
| Philosophy
| 200
| Religion
| 300
| Social Sciences
| 400
| Languages
| 500
| Pure Sciences
| 600
| Technology
| 700
| The Arts
| 800
| Literature
| 900
| History
| | | | | | | | | |
He then subdivided those areas of knowledge into divisions. For instance, he broke up the Arts as follows:
|
|
| 700
| The Arts
| 710
| Landscape & civic art
| 720
| Architecture
| 730
| Sculpture
| 740
| Drawing & decorative arts
| 750
| Painting
| 760
| Prints & print making
| 770
| Photography
| 780
| Music
| 790
| Recreation
| | | | | | | | | |
Dewey then divided the divisions into sections, as in the following example
|
|
| 780
| Music
| 781
| Theory & technique of music
| 782
| Dramatic music
| 783
| Sacred music
| 784
| Vocal music
| 785
| Instrumental ensemble
| 786
| Keyboard instruments
| 787
| String instruments
| 788
| Wind instruments
| 789
| Percussion & mechanical
| | | | | | | | | |
Dewey then divided the sections into smaller areas, based on decimals. These decimal areas were then subdivided, often ending in a letter indicating the first letter of the last name of the author.
|
|
| 786
| Keyboard Instruments
| 786.1
| Keyboard string instruments
| 786.2
| Piano
| 786.3
| Piano instruction & study
| 786.4
| Piano music
| 786.5
| Keyboard wind instruments
| 786.6
| Organ
| 786.7
| Organ instruction & study
| 786.8
| Organi music
| 786.9
| Other keyboard instruments
| | | | | | | | | |
There are real limits, as you can see, to the use of the Dewey Decimal system. If a library owns enough books, the decimals become so long as to be unusable. Another system, therefore, evolved: the Library of Congress Classification System.
Works Cited
Dewey, Melvil. Dewey Decimal Classification and Relative Index. 8th Abridged Edition. NY: Forest Press, 1894.
Please send comments to:
Colby Glass, MLIS
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