Accessing Print Materials
Certain materials in this presentation
are included under the fair use
exemption of the U. S. Copyright Law,
and have been prepared according to
the educational multimedia fair use
guidelines and are restricted from
further use.
Where Can I Find…?
How will I find it?


Imagine that this pile of
DVDs is yours and you
are looking for a certain
one. How will you find
it?
Maybe you need to get
organized. How might
you organize your DVD
collection?
Now imagine 20,000 or so books sitting around in no
particular order and trying to find just the one you
need for your research project.
Thanks to Melvil Dewey we don’t
have to worry about that.



Number codes organized by topic
10 main subjects
all the books on a topic are
together on the shelf.
Melvil Dewey
December 10, 1851–
December 26, 1931
en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Melvil_Dewey
The Dewey System Has 10 Main Classes
Dewey #
10 Main Classes
000-099 General Works
Kinds of Books
encyclopedias, almanacs, record
books, such as Guinness
100-199 Philosophy and Psychology
paranormal phenomena,such as
ghosts, ethics, how we think
200-299 Religion
300-399 Social Science
mythology, religions
400-499 Language
English and foreign languages, sign
language, dictionaries
500-599 Natural Science
math, chemistry, biology, weather,
rocks, plants, animals in nature
600-699 Applied Science
inventions, health, drugs,
transportation, cooking, pets
700-799 Fine Arts and Recreation
crafts, art, drawing, painting, music,
games, TV, movies, sports
800-899 Literature
short stories, poetry, plays, jokes,
riddles (fiction could be here)
900-999 History and Geography
countries, flags, historical events,
biographies (92 or 920)
government, holidays, folklore, fairy
tales, education, community
Each of the 10 Main Classes
can be further divided:
From Broad…
…to Specific
500
Natural Science
590
Animals
599
Mammals
599.8
Primates
599.88
Apes
What is a Call Number?






unique number used to locate a book on the shelf.
located on the spine of a book.
two parts: the Dewey Decimal classification number +
the first three letters of the author’s last name.
794.1 KEE
topic: chess + author: Keene
940.54 BRA
topic: WWII + author: Bradley
Think of a call number as the book’s address. It tells
you where that book “lives” in the media center.
Three Groups of Books



Nonfiction: Dewey Decimal System
Fiction: Alphabetically by author’s last name
Biography & Autobiography: Alphabetical by the name
of the person the book is about
796.332
FIC
92
ADA
STI
STI
Nonfiction
Call Numbers
three numbers to the left of the decimal 609.75
no limit on numbers to the right 644.805652
The more numbers you add to the right of the
decimal, the more specific the subject is.
Example: 644.805652 is the Dewey number for
the commercial processing of kidney beans
Nonfiction
Call Numbers have 2 parts
Dewey number + first three letters of the author’s last
name.
393.3
KNA
A book about mummies
…by Ron Knapp
Nonfiction Call Numbers Biography

92 + last name of the famous person.
(This is the exception to three numbers to the left of
the decimal.)
92
Mandela
A biography
…about Nelson Mandela
BIG IDEA #1:
Nonfiction books are shelved by topic

If you want a book about cars, do you care
who the author is?
BIG IDEA #2:
Call numbers have two parts.
What are they?
Dewey number
Letters from the author’s last name
Dewey Decimals
Think of a Dewey number as if it were dollars and
cents! For example:
595.23 comes before 595.30
398.20 comes before 398.21
796.33 comes before 796.332
 When in doubt, add a 0 (zero)
to even out the digits after
the decimal.
Finding Nonfiction Books
Where would you look for:
Skiing in the Desert
609.5 MOR
Cities of the Dead
930.1 RIN
UFOS
001.942 GRA
Nonfiction Section
000-399
001.942
GRA
400-599
600-799
800-999
609.5
MOR
930.1
RIN
Where would a book called Mali with a call
number of 966.23 BLA be found?
Sudan
Nigeria
962.4
LEV
966.9
WAL
Somalia
967.73
HAS
Rwanda
967.571
KOO
Where would a book with a call number of
796.332 SMI be found?
796
LEV
796.332
ABB
796.332
HAS
996.332
WHI
Where would a book with a call number of
398.2 GRI be found?
398
KNI
398.2
AND
398.2
KNI
398.21
HAM
Where would a book with a call number of
940.54 GRI be found?
940
PAT
940.5
ANN
940.53
HAM
940.54
TOM
Locating a Book
on the Shelf
Remember this rule for how books
are usually shelved!
top
shelf, left to right until the
shelf ends.
 Then you go to the next shelf
beneath that, and do the sameleft to right, top to bottom.
Just Remember…….
FICTION CALL
NUMBERS HAVE
ONLY LETTERS!
NONFICTION
CALL NUMBERS
HAVE NUMBERS
AND LETTERS!
+
The Key to Library Call Numbers
CALL NUMBER
TYPE OF BOOK
HOW IT IS SHELVED
FIC
FICTION
ALPHABETICALLY BY
AUTHOR NAME
000-999
NONFICTION
DEWEY DECIMAL NUMBER,
THEN AUTHOR NAME
92
BIOGRAPHY
DEWEY DECIMAL NUMBER,
THEN SUBJECT’S NAME
REF
REFERENCE
DEWEY DECIMAL NUMBER,
THEN AUTHOR’S NAME
Practice Using Call Numbers
Groups of 3-4 people.
Start at any table. Answer questions. Self-check answers.
Move to the table with the next highest number.
Table 8 is timed to see who can “Beat the Clock” by putting
the books into DDS order the fastest.
Practice Using Call Numbers
Table 1
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. What is the main topic of these books?
3. Why do 133.122 HAU and 133.19 RUL have more
numbers to the right of the decimal point?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 1
1. Put books in DDS order.
133
133.1 133.1 133.109
133.122
MAT
COH WES
HAU
RUL
2. What is the main topic of these books?
Supernatural or ghosts
3. Why do 133.122 HAU and 133.19 RUL have
more numbers to the right of the decimal point?
They are more specific.
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 2
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. Explain the difference between 133.4 STE and
133.43 ARO and 133.43 RIC. Why do you think these
were given different numbers?
3. Two of the books have the same title. Which one will come
First on the shelf? Why?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 2
1. Put books in DDS order.
133.1 133.1 133.4 133.43 133.43
ONE
SOT
STE
ARO
RIC
2. Explain the difference between 133.4 STE and
133.43 ARO and 133.43 RIC. Why do you think these
were given different numbers? .43 is more specific about Salem
Witch Trials.
3. Two of the books have the same title. Which one will come
First on the shelf? 133.1 ONE Why? Author’s name comes first
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 3
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. All these books have the same 1st number. What is it? What is
its main DDS classification?
3. Two of the books have the same Dewey Classification Number
but different letters. Why?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 3
1. Put books in DDS order.
904
951
972.018
PLA
MAN SHE
972.018
973.757
STE
WAL
2. All these books have the same 1st number. What is it? 9
What main DDS classification is it? 900s History and Geography
3. Two of the books have the same Dewey Classification Number
but different letters. Why? Same topic, different authors.
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 4
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. What is the main topic of these books?
3. One book has 2 numbers to the right of the decimal point. Does
this make it more specific or more general?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 4
1. Put books in DDS order.
910.4 910.4 910.4 910.45
910.452
BAL
BAL
BRY
KEN
BUT
2. What is the main topic of these books? Sea disasters.
3. One book has 2 numbers to the right of the decimal point. Does
this make it more specific or more general? More specific.
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 5
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. Why do 2 of these books have the same Dewey Number, 001.9,
but different letters?
3. Would these books be shelved in the non-fiction collection in
our media center? Explain.
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 5
1. Put books in DDS order.
001.9 001.9 133.1 910.4 931
BAC
WAL
DEE
RAW LAZ
2. Why do 2 of these books have the same Dewey Number of
001.9 but different letters? Same topic, but different authors
3. Would these books be shelved in the non-fiction collection in
our media center? Explain. No. 001.9 WAL goes in Reference.
Two others in the East classroom (000-599) and 2 in West
classroom (600-999).
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 6
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. Why do all of these books have the same Dewey Number 92?
3. What do the LETTERS in the call numbers represent?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 6
1. Put books in DDS order.
92
92
92
HIT
HOU KEN
92
92
LIN
MON
2. Why do all of these books have the same Dewey Number 92?
They are biographies.
3. What do the LETTERS in the call numbers represent?
The person the biography is about.
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 7
1. Put books in DDS order.
2. Why do all of these books have the same Dewey Number 937?
3. Why does the book Pompeii and Herculaneum have different
call number than the other books?
Practice Using Call Numbers
SELF CHECK TABLE 7
1. Put books in DDS order.
937
937
937
937
937.7
JAM
ROS
SIM
SOL
SEE
2. Why do all of these books have the same Dewey Number of
937? All about the same topic of Ancient Rome.
3. Why does the book Pompeii and Herculaneum have different
call number than the other books? This book is more specific and
about the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum instead of the
more general topic of Ancient Rome.
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 8
BEAT THE CLOCK!
Put the books in correct Dewey order on the book cart.
See if you can have the fastest time!
Practice Using Call Numbers
TABLE 8
001.9
001.9
001.9
133.1
345.73 398.2
398.469 809
FLO
LAN
RAN
COH
ROE
NET
930
932
INN
GIB
HUT
SCA
Exit Ticket
1. Explain how nonfiction books are organized in the media
center.
2. What is the purpose of using the Dewey Decimal System?
3. How will what you learned today help you?
Works Cited
Aplin, Marc. “Pile of DVDs picture.” Marc Aplin’s Manga Reviews. 26 Aug. 2008
<ttp://marcaplin.com/manga/?p=9>.
Bierman, Irene. “Egyptian Mummy Coffin.” Material Culture. 2005. Center for
History and New Media. 26 Aug. 2008
<http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/unpacking/imagesq2.html>.
Favero, Julie, and Diana Dorney. Dewey Decimal Classification System
PowerPoint. Lake Oswego School District. 26 Aug. 2008
<http://www.oregontrailschools.com/uploads/5dewey4.PPT >.
"Melvil Dewey.jpg." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 28 Jan 2009, 11:30 UTC.
30 Jan 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melvil_Dewey&oldid=266946380>.
“My Life in Dog Years Picture.” BookRags. 26 Aug. 2008
<http://www.bookrags.com/shortguide-my-life-in-dog-years/>.
“Nelson Mandela Picture.” South Africa Tour and Travel. 2008. South-Africa-Toursand-Travel.com. . 26 Aug. 2008 <http://www.south-africa-tours-andtravel.com/apartheid.html>.