DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION – LOCAL 800 MODIFICATION
MCDANIEL COLLEGE, HOOVER LIBRARY
8/2/2006
Introduction
This modification of DDC provides for classification, and therefore shelf
arrangement, by national literature rather than simply by language. The modification is a
greatly simplified in comparison to the DDC scheme. It was developed in the mid1960’s by the then cataloger Bella Gallo, partly in response to a request from some
faculty in modern language, but also from his own inclination.
After over 20 years of use, it was reviewed and the original 800 through 809
modification was abandoned in favor of the then current edition of DDC which, since it
did not involve nationality, was merely abridged. The remaining 810 through 890 was
somewhat expanded for American and English literature, the largest collections in the
library at the time. Also, the complex Table 3 is only used for fiction genres (poetry?)
and Table 3C is used to highlight such topics as women in literature or literature by
women, African-Americans, etc.
At the time of the review, the modified scheme was considered to have worked
well for local needs and its use didn’t cause undue time spent decision-making.
Therefore, the scheme was not changed in any major way.
This current review’s purpose is to create a file that will be easier to maintain in
the future, and to incorporate all of the hand-written additions into the main text. The
original documents will be placed in the archives collection.
810 – 818 United States Literature {also 820-827}
810
U.S. literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism of
American literature 810.09 (except period tables)
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Colonial period, 1607-1776
.2
Post-Revolutionary period, 1776-1830
.3
Middle 19th century, 1830-1861
.4
Later 19th century, 1861-1900
.5
20th century
.6
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific literary
period in general.
{Add to .08 or .09 from Table 3C. May prefer “features,” etc.,
especially when period not emphasized.}
811-817
U.S. literature (specific literary forms)
811
American poetry
812
“” drama
813
“” fiction
{Prefer 809.38+ for kinds of fiction, unless nationality is
emphasized}
814
“” essays
815
“” oratory
816
“” letters
817
“” satire and humor








818
Use all standard subdivisions for general works, e.g., study and
teaching of American fiction 813.07.
Add period subdivisions followed by standard subdivisions for works
about a specific literary period of the literary form, e.g., study and
teaching of 20th century American fiction 813.507.
Class all literary works of individual authors in 818 (regardless of
literary form).
{810.09896 African-Americans}
{810.09897 Native Americans}
{If no period, add Table 3C directly to .08 or .09. For kinds of fiction
(Table 3), insert “0” first, e.g., 813.090876 for American science
fiction}
{If period, add Table 3C as above. May prefer “features” over period
as under 810. For kinds of fiction, do not use period.}
{Do not go beyond Table 3C}
U.S. literature (individual authors)
 Add period subdivisions.
 Assign author numbers from the Cutter-Sanborn tables
 Use standard title marks in lower case.
819 Canadian Literature
 Including French Canadian literature.
 Do not subdivide by literary form.
 Do not subdivide by literary period.
 Use all standard subdivisions for works about Canadian literature, e.g., history
and criticism of 20th century Canadian fiction 819.09.
 Class all individual authors in 819 without subdivision; assign Cutter numbers
and use standard title or work marks.
2
820 – 828 English Literature
 Including comprehensive works treating equally both English and American
literature.
 Class Canadian literature in 819; class American literature in 810; class
literatures of India in 891.1; class literatures of other countries where the
national language is English in 828.9; [???]
820
English literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism
of English literature 820.09
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Early English period, 1066-1400
.2
Pre-Elizabethan period, 1400-1558
.3
Elizabethan period, 1558-1625 {also Jacobiean, 16th
century, Renaissance}
.4
Post-Elizabethan period, 1625-1702 {17th century,
Restoration}
.5
Queen Anne period, 1702-1745 {18th century as a
whole; Augustan, late 17th century}
.6
Later 18th century, 1745-1800
.7
Early 19th century, 1800-1837 {Romantic period}
.8
Victorian period, 1837-1900 {19th century as a
whole}
.91
20th century
.92
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific
literary period in general.
821-827
English literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817.
828
English literature (individual authors)
 See note under 818.
822.33
Shakespeare, William
 We follow, with minor modifications, Barden’s elaborate
schedule in the arrangement of our Shakespeare collection.
828.9+
Literatures of English speaking countries other than England,
Canada, and the United States (do not use number lower than .96)
 Add area notation 4-9 from Dewey Decimal Classification,
e.g., Literatures of the Union of South Africa 828.968;
Literature of New Zealand 828.993; Australian literature
828.994 (do not go beyond 3 figures-applies to place).
 Apply note under 819 in each case.
3
829 Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Literature
 Apply note under 819.
830 – 838 German Literature (literature of Germany)
830
German literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism
of German literature 830.09
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Early medieval period to 1150 (Old High German)
.2
Later medieval period, 1150-1300 (Middle High
German)
.3
Period of decline, 1300-1517
.4
Reformation period, 1517-1625
.5
Period of imitation, 1625-1750 (Baroque)
.6
Classical period, 1750-1830
.7
Postclassical period, 1830-1856
.8
Later 19th century
.91
20th century
.92
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific
literary period in general.
831-837
German literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817.
838
German literature (individual authors)
 See note under 818.
838.9+
German Literature of countries, or in countries, other than
Germany
 Add number 1-9 arbitrarily to establish new class numbers as
needed.
 Apply note under 819 in each case.
838.991
Austrian Literature
838.992
Swiss Literature (German, French, Italian, and Romansch)
839.3 Netherlands Literature
 Include Dutch, Frisian, Low German (Plattdeutsch), and Old Saxon
literatures.
 Class Africaans literature in 828.968 (Literatures of South Africa)
 Class Flemish literature in 848.991 (Belgian literature)
 Apply note under 819.
4
839.5 – 839.82 Scandinavian Literature
839.5
Scandinavian Literature in general.
 Apply note under 819 bu class here only comprehensive works.
839.6
Icelandic literature
 Includes Old Norse (Old Icelandic) and Faroese literature
 Apply note under 819.
839.7
Swedish literature
 Apply note under 819.
839.81
Danish literature
 Apply note under 819.
839.82
Norwegian literature
 Apply note under 819.
840 – 848 French Literature
 Literature of France, including all dialect literatures.
 Class literatures of French speaking countries other than France in 848.9
840 French literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism of French
literature 840.09
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Early period to 1400 (Old French – medieval)
.2
15th century (Middle French)
.3
16th century
.4
Classical period, 1600-1715
.5
18th century, 1715-1789
.6
Revolution and empire, 1789-1815
.7
Constitutional monarchy, 1815-1848
.8
Later 19th century, 1848-1900
.91
20th century
.92
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific
literary period in general.
841-847
French literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817.
848
French literature (individual authors)
 See note under 818.
5
848.99+ Literature of French speaking countries other than France
 See note under 838.99+
 Apply note under 819 in each case
 Class Canadian French in 819
 Literature of African countries south of the Sahara – prefer 896
848.991 Belgian literature
848.992 Haitian literature
848.993 Tunisian literature
848.994 Algerian literature
848.995 Cameroon literature
849 Provencal
849.9 Catalan
850 – 858 Italian Literature
850
Italian literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism
of Italian literature 850.09
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Early period to 1375
.2
Period of classical learning, 1375-1492
.3
Age of Leo X, 1492-1542
.4
Later 16th century, 1542-1585
.5
Period of decline, 1585-1748
.6
Period of renovation, 1748-1814
.7
Early 19th century, 1814-1859
.8
Later 19th century, 1859-1900
.91
20th century
.92
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific
literary period in general.
851-857
Italian literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817.
858
Italian literature (individual authors)
 See note under 818.
6
859
Romanian Literature
 Apply note under 819.
860 – 868 Spanish Literature
860
Spanish literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in full, e.g., history and criticism
of Spanish literature 860.09
 Use period subdivisions adopted from the schedules:
.1
Early period to 1369
.2
Age of imitation, 1369-1516
.3
Golden age, 1516-1700
.4
18th century
.5
19th century
.6
20th century
.7
21st century
followed by standard subdivisions, for works about a specific
literary period in general.
861-867
Spanish literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817.
868
Spanish literature (individual authors)
 See note under 818.
868.9
Literature of Spanish speaking countries other than Spain
 Add area notation 4-9 to establish full number.
 Apply note under 819 in each case.
868.97
Spanish-American literature in general
 Apply note under 819 but class here only comprehensive
works.
868.972
Mexican literature
868.97281
Guatemalan literature
868.97284
El Salvadorian literature
868.97285
Nicaraguan literature
868.9729
Literature of the West Indies in general
 Caribbean – all languages
 Apply note under 819 but class here only comprehensive
works.
7
868.97291
Cuban literature
868.97294
Haitian literature
868.97295
Puerto Rican literature
868.97297
Leward Islands literature (including Guadeloupe)
868.982
Argentine literature
868.983
Chilean literature
868.985
Peruvian literature
868.9861
Colombian literature
868.9866
Ecuadorian literature
868.987
Venezuelan literature
868.9895
Uruguayan literature
869
Portuguese literature
 Literature of Portugal, Portuguese literature of its possessions,
and literatures of Portuguese minorities in other countries
(including Galician literature).
 Apply note under 819.
869.899
Brazilian literature
 Apply note under 819.
870 – 878 Latin Literature
 Classical medieval and modern Latin literature.
 Class non-literary authors under the subject they are primarily identified
with, and keep all their works together.
870
871-877
Latin literature in general
 Use all standard subdivisions in shortened form, e.g., history
and criticism of Latin literature 870.9
 Do not adapt any scheme of subdivisions to denote literary
periods.
Latin literature (specific literary form)
 Divide like 811-817; use all standard subdivisions for general
works.
8

878
Do not adapt any scheme of subdivisions to denote literary
periods.
Latin literature (individual authors)
 Do not adapt any scheme of subdivisions to denote literary
periods.
 Assign author numbers from the Cutter-Sanborn tables
 Use standard title marks in lower case.
880 – 888 Greek Literature
 Comprehensive works comprising or on classical Greek and Latin literatures; as
well as classical and medieval (Byzantine) literatures.
 Class non-literary authors under the subject they are primarily identified with, and
keep all their works together, i.e., Aristoteles and Plato in ancient Greek
philosophy; Strabo in ancient Geography; Herodotus in ancient history; etc.
880
Greek literature in general
 See note under 870.
881-887
Greek literature (specific literary forms)
 See note under 871-877.
888
Greek literature (individual authors)
 See note under 878.
889
Modern Greek literature
 Apply note under 819.
890+ Other National Literatures
 For assigning class numbers for literatures here not provided for, we supplement
the Dewey scheme with area notations 3-9 and, in special cases, with the Dewey
notations developed for languages.
 Apply note under 819 in each case.
 Class comprehensive works about several literatures in 808.8-809.9.
891.1
Literatures of India
 Literatures of all peoples comprising the Republic of India,
irrespective of language, including literature written in English.
Including Sanskrit literature.
 Class Urdu literature under 891.4.
891.4
Pakistani (Urdu) literature
 Literatures of all peoples of Pakistan, as well as Urdu literature
of minorities in countries other than Pakistan.
9
891.6
Irish literature
 Literature in Gaelic.
891.66
Welsh literature
 Welsh provincial literature.
 Class Welsh, Irish, and Scottish authors writing in English in
828.
For Asian literature in general, see 895.
For Non-Western literature in general, see 895.
891.7
Literature of the U.S.S.R.
 Literature in Russian or its dialect.
 Class distinctive literatures of nationalities wholly within the
U.S.S.R. in 891.79.
 Class literatures of minorities with cultural-linguistic ties to
other national literatures, as a subdivision of the specific
national literature, e.g., Yiddish literature in 892.49; German
literature in 838.99; Finnish literature in 891.54.
 Apply note under 819 in each case.
891.79
Literature of nationalities of the U.S.S.R.
 Including Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Armenian literatures.
891.8
Slavic languages in general – Slavic literatures
891.81
Bulgarian literature
891.82
Literatures of Yugoslavia
891.85
Polish literature
891.86
Czech literature
892.4
Hebrew literature
 All ancient and modern literatures of Hebraic languages.
892.49
Yiddish literature
892.7
Arabic literature
 Ancient Arabic literatures and literatures of all modern Arab
countries (includes Iraq).
893
Literatures in Hamitic languages
 Old Egyptian, Coptic, Berber, and Ethiopian literatures.
10
894.3
Turkish literature
894.51
Hungarian literature
894.54
Finnish literature
894.545
Estonian literature
895.1
Chinese literature
895.4
Tibetan literature
895.6
Japanese literature
895.7
Korean literature
895.922
Vietnamese literature
895.932
Khmer (Cambodia) literature
895.99
Philippines literature
896
Literatures of African nations South of the Sahara
 Including literature in French and English, except South Africa
– 828.968
897
Literatures of North, Central, and South American Indians.
899.221
Indonesian literature
11