Q&A for How to Use the Dewey Decimal System

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I worked in a college library for 23 years & knew the Library of Congress filing system blind-folded. Is there a clue to learning the Dewey system, now that I'll be working in a regular city library?

Donagan

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You'll learn the Dewey system very quickly. It's not hard.

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How do I relate DDC # to LC #?

Donagan

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There is no relationship between the two systems. They're completely different.

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Question

What is the usage of Dewey Decimal system?

Community Answer

The Dewey Decimal system is used to categorize nonfiction book topics. For example, numbers 800-899 is the Literature category.

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What is the classification for a historical museum with the 19th edition of the DDC?

Community Answer

Without knowing the details of the book, there are a few possible answers. 060 Associations, organizations and museums. 069 Museum Science. 700 Art. 708 Galleries, museums, private collections of fine and decorative arts. 100 Philosophy. 106 Organizations and management.

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What does SC stand for?

Kim G

Top Answerer

SC stands for Story Collection. Anthologies of fiction are filed with the designation SC followed by the first three letters of the author's name.

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Question

Where can I find subdivisions under the ten main classes of the DDC?

Kim G

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OCLC, a worldwide library consortium, has a chart outlining the subdivisions online at oclc.org/en/dewey/features/summaries.html#ten.

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Question

How do I classify the books without DDC? Is there any other method?

Community Answer

The Library of Congress system (LCC or LoC) is another alternative. Law libraries might use the Moys system. And of course, fiction books are usually just sorted by the author's last name, rather than by their appropriate Dewey number.

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What could I do to search fiction books?

Community Answer

That's a different method of organizing. Fictional books are organized in alphabetical order by the author's last name. When in doubt, ask a librarian.

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Question

I need to classify a guidebook for those with cancer. What would be the DDC number for this book?

Kim G

Top Answerer

The Dewey Decimal Classification for a book about cancer is "616.9." 616 is the classification for diseases with .9 being the designation for AIDS and cancer.

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Would the Iliad go in the 200s or the 800s considering it's Greek mythology and poetry?

Torpi

Top Answerer

It would go in the 800s. It is first and foremost a work of poetry. Similarly, Mary Oliver's poems about birds would also go in the 800s, rather than the 600s, and Shakespeare's plays about the War of the Roses belong in the 820s rather than the history section.

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Where do I find investment information?

Community Answer

Look in the 332.6 area.

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What is the code for diaries? In particular, food diaries?

Community Answer

You should find these at 641.86.

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What would the shelfmark number for a book of Maltese grammer be?

Ruby

Top Answerer

It would be in number 492, which is Afro-Asiatic languages. Despite Mlatese not being spoken in Africa or Asia, it is a Semetic language, so falls under this category.

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I need to classify the Oxford English Dictionary. How would this be classified?

Ruby

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It would go under 403, which is dictionaries, encyclopedias and concordances.

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