the caveman’s guide to the dewey decimal system. the story of melvil dewey in 1873 mr. melvil...
TRANSCRIPT
The Caveman’s Guide to the
Dewey Decimal System
The Story of Melvil Dewey
In 1873 Mr. Melvil Dewey devised a system of classifying books which is used in many libraries. He chose certain main subjects and numbers, so that all nonfiction books on the same subject would be together on the shelf.
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 to a poor family who lived in a small town in upper New York state. Dewey was keenly interested in simplified spelling, he shortened his
first name to Melvil as a
young adult, dropped his middle names and, for a short time, even spelled his last name as Dui.
The Story of Melvil Dewey
Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal Classification system when he was 21 years old and working as a student assistant in the library of Amherst College. His work created a revolution in library science and set in motion a new era of librarianship. Melvil Dewey well deserves the title of “Father of Modern Librarianship.”
The Story of the Numbers Dewey Used for Nonfiction
Books
Dewey changed librarianship to a modern profession. He helped establish the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876. He also co-founded and edited Library Journal.
The Story of the Numbers Used for Nonfiction Books
In addition, Dewey promoted library standards and formed a company to sell library supplies.
A pioneer in library education, Dewey became the librarian of Columbia University in New York City in 1883, and founded the world’s first library school there in 1887. In 1889, he became director of the New York State Library in Albany, NY.
The Story of the Numbers Used for Nonfiction Books
The Dewey Decimal System
The Dewey Decimal Classification is the most widely used library organizational system in the world.
The system groups books by topics by dividing them into 10 basic categories, and each of those categories is further split into 10 categories, and so on.
Dewey’s PlanHe chose these subjects by imagining himself to be a Caveman. When time first began, what were the cave man’s thoughts?
He asked himself questions he thought such a man would have asked.
???
000'sBefore I Begin
GeneralitiesInformation I need to know before I begin any research in a library. These are books which
contain information on many subjects such as encyclopedias and other reference books.
100's Who am I?
PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY Man thinks about himself.
200's Who made me?
RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY Man thinks about God.
300's Who is the man (or woman) in the next
cave? SOCIAL SCIENCE
Man thinks about other people.
400'sHow can I make that man understand me?
LanguageMan learns to communicate with others
through words.
500'sHow can I understand nature and the world
about me? NATURAL SCIENCE Man learns to understand nature on the land, in the sea, and in the sky.
600'sHow can I use what
I know about nature? APPLIED SCIENCE AND USEFUL ARTS (Technology)
Primitive man learned about fire and how to make weapons. He learned through the ages about the wheel, about medicine, planting crops, cooking food, building bridges, and how to make all the things we use.
700's
How can I enjoy my leisure time?
FINE ART AND RECREATION or (Arts) By this time, primitive man had more time to do the things he enjoyed. He learned how to paint pictures and to create music.
He also learned how to dance
and play games.
800'sHow can I give my children a record of man's heroic
deeds? LITERATURE
Man became a storyteller. He created fables, poetry, and plays about his ancestors and the people he knew. Later, man recorded these stories for all people to read.
900'sHow can I leave a
record for men of the future?
GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY
Man began to write about events that had occurred everywhere, and about people who had participated in these events.
Dewey Decimal System
000 General Knowledge• Almanacs, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries
100 Psychology & Physiology• Feelings, Emotions
200 Religion• Bible stories
300 Social Sciences & Folklore• Careers, Environment, Family, Fairy Tales
400 Languages & Grammar• Grammar, Sign Language, English, Foreign Language
Dewey Decimal System
500 Math & Science• Animals, Dinosaurs, Fish, Planets, Plants, Weather
600 Medicine & Technology• Computers, Farming, Health, Nutrition
700 Arts & Recreation• Drawing, Crafts, Jokes, Sports, Games
800 Literature• Poetry, Plays
900 Geography & History• Biographies, Countries, States, Travel, Native Americans,
Wars
Works CitedComplete Library Skills Activities
Program by Arden Druce who cited it from School Library Journal, February 1961. Copyright R.R. Bowker Company/Cahners magazine Division.
http://mte.anacortes.k12.wa.us/library/dewey/deweystory.htm
http://www.oclc.org/DEWEY/resources/biography/