I love the library. I love the smell of it, the look of it, the sound of it. Most of the time when I’m there I pick up an audio book or something non-fiction. I’m a constant learner, you see. Sometimes I think it’d be nice to just go to a section and look around for a type of book, instead of looking up a specific title in the catalog. You know, for those days you just want something on dinosaurs, but you don’t know what. Okay. Maybe I’m the only one that has those kinds of days.
Anyway…at the very least you may find this interesting. I think it’s information worth knowing and I spent a bit of time making it pretty for you. So here goes.
This…is the Dewey Decimal System. It’s how books are organized. It’s those little numbers on the spine of all non-fiction books. Big surprise, those numbers actually mean something. Yes, I realize we might not actually need to know this stuff. But one can never have too much random knowledge in their head. And nowadays this kind of stuff is very hipster and trendy. If you’re into that.
The decimal system is divided into three numbers, then sometimes, a few more numbers after the decimal point. As you can see by the graphic.
The first number is a main, umbrella category. You’ll see what all these categories are in the table below.
The second number breaks things down a little more. This is a division number. It gives a little more specifics to the main category.
The third number is the section. A little more specific.
After that, if the book is even more specific there will be a decimal point and some more numbers. These classify the book even further. If there are more than one books on the same niche topic they will then be sorted by author’s last name. In the example above, I’ve pulled a book on knitting.
{Art | Decorative Arts | Textile Arts | Knitting}
This little graphic breaks down every division. If you want even more specifics check this out. I’ve got this image saved to my phone for reference. Here are a couple decimals I like best:
640’s–this includes home improvement and cooking…so I obviously spend a lot of time there
740’s–this is the craft section
000’s–this is the computer section…and I am still attempting to shine up my web design skills
810’s–American lit…hence the Edgar Allen Poe. It is October, after all.
If you aren’t into books, maybe you’ll be into this precious kitten that was left in a book depository. The library staff kept him and named him Dewey. As in Dewey Decimal. You have to be crazy if you don’t think that’s cute.
And if you are still craving more Dewey. Watch this ridiculous homemade rap on it. It’s long. But the first 2 minutes will give you the idea.
Amy
