• What is the Dewey Decimal Classification System?
• Using the Dewey Decimal Classification System
• Where does the Dewey Decimal Number come from?
• Where does the Cutter Number come from?
• What Are Call Numbers?

What is the Dewey Decimal Classification System?

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is a system for organizing knowledge into subject categories. It uses ten major classes (000 — 900) to describe all subject areas. To provide for precise descriptions of items, each major class is divided into units of ten subclasses. Subclasses can be further divided into smaller units through the process of decimal subdivision. Each book and media selection in the library has a Call Number that is assigned from the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

Following is a list of the classes and some of the subdivisions used in the Dewey Decimal System.

000 GENERALITIES
010 Bibliography 020 Library and Information Sciences 030 General Encyclopedic Works 040 Not assigned 050 General Serial Publications	060 General Organizations & Museology 070 News Media, Journalism, Publishing 080 General Collections 090 Manuscripts & Rare Books
100 PHILOSOPHY
110 Metaphysics 120 Epistemology, causation, humankind 130 Paranormal Phenomena 140 Specific Philosophical Schools 150 Psychology	160 Logic 170 Ethics (Moral Philosophy) 180 Ancient, Medieval, Oriental Phil. 190 Modern Western Philosophy
200 RELIGION
210 Philosophy & Theory of Religion 220 Bible 230 Christian Theology 240 Christian Moral & Devotional Theol. 250 Christian Orders & Local Church	260 Social & Ecclesiastical Theology 270 Hist. of Christianity & Chr. Church 280 Christian Denominations & Sects 290 Comp. Religion & Other Religion
300 SOCIAL SCIENCES
310 Collections of General Statistics 320 Political Science 330 Economics 340 Law 350 Public Administration & Military Science	360 Social Problems & Services 370 Education 380 Commerce, Commun., Transport 390 Customs, Etiquette, Folklore
400 LANGUAGE
410 Linguistics 420 English & Old English 430 Germanic Languages German 440 Romance Languages French 450 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic	460 Spanish & Portuguese Lang. 470 Italic Languages Latin 480 Hellenic Languages Classical Greek 490 Other Languages
500 NATURAL SCIENCES & MATHEMATICS
510 Mathematics 520 Astronomy & Allied Sciences 530 Physics 540 Chemistry & Allied Sciences 550 Earth Sciences	560 Paleontology Paleozoology 570 Life Sciences Biology 580 Plants 590 Animals
600 TECHNOLOGY (Applied Sciences)
610 Medical Sciences Medicine 620 Engineering & Allied Operations 630 Agriculture & Related Technology 640 Home Economics & Family Living 650 Management & Auxiliary Services	660 Chemical Engineering 670 Manufacturing 680 Manufacture for Specific Uses 690 Buildings
700 THE ARTS (Fine and Decorative)
710 Civic & Landscape Art 720 Architecture 730 Plastic Arts Sculpture 740 Drawing & Decorative Arts 750 Painting and Paintings	760 Graphic Arts Printmaking 770 Photography & Photographs 780 Music 790 Recreational & Performing Arts
800 LITERATURE & RHETORIC
810 American Literature in English 820 English & Old English Literatures 830 Literatures of Germanic Languages 840 Literatures of Romance Languages 850 Italian, Romanian, Phaeto-Romanic	860 Spanish & Portuguese Literatures 870 Italic Literatures Latin 880 Hellenic Literature Classical Greek 890 Literatures of Other Languages
900 GEOGRAPHY & HISTORY
910 Geography & Travel 920 Biography, Genealogy, Insignia 930 History of Ancient World to ca. 499 940 General History of Europe 950 General History of Asia	960 General History of Africa 970 General History of North America 980 General History of South America 990 General History of Other Areas

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Using the Dewey Decimal Classification System

The Dewey Decimal Classification System uses a Dewey class number to describe almost any topic that you can think of, no matter how simple or complex. Following are some examples of Call Numbers for common subjects:

Circus Clowns

700 790 791 791.1 791.33

The Arts Recreational and Performing Arts Public Performances Circuses Clowns

Canoeing

700 790 797 797.12 797.12 797.122

The Arts Recreational and Performing Arts Aquatic and Air Sports Boating Types of Vessels Canoeing

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Where does the Dewey Decimal Number come from?

Example: Saltwater Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico by James Ferguson

This book is about fishing, which is included as a part of the 700 class. In fact, the class subdivision 799 is designated as Fishing, Hunting, and Shooting. Within this class, there are more decimal subclasses that provide a very detailed Dewey description of this book. The Dewey number 799.166 describes the subject matter of the book.

Major Dewey Class Dewey SubClass: Dewey SubClass: Subdivision Subdivision Subdivision

700 790 799 799.1 799.16 799.166

The Arts Recreational and Performing Arts Fishing, Hunting, Shooting Fishing Saltwater Fishing Saltwater Fishing in Specific Bodies of Water

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Where does the Cutter Number come from?

The Cutter Number is the bottom half of the Call Number. The Cutter Table is a book of alphanumeric codes used to represent the author's last name or the main title entry. The first letter of the title of the book or media item is added to the end of the Cutter Number for each item to provide a unique Call Number. Titles that begin with the letter A or the words AN and THE are not used in assigning Cutter Numbers or for searching of titles in an online catalog.

Book Title: Book Author: Cutter Number:	Saltwater Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico James Ferguson Fe225s

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What Are Call Numbers?

Call Numbers are unique for each item in the library. The function of Call Numbers is to identify individual items and to serve as a means of shelving materials in decimal order on the library shelves. Some Call Numbers are fairly short in length. However, some of them may consist of the main Dewey class number plus as many decimal subdivisions as are necessary to provide an accurate description of the item.