Another way to think of it is if all the
numbers were the same length (zeros
have been added):
331.0000
331.0100
331.0160
331.0200
331.0410
331.0413
331.0420
331.1000
331.1980
331.2000
The Dewey Decimal System
Shelving Books & Other Items at the ERL
The Educational Resources Lab uses the Dewey Decimal System to organize our Children’s and Young Adult books.
Non-fiction books are arranged by the Dewey Decimal number according to their subject. Educational manipulatives also
are arranged using Dewey Decimal call numbers.
Any given item can have a long Dewey Decimal number (also called the "call number"), such as 595.789/BRO. The
reason these numbers get so long is because each digit helps narrow down to the specific subject that the book is about.
The Dewey System first organizes all books into 10 main subject classes. These are:
Dewey Number Class Subject
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy and Psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Science
400 Language
500 Natural Science and Mathematics
600 Technology (Applied Sciences)
700 Arts
800 Literature
900 Geography and History
Within each class, Dewey call numbers continue to get more and more specific. The example given above,
(595.789/BRO), is a book about butterflies. To get to the subclass for butterflies, the Dewey number grows like this:
500 Natural Science
590 Zoological Sciences
595 Other Invertebrates
595.7 Insects
595.78 Lepidoptera
595.789 Butterflies
Finally, since more than one book about butterflies could have the number 595.789, we also add to the end the first three
letters of the author's last name (or, if no author is given, then the first three letters of the title). In our example, the author
is James Brock, so BRO is added to the end of the Dewey call number to get 595.789/BRO.
Shelving Items in "Dewey Order"
In the Dewey Decimal System, books are filed digit by digit, not by whole number. This means, for example, that our
book at 595.789/BROC would come after 595.0123 and before 595.9.
With Dewey decimal numbers, it doesn't matter how long the number is. Items get shelved in order of the numbers, as if
they all had the same number of digits.
Here is another example - the Dewey call numbers below are in proper Dewey
order:
331
331.01
331.016
331.02
331.041
331.0413
331.042
331.1
331.198
331.2
This same list of decimal numbers and
letters with zeros added:
641.0000/Bett
641.5000/Corn
641.5000/Wolk
641.5550/Ray
641.5940/Muns
641.5945/Food
641.5960/Mont
641.5960/West
641.6500/Dese
641.8120/Savo
And again, after the decimal numbers come the letters from the author's name (or title). When two books have the same
number, then they go in alphabetical order by the letters.
Here is an example of Dewey order with decimal numbers and letters:
641/Bett
641.5/Corn
641.5/Wolk
641.555/Ray
641.594/Muns
641.5945/Food
641.596/Mont
641.596/West
641.65/Dese
641.812/Savo
In our collection, Biographies do not use the 921 Dewey number, but rather the letter “B” for biography. They are
shelved in their own section, first by the last name of the person the book is about, and then by that person’d first name.
For example, a biography of Abraham Lincoln by Kathleen Krull has the call number B/LIN. Another bio of Abe Lincoln
by D. Rappaport also would be B/LIN. A biography of Mary Todd Lincoln by Jean Baker would have the same call
number (B/LIN), but would follow all of the Abe Lincoln books, since she is a different person with the same last name;
M comes after A alphabetically. The list below shows the proper order,as you would find them on the shelf.
B/LIN/ (Book about Abe Lincoln)
B/LIN (Book about Abe Lincoln)
B/LIN (Book about Mary Todd Lincoln)
How Fiction Items are Shelved
In the ERL, the Dewey numbering system only applies to non-fiction items; fiction items are shelved
alphabetically. Fiction materials fall into two main groups: Fiction (F) for novels/ chapter books, and
Easy/Everybody (E) for picture books and easy readers. Books on CD and videos are interfiled with the books.
Fiction items are shelved first by the last name of the author or artist, then first name, then by title. We use the first
three letters of the author’s last name. For example: the picture book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco would
have the call number E/POL; the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins would have the call number
F/COL. Shelvers must then pay attention to the first name of each author and then the book titles when arranging
the shelf. This might require pulling the book out to look at details rather than just simply viewing the spine
labels.
Always ignore A, And or The at the beginning of titles, and alphabetize by the first main word of the title.
For example, all of the books below have the same call number on the spine label. The proper shelf order would be as
follows:
CALL # AUTHOR NAME TITLE
F/NEL NELSON, BLAKE DESTROY ALL CARS
F/NEL NELSON, R.A. DAYS OF LITTLE TEXAS
F/NEL NELSON, THERESA THE BEGGAR’S RIDE
F/NEL NELSON, THERESA EARTHSHINE
F/NEL NELSON, VAUNDA MICHEAUX MAYFIELD CROSSING
Where Things Are in the Library
In addition to Dewey and alphabetical organizations, this library also maintains separate sections for board books, BIG-
books, pop-up books, and easy readers. Within these sections, Dewey, F and E call numbers are used, and we either add
an extra spine label to designate the appropriate section in our lab or there will be a strip of tape at the top of the spine.
Award Books Room (non-circulating)
Easy Readers
All trade books for the current year are filed by the name of the publisher on the display shelves at the front, and will
remain there for the entire year for review purposes.
* All Professional materials, textbooks and reference books have Library of Congress call numbers.
