Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Distinguishing between 746:04 vs. 746.04 in WebDewey
Elisa Sze
Oct. 4, 2016
In the Dewey schedule of WebDewey, you will sometimes encounter numbers that appear to
have colons (:) rather than a decimal point. Note that the colon is a form of shorthand, to
indicate that the subdivisions after the colon MAY be applied to the end of a base number.
However, you must read the notes to determine how/when these can be applied—for instance,
applying it only to a base number indicated by an asterisk (*). Numbers containing a colon
should NOT be used on their own.
Example: 746 Textile arts in the Dewey schedule.
Take a look at the hierarchy box for 746, as captured in Figure 1. Note the placement of the 746
section within the 740 division.
Figure 1. Hierarchy of 746 Textile arts.
Now take a look at the “Notes” box in Figure 2. Remember that hierarchical force applies,
meaning that notes (and instructions) at one level of a hierarchy drip down to the numbers that
are subordinate (i.e. more specific) to it within the hierarchy.
Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Fall 2016
Instructor: Elisa Sze
Page 1
Figure 2. Notes for 746 Textile arts.
The “Notes” in Figure 2 basically tell you that for the base numbers beginning with 746… within
the Schedule, only those marked with an asterisk (*) can have additional “special topics”
subdivisions--such as
028 Auxiliary techniques and procedures
0288 Maintenance and repair
041 Patterns
042 Stitches
043 Products
0432 Costumes
etc.
--added to the end of the base number.
If you click on the link for 746:04, you will notice that the table you previously looked at has
been created in the hierarchy box for 746:04. But these numbers, because they are marked
with the colon, should not be used “as is”. (See Figure 3.)
Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Fall 2016
Instructor: Elisa Sze
Page 2
Figure 3. Abbreviated table for 746.04 Special topics.
Note that in the schedule, because the base number 746 itself is not marked with an asterisk,
you cannot simply add the above subdivisions to the end of 746. If you did so, the number you
build would potentially conflict either with numbers that are correct constructed through
number building, or with numbers that have been provided within the schedule to have a
wholly different meaning.
For example, if you look back at Figure 1, notice that 746.04 (with the decimal, not the colon)
already has a place within the schedule. 746.04 denotes “Specific materials”, and has nothing to
do with “Special topics” under Textile Arts.
If you click on the Dewey range 746.1-746.9 Products and processes, you will notice from the
hierarchy box that certain subdivisions within this range are marked with an asterisk. (See
Figure 4.)
Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Fall 2016
Instructor: Elisa Sze
Page 3
Figure 4. 746.1-746.9 Products and processes
Those topics marked with an asterisk (such as 746.5 Bead embroidery) are the topics that can
be number-built by having the “special topics” subdivisions of 746 (i.e., the notations preceded
with the colon) added to them.
Examples:
- Works about beaded, embroidered costumes: 746.50432
o 746.5 is from the schedule, marked with an *
o 0432 is from the “special topics” table under the “Notes” section of 746
- Works about bead embroidery patterns: 746.5041
o 746.5 is from the schedule, marked with an *
o 041 is from the “special topics” table under the “Notes” section of 746
Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Fall 2016
Instructor: Elisa Sze
Page 4
By following the instruction about adding “special topics” notations only to the base numbers
that have been marked with an asterisk, you avoid creating a potential conflict with other built
numbers that are correctly formed. See Figure 5 below.
Figure 5. 746.04 Specific materials (not to be mistaken with 746:04 number building
instructions)
Follow-up Notes for Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification (iSkills Workshop)
Fall 2016
Instructor: Elisa Sze
Page 5