Locating Non-Fiction Books with the Dewey Decimal System
What is the Dewey Decimal System?
Nonfiction books, ie. those that are factual rather than imagined stories like novels, are organized in
libraries by subject. Most public libraries use the Dewey Decimal System to arrange their nonfiction
materials. This is an organization system that assigns numbers to subjects, so that materials can be
shelved with other items on a similar topic and can still be found easily in a library. Once you have the
call number for a book that you want, this guide will teach you to locate that book on the nonfiction
shelves and will help you find more books on the same topic.
[If you need help using the catalog or finding a call number for a book, please see a librarian]
How do the numbers work?
Dewey Decimal numbers range from 000 to 999, and every nonfiction book is assigned a number in that
range that indicates its specific subject. At the end of this guide is a list of Dewey categories to help you
navigate the shelves. A book about England in WWII would be categorized like this:
900s – History and Geography
940s – History of Europe
942 – England and Wales
After 942, the book would be assigned some additional digits after a decimal point in order to narrow
the focus even more. If you want additional information about Dewey classification, please see a
librarian or visit the Dewey Decimal website at https://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources.en.html
However, you do not need to know what number corresponds to which category in order to find a
book… all you need is the call number and an understanding of how items are shelved within the Dewey
system.
How do I find a non-fiction book?
Books in the Dewey Decimal system are arranged numerically, with shorter numbers coming first. Books
with the same numerical call number are then shelved alphabetically by author, with a few exceptions.*
A sample shelf would look like this:
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Some things to keep in mind:
*An older version of the Dewey system used the first letter of the author’s name followed by several
more numbers; these should be shelved within their assigned number alphabetically, although
occasionally they may be at the beginning or end of the books that share their number. If you cannot
find one of these books, ask a librarian for help.
*The Reuben Hoar Library shelves all biographies separately. They are all assigned the number 92 and
are then shelved alphabetically by last name of the person who is the subject of the book.
*All new nonfiction books (those added to the library within the last 6 months) still follow the Dewey
Decimal system, but are shelved separately upstairs near the circulation desk.
*There may be a large number of books assigned to one number and just a few assigned to another, so
the stacks in your library may seem somewhat “uneven.” For example, one shelf may start at 101.4 and
end at 210.05, where another may start at 914.2 and end at 914.75. Be aware of this and try not to let it
disorient you.
Why use numbers instead of just the author’s name?
Once you have located the specific book you were trying to find, you can now use the Dewey system to
easily find more books on the same topic without having to search the catalog. Since books are grouped
by subject, you can simply look to the left and right of the book you have located to find other similar
books. This technique is called “shelf browsing,” and can be very helpful in finding a book that best suits
your needs. Computer search engines are flawed and do not always easily give us the exact results we
want. Shelf browsing allows us to see exactly what is immediately available to us in a particular subject
area.
Be aware that some books are difficult to classify, so there may be several spots in a library’s nonfiction
section that you want to shelf browse. For example: should a book about war horses be shelved in the
livestock section or the history section? If you are researching this topic, you would want to check both
sections.
How exactly can I use Shelf Browsing to find a book I want?
Here’s an example: You are looking for information on landscape fountains. You have found one book in
the catalog that is in the “Water Features” subject section with the call number 714.2 Smi. On the same
shelf there are also books on landscape architecture, landscape structures, and landscape design. By
looking around at the items nearby, you can find many other books with information on fountains! (see
illustration below)
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A final note: it is very easy for items to become mis-shelved within nonfiction sections. So if you cannot
find an item that should be in a particular spot, look around above and below, and to the left and right.
Very often you will find it close by. Likewise, nearly all libraries will ask that you do not reshelve
materials yourself, and they will provide carts at the end of aisles for books that need to be reshelved.
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The Dewey Decimal System Subject Classes
The Ten Main Classes
000 Computer science, information & general works
100 Philosophy & psychology
200 Religion
300 Social sciences
400 Language
500 Science
600 Technology
700 Arts & recreation
800 Literature
900 History & geography
The Hundred Divisions
000 Computer science, knowledge & systems
010 Bibliographies
020 Library & information sciences
030 Encyclopedias & books of facts
040 [Unassigned]
050 Magazines, journals & serials
060 Associations, organizations & museums
070 News media, journalism & publishing
080 Quotations
090 Manuscripts & rare books
100 Philosophy
110 Metaphysics
120 Epistemology
130 Parapsychology & occultism
140 Philosophical schools of thought
150 Psychology
160 Logic
170 Ethics
180 Ancient, medieval & eastern philosophy
190 Modern western philosophy
200 Religion
210 Philosophy & theory of religion
220 The Bible
230 Christianity & Christian theology
240 Christian practice & observance
250 Christian pastoral practice & religious orders
260 Christian organization, social work & worship
270 History of Christianity
280 Christian denominations
290 Other religions
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology
310 Statistics
320 Political science
330 Economics
340 Law
350 Public administration & military science
360 Social problems & social services
370 Education
380 Commerce, communications & transportation
390 Customs, etiquette & folklore
400 Language
410 Linguistics
420 English & Old English languages
430 German & related languages
440 French & related languages
450 Italian, Romanian & related languages
460 Spanish & Portuguese languages
470 Latin & Italic languages
480 Classical & modern Greek languages
490 Other languages
500 Science
510 Mathematics
520 Astronomy
530 Physics
540 Chemistry
550 Earth sciences & geology
560 Fossils & prehistoric life
570 Life sciences; biology
580 Plants (Botany)
590 Animals (Zoology)
600 Technology
610 Medicine & health
620 Engineering
630 Agriculture
640 Home & family management
650 Management & public relations
660 Chemical engineering
670 Manufacturing
680 Manufacture for specific uses
690 Building & construction
700 Arts
710 Landscaping & area planning
720 Architecture
730 Sculpture, ceramics & metalwork
740 Drawing & decorative arts
750 Painting
760 Graphic arts
770 Photography & computer art
780 Music
790 Sports, games & entertainment
800 Literature, rhetoric & criticism
810 American literature in English
820 English & Old English literatures
830 German & related literatures
840 French & related literatures
850 Italian, Romanian & related literatures
860 Spanish & Portuguese literatures
870 Latin & Italic literatures
880 Classical & modern Greek literatures
890 Other literatures
900 History
910 Geography & travel
920 Biography & genealogy
930 History of ancient world (to ca. 499)
940 History of Europe
950 History of Asia
960 History of Africa
970 History of North America
980 History of South America
990 History of other areas
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Catherine Sebastian
LIS 407-01, Instruction Session Assignment
December 7, 2015
Dewey Decimal System Guide
This guide is intended for adult public library users of the Reuben Hoar Library in Littleton, MA who have
minimal experience with locating nonfiction materials. Desired learning outcomes are:
1 – Gain a basic understanding of the Dewey Decimal organization structure.
2 – Be able to take a nonfiction call number and locate an item without assistance.
3 – Locate additional relevant materials through shelf browsing.
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