A guide to the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme

LIBRARY

Research Guide 13

A guide to the

Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme

This library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme (DDC) to arrange books and other library

materials on the shelves so they may be easily retrieved. It is used in many libraries and allows items

about the same subject to be shelved together.

How does the Dewey Decimal system work?

DDC is an hierarchical number system that organizes all human knowledge into ten main categories.

These are:

000

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Computer Science, information and general works

Philosophy and psychology

Religion

Social sciences

Language

Science

Technology

Arts and recreation

Literature

History and geography

Each main category is then divided into ten sub-categories. For example:

500

510

520

530

540

550

560

570

580

590

Science

Mathematics

Astronomy

Physics

Chemistry

Earth sciences and geology

Fossils and prehistoric life

Biology

Plants (Botany)

Animals (Zoology)

Each sub-category is then also divided into ten specific topics. For example:

530

531

532

533

534

535

536

537

538

539

Physics

Classical mechanics

Fluid mechanics

Gas mechanics

Sound and related vibrations

Light and related radiation

Heat

Electricity and electronics

Magnetism

Modern physics

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Each of these topics may be further divided into more specific subject areas. A decimal point is used

after the first three digits to separate the specific subjects - it also makes the numbers easier to read.

You will see that as the subject becomes more specific, so does the numbering. For example:

Sound and related vibrations

534.1

Generation of sound

534.2

Transmission of sound

534.22 Transmission in solids

534.23 Transmission in liquids

DDC at Oxford Brookes

When an item arrives in the library it is assigned a DDC number, often called the ¡°classmark¡± or

¡°shelfmark¡±. Each of the numbers in this shelfmark has a meaning and is not assigned randomly.

For example, the book ¡°The Royal doctors 1485-1714¡± by Elizabeth Furdell has been assigned the

shelfmark 610.6952094205 FUR. These numerals indicate:

610

610.6

610.69

610.695

610.6952

610.69520942

610.6952094205

= Medical sciences

= Professions

= Medical personnel

= Specific kinds of medical personnel

= Physicians

= Physicians in England and Wales

= Physicians in England and Wales 1485-1603

Most items will also be assigned some letters at the end of the numerals, ¡°FUR¡± in the above example.

These are taken from the author¡¯s surname or the first word of the title.

Finding items on the shelves

The shelfmark will always have at least three numbers, followed by some letters. It is usually displayed

on the spine of the item, but is sometimes placed on the front cover. Here are some examples:

361.

3

HIG

382.

63

COC

576

JON

599.

935

PHI

647.

944

21

LON

823.

914

BAI/B

The DDC system places items about the same subject at the same number. This means that once you

have identified the DDC number for the subject you are interested in, you can browse the shelves at that

number.

On each shelf the items are arranged in a numerical sequence from left to right by their DDC number.

Where several items have an identical DDC number, the letters are used to further arrange them. For

example,

361.

3

HIG

361.

32

BOR

361.

32

STO

363.

35

CIV

363.

377

PRE

363.

377

PRO

Beware of separate sequences

If you are looking for a specific item you should check the library catalogue and make a note of the full

shelfmark (numbers and letters) and any words that appear before the shelfmark. The majority of library

materials are shelved together but there are several separate sequences that are kept in different areas,

but which are all indicated on the Library catalogue. Look out for sequences such as Oversize, Local

Collection, Short Loan, Music Scores, Quick Reference, Subject Floor Quick Reference.

Journals

Journals are also shelved in a separate section. The same DDC numbers are used, but the catalogue

shows these items with a shelfmark that is preceded by a ¡°J¡±, and which only has one letter after the

numbers. For example, the journal ¡°Nursing Standard¡± has the shelfmark J 610.73 N.

And finally ¡­ Art and Architecture materials

When looking for items in this area you may be confused to find two alphabetic sequences at the same

number. For example, general items about French painting can be found at the shelfmark 759.4 and

have three letters after the numbers. At the end of these come works about specific French artists, at the

same number 759.4, but these have four letters after the numbers. For example:

759.

4

BOI

759.

4

FRI

759.

4

ROS

759.

4

DEL/J

759.

4

LAT/C

759.

4

LAT/O

This happens in some other areas in the 700s, so when checking the library catalogue remember to

make a note of the full shelfmark ¨C numbers and letters.

If you have any questions or would like more help, please ask a member of library staff.

Quick guide to Dewey numbers used in this library

This is only a brief guide to subjects. For more information, especially when looking for specific items,

please remember to check the library catalogue.

000

010

020

030

040

050

060

070

080

090

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

310

320

330

340

350

360

370

380

390

400

410

420

430

440

450

460

470

480

490

Computer science, knowledge and systems

Bibliographies

Library and information sciences

Encyclopaedias and books of facts

Not used

Magazines, journals and serials

Associations, organizations and museums

News media, journalism and publishing

General knowledge

Manuscripts and rare books

Philosophy and Psychology

Metaphysics

Epistemology, causation and humankind

Parapsychology and occultism

Specific philosophical schools

Psychology

Philosophical logic

Ethics

Ancient, medieval, and eastern philosophy

Modern western philosophy

Religion

Philosophy and theory of religion

Bible

Christianity

Christian moral and devotional theology

Christian orders and local church

Social and ecclesiastical theology

History, geography, biography of Christianity

Christian denominations and sects

Other religions

Social sciences

Collections of general statistics

Political science

Economics

Law

Public administration & military science

Social problems and services

Education

Commerce, communications, transportation

Customs, etiquette, folklore

Language

Linguistics

English and Old English language

German and related languages

French and related languages

Italian, Romanian and related languages

Spanish, Portuguese, Galician

Latin and related Italic language

Classical Greek and related languages

Other languages

500

510

520

530

540

550

560

570

580

590

600

610

620

630

640

650

660

670

680

690

700

710

720

730

740

750

760

770

780

790

800

810

820

830

840

850

860

870

880

890

900

910

920

930

940

950

960

970

980

990

Science

Mathematics

Astronomy and allied sciences

Physics

Chemistry and allied sciences

Earth sciences

Palaeontology

Biology

Plants (Botany)

Animals (Zoology)

Technology

Medicine and health

Engineering and allied operations

Agriculture and related technologies

Home economics, catering

Management

Chemical engineering, food technology

Manufacturing

Manufacture for specific uses

Construction of buildings

Arts and recreation

Planning and landscape architecture

Architecture

Sculpture and related arts

Graphic arts and decorative arts

Painting and paintings

Printmaking and prints

Photography, computer art, film, video

Music

Recreational and performing arts, sport

Literature

American literature

English and Old English literatures

German and related literatures

French and related literatures

Italian, Romanian and related literatures

Spanish, Portuguese, Galician literatures

Latin and Italic literatures

Classical Greek and related Literatures

Literature of other languages

History and geography

Geography and travel

Biography

History of the ancient world

History of Europe

History of Asia

History of Africa

History of North America

History of South America

History of other areas

WJ

08/12

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