The Dewey Decimal System

Books and other resources in the GUSD libraries are organized and cataloged using the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC). The DDC was designed by Melvil Dewey in 1873. The DDC is currently used in 95% of public and school libraries and 25% of college and university libraries. It is available in more than 135 countries and has been translated into over 35 different languages.

Since its creation, the DDC has been continually updated to accommodate new subjects. Currently this activity is coordinated by its publisher, Forest Press, a division of the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC).

The DDC is designed to arrange subjects hierarchically from the most general classification to the most specific. The system is divided into three groups:

• Classes
• Divisions
• Sections

There are ten classes (0-9). Each class is divided into ten divisions and each division is divided into ten sections.

Each of these groups is represented by a component of a numbering system that is used to categorize books and other resources. These numbers are assigned to books when they are added to the collection. The numbers identify the subject matter of the book and determine where the book will be located on the library shelves.

Example:

597.98 S
Alligators: Prehistoric Prescence in the American Landscape
by Martha A. Strawn

• The first digit (5) represents the class (500).
  
• The second digit (9) represents the division (590).
• The third digit (7) represents the section (597).
• The numbers to the right of the decimal (98) are used for further refinement.
• The S is the first letter of the author's last name.

Putting it all together we have:

Browse the full DDC Classification System

Glendale Unified School District
223 North Jackson Street
Glendale, California 91206
http://www.glendale.k12.ca.us/start.htm