About the Dewey Decimal Classification System:

The Dewey decimal system of classification is named for the American librarian
Melvil Dewey (1851-1931), who developed it in 1876. Dewey was founder of the
American Library Association, and started the first library school at Columbia
University in 1887. The Dewey decimal classification system breaks human knowledge
down into 10 main categories, represented numerically. Decimal numbers are added to
the main numerical categories to represent more and more specific subject
areas. For example, Dewey decimal number 598 is the category for birds generally,
while the eagle, a specific bird, receives a call number of 598.916. Truth is, the
organization of the Dewey Decimal system often doesnt make a lot of sense, but
information doesnt always fit into neat categories either

The Dewey Decimal System has ten main numerical classifications:

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

The Dewey Decimal Numbers can be broken down

into subject groups that are relatively coherent:
Books, Reference: pg. 1
Information & News: pg. 1
Computers & the Internet: pg. 1
Metaphysics, Strange & Unusual: pg. 1
Philosophy & Psychology: pg. 1
Religion & Mythology: pgs. 1, 2
Society, Government, Law: pgs. 2, 3
Business, Economics& Investing: pg. 3
Jobs & Careers: pg. 3
Languages & Dictionaries: pg. 3
Writing, Literature, Poetry & Plays: pg. 4
Arts, Crafts, Architecture, Music & Dance: pg. 4
Science & Mathematics: pgs. 4, 5
Geography & Travel, History & Biographies: pg. 5
Home & Garden: pg. 5
Health & Family, Pets: pg. 6
Education & Testing: pg. 6
Sports & Exercise, Recreation, Hobbies: pg. 6

Books, Reference,
Information & News
Books:
002 Books
010 Bibliography
070 Publishing
070.5028 Desktop publishing
090 Rare books

Reference, Information & News:

020 Library and information science
031 Encyclopedias
031.02 Trivia
070 Journalism
070, 302.23 News media

Philosophy & Psychology

Philosophy:
100 Philosophy
115 Time
see also: 529
133.33, 747 Feng Shui
144 Humanism
155.937 Death
160 Logic
170 Ethics
174.2 Bioethics
174.2 Medical ethics
179.3 Animal rights
179.7 Euthanasia
179.76 Abortion, ethics
181 Oriental philosophy
182 Ancient philosophy

Psychology:
see also: 306.8 Relationships,
616.85 Mental Health
150 Psychology
152.4 Emotions
152.4 Feelings
153.1 Memory
153.94 Aptitude tests
154 Subconscious
155 Developmental psychology
155.2 Psychology, individual
155.282 Handwriting analysis
155.3 Psychology, sex
155.4 Psychology, child
155.5 Psychology, young adult

Computers & the Internet

004 Computers & the Internet
005 Computer Programs / Programming

Metaphysics, Strange & Unusual

000.942 UFOs
001.9 Unsolved Mysteries
133 Occultism and supernatural
133 Parapsychology
133.3 Prophecies
133.4 Black Magic
133.4 Voodoo
133.4 Witchcraft
133.422 Satanism
133.5 Astrology
135.3 Dreams

Psychology (continued):
155.6 Psychology, adult
155.9042 Stress
155.937 Death
158.1 Self help
158.2 Interpersonal relations
305.3 Sex roles
616.8 Psychiatric disorders
616.85236 Multiple personality
616.8527 Depression
616.89 Abnormal psychology

Religion & Mythology

Religion:
201/289 Religion, Christian
210 Natural religion
215 Science and religion
220 Bible
221 Old Testament
225 New Testament
230/280 Christianity
230 Theology
231 God (Christianity)
232 Jesus Christ
242 Christian devotions
242 Meditations
242 Prayers
261 Christian theology
264 Christian liturgy
265 Christian sacraments
266 Christian missions
269.2 Evangelism
280 Denominations and Sects
282.092 Saints

1.

Religion & Mythology (continued):

290 Theories of religion
291 Shamanism
294.3 Buddhism
294.5 Hinduism
296 Judaism
297 Islam
299 Other religions, Paganism
394 Holidays
394.2 Celebrations
394.2 Festivals
394.268 Christmas
Mythology:
292 Mythology, Greek and Roman
299 Other Mythologies
398 Folklore

Society, Government & Law

Society:
301 Sociology
302.2 Communication
303.625 Terrorism
304.6 Population
305.234 School children
305.235 Young adults (Aged 12-20)
305.3 Sex roles
305.4 Women
305.522 Royalty
305.8 Racial, ethnic groups
306.7 Sexual institutions
306.7, 362.8392 Teenage pregnancy
306.766 Gay rights
306.8 Marriage
306.85 Families
306.874 Family relationships
306.89 Divorce

Society (continued):

Society (continued):

310 Statistics
317.3 Almanacs
317.3 Census
326 Slavery
331 Labor
333 Environment
333.7 Conservation
355 Military science
356 Land warfare
358.4 Air warfare
359 Naval warfare
360 Social problems & services
362.1 Medical care
362.1 Medicine, social issues
362.19 AIDS, social issues
362.2 Mental illness
362.28 Suicide
362.29 Alcohol abuse
362.29 Codependency
362.29 Drug abuse
362.29 Substance abuse
362.295 Marijuana abuse
362.296 Smoking addiction
362.298 Cocaine abuse
362.5 Welfare
362.76 Child abuse
362.86 Veterans
362.883 Rape victims
363.1 Public safety
363.1251 Drunk driving
363.17 Hazardous materials
363.2 Police

363.25 Forensic science

363.33 Gun control
363.46 Abortion, social issues
363.5 Housing
363.61 Water supply
363.7 Environmental problems
363.7282333 Recycling
363.73 Pollution
363.739 Air pollution
363.8 Food supply
364 Crime
364 True crime
364.152 Homicide
364.153 Rape
364.3 Criminals
365 Prisons
368 Insurance
380 Commerce
380 Transportation
383 Postage stamps
385 Railroads
387.2 Ships
387.7 Air transportation
388 Ground transportation
391 Costume
391 Fashion
392.5 Wedding customs
393 Funerals
394 Holidays
394.2 Celebrations
394.2 Festivals

2.

Society (continued):

Government (continued):

394.268 Christmas
394.268 Thanksgiving
395 Etiquette
395 Wedding plans
398 Folklore

338 Production
338.7 Business enterprises
338.88 International business
351/354 Public administration
352 City government
353 Federal government
355 Military science
Law:
340 Law
341.23 United Nations
342 Constitutional law
343.04 Tax law
344.04192 Abortion, law
344.04197 Living wills
345 Criminal law
346.0434 Landlord and tenants
346.0434 Tenants' rights
346.0437 Real estate law
346.052 Probate
346.054 Wills
344.04197 Living wills
346.078 Bankruptcy
347 Civil law
347.7 Judiciary
347.7316 Notary public
351/354 Public administration

Government:
320 Government
320 Politics
321 Government systems
323 Civil rights
324 Elections
324 Political Parties
324.6 Political campaigns
327 International relations
327.1 Spies
327.7 Foreign policy
328 Legislative process
330 Economics
333 Environment
333 Land Economics
333.33 Real estate
336 Finance, public
336.2 Taxation
336.24 Income tax
337 International economics

Business, Economics & Investing,

Jobs & Careers
Business:
060 Meetings, procedures
061 Organizations
337 International economics
338 Production
338.7 Business enterprises
338.88 International business
650 Business
650.0285 Data processing
652.3 Typing
652.5 Word processing
658 Management
658.022 Small business
658.1141 Business in the home
658.1522 Business plans
658.3 Personnel
658.42 Entrepreneurs
658.8 Marketing
658.8 Sales
658.848 Export marketing
659 Advertising
808.06 Business letters

Economics & Investing:

330 Economics
332.024 Finance, personal
332.6 Investing
657 Accounting

Jobs & Careers:

331 Jobs & Careers
650.0285 Data processing
650.14 Resumes & Cover Letters
652.3 Typing
652.5 Word processing

Languages & Dictionaries

Languages:
400
420
430
440
450
460
470
480
490

Language history
English & Anglo-Saxon languages
Germanic languages (German)
Romance languages (French)
Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic
Spanish & Portuguese languages
Italic languages (Latin)
Hellenic languages (Classical Greek)
Other languages
Dictionaries:
423 Dictionaries
423.1 Thesauri

3.

Writing, Literature, Poetry & Plays

Writing:
808.02 Writing research papers
808.06 Business letters
808.5 Toasts
808.82 Drama collections
808.83 Fiction collections
808.88 Quotations
808.882 Jokes
Literature:
372.6 Storytelling
800 Cliffs notes
809 Literary criticism
810 American literature
811 Poetry, American
812 Drama, American
812 Plays, American
814 Essays, American
816 Letters, American
817 Humor
820 English literature
820 Literature, English
821 Poetry, English
822 Drama, British
822 Plays, British
824 Essays, British

Arts & Crafts (continued):

745.5 Crafts
745.59 Dolls
745.92 Dried flowers
746.434 Crocheting
746.92 Fashion design
748.2075 Depression glass
751-759 Art technique
751.422 Watercolor
751.426 Acrylics
751.45 Oil painting
770 Photography
771.3 Cameras

Architecture:
720 Architecture
726.5 Church buildings
728 Floor plans
747 Interior design / decorating
See also: Home & Garden

Music & Dance:

780-787's Music
782.81 Sheet Music
793.3 Dance

Literature (continued):
830 Germanic literature
840 French literature
840.9 Literature, French
850 Literature, Italian
860 Literature, Spanish
891.7 Russian literature
895 Chinese literature
896 African literature
897 Native American literature

Poetry:
808.1 Poetry
Plays:
812 Plays

Arts, Crafts, Architecture,

Music & Dance
Arts & Crafts:
391 Costume
391 Fashion
700 Arts
709 Art history
738 Ceramic arts
741 Drawing
743 Artistic anatomy
745 Decorative arts
745.1 Antiques

Science & Mathematics

Science:
333 Environment
333.7 Conservation
363.25 Forensic science
363.61 Water supply
363.7 Environmental problems
363.7282333 Recycling
363.73 Pollution
363.739 Air pollution
363.8 Food supply
507.8 Science experiments
520 Astronomy
523.2 Solar system
523.4 Planets
523.8 Black holes
530 Physics
540 Chemistry
550 Earth science
551 Geology
551.6 Greenhouse effect
551.63 Weather forecasting
560 Paleontology
567.91 Dinosaurs
574 Biology
574.5 Ecology
see also: 333 Environment

4.

Science & Math (continued):

575 Evolution
581 Botany
582.13 Wildflower identification
591 Zoology
591.4 Animal dissection
594.047 Seashells
595.7 Insects
597 Fish
597.9 Reptiles
598 Birds
598.07234 Bird watching
599 Mammals
Mathematics:
510 Mathematics
512 Algebra
513 Arithmetic
516 Geometry

History:

Geography & Travel,

History & Biographies
Geography & Travel:
910 Exploration
910 Geography
912 Atlases
912 Maps
914.04 Travel, European
915.04 Travel, Asian
916.04 Travel, African
917 Travel, North American
917.104 Travel, Canadian
917.3 National parks
917.3 Travel, U.S.
917.304 Campground directories
917.304 North American travel.
917.5924 Walt Disney World
918 Travel, South American
918.04 South American travel
929.1 Genealogy
929.9 Flags

History (continued):

909 World history

910 Exploration
930 Ancient history
930.1 Archeology
940 European history
940.3 World War I
940.53 World War II
940.53492 Frank, Anne
941 British history
943 German history
944 French history
945 Italian history
947 Russian history
950 Asian history

951 Chinese history

951.9 Korean War
955.054 Iran-Iraq War
956 Middle Eastern history
956.7 Iraq-Kuwait crisis
956.7043 Desert Storm
956.7043 Persian Gulf crisis
959.704 Vietnam War
960 African history
970 American Indians
973 American history
973.7 Civil war
980 South American history

Home & Garden

Garden:

Home:
641 Cookbooks
133.33, 747 Feng Shui
643 House buying
643.3 Bathroom remodeling
643.3 Kitchen remodeling
643.5 Basement remodeling
643.55 Decks
643.55 Patio building
643.55 Porches
643.6 Household appliances
643.6 Small appliance repair
643.7 Home repair
720 Architecture
728 Floor plans
747 Interior design / decorating

Biographies:
920 General biographies
921 Biography

630 Agriculture
630 Farming
631.35 Lawn mower repair
631.875 Composting
634 Fruit trees
634 Trees
635 Gardening
635 Vegetable gardening
635.9 Flower gardening
635.964 Lawns
635.965 House plants
635.967 Wildflower growing
635.976 Shrubs
645.8 Garden furniture

5.

Health & Family, Pets

Health:
362.2 Mental illness
362.28 Suicide
362.29 Alcohol abuse
362.29 Codependency
362.29 Drug abuse
362.29 Substance abuse
362.295 Marijuana abuse
362.296 Smoking addiction
610 Medicine
611 & 612 Anatomy
613 Health
613.0432 Infant health
613.2 Diets
613.7 Exercise
613.7 Physical fitness
613.71 Aerobics
613.713 Weight lifting
613.85 Smoking
615 Drugs (pharmacology)
615 Medicine, drugs
615 Pharmacology
615.1 Prescription drugs
615.77 Steroids
616 Medicine
616 Diseases
616.047 Headache
616.12 Heart disease
616.722 Arthritis
616.8 Psychiatric disorders
616.85236 Multiple personality
616.8527 Depression
616.89 Abnormal psychology
616.97 AIDS, medical issues
616.994 Cancer
616.995 Tuberculosis

Education & Tests

Education:
370 Education
371 School management
371.9 Special education
372 Elementary education
372.21 Preschool education
373 Secondary education 378 Higher education

Tests:
373.1264 GED test guides
378.1664 Examination guides
378.1664 GRE guides
378.73 College directories
800 Cliffs notes
355.0076 Armed forces examination (ASVAB)

Sports, Exercise & Recreation

613.7 Exercise
613.7 Physical fitness
613.71 Aerobics
613.713 Weight lifting
617.1027 Sports medicine
793.3 Dance

Health (continued):
617 Surgery
617.1027 Sports medicine
617.375 Backache
618 Abortion, medical
618.1 Gynecology / Menopause
618.2 Obstetrics

Family:
344.04197 Living wills
346.054 Wills
618 Pregnancy
618.4 Childbirth
618.928 Bed-wetting
646.78 Family living
646.79 Retirement
649.1 Child rearing
649.1 Parenting
649.122 Infant care
649.62 Toilet training
649.65 Sex education
649.8 Home health care
793.2 Baby showers
793.21 Children's parties
929.1 Genealogy
929.4 Names
929.4 Baby names

Pets:
636 Pets / pet names
636.1 Horses
636.6 Birds
636.7 dogs
636.8 Cats
636.93 Rabbits
636.9323 Gerbils, hamsters
636.395 Lizards
636.396 Snakes
639.97 Backyard birds

Sports, Exercise & Recreation (continued):

796.93 Skiing
796.32 Basketball
796.332 Football
796.3342 Soccer
796.342 Tennis
796.355 Hockey
796.357 Baseball
796.5 Camping / hiking
796.72 Automobile racing
797.1 Boating / sailing
798.8 Dog racing
799.2 Hunting
799.32 Archery

Hobbies
See also Arts, Crafts, Music & Dance
737.4 Coins
745.1 Antiques
769.49796 Baseball cards
794.1 Chess
794.8 Computer games
795.4 Card games
796.56 Stamps

6.