How to find books using Dewey Decimal shelfmark

Find the book on the shelves!

How to find books using Dewey Decimal shelfmark

Introduction• When you look for books on the Library Catalogue you will be given a shelfmark, indicating where the

books are held in the Library collection. • You will notice that some books have number shelfmarks and others have alphabetical ones.

• We have two subject sequences in use in Birkbeck Library.

• The majority of the stock is arranged in number order known as Dewey Decimal: Example 1320 = politics320.941 = British politics320.973 = American politics

• Some books have been classified by a scheme that uses letters known as Bliss : Example 2YB = English LiteratureYD = English Literature in the 15th & 16th centuryYF = Shakespeare

• This Learning Object focuses on the number sequence also known as Dewey Decimal Classification and will provide a quick overview of this and how to find the books on the shelf.

What is Dewey Decimal• Dewey Decimal system is a hierarchical classification system used by libraries for organising items, from the

broadest to the most specific topics. It was created by Melville Dewey in 1876.

• The system is made up of 10 main classes or categories, each divided into 10 secondary classes or subcategories, etc.

• In Dewey, basic classes are organized by fields of study. At the broadest level, Dewey is divided into ten main classes:

000 - Computer Science, Information and general works100 - Philosophy and Psychology200 - Religion300 - Social Science400 - Languages500 - Science600 - Technology applied science700 - Arts and recreation800 - Literature (in-house rule applies to specific country literature)900 - History and Geography

How is it organised • When you move among the shelves looking for the shelfmark that you found on the

catalogue you will see that the books are arranged in numerical order and then alphabetically by the 3 letters at the end of the shelfmark.

• The letters that come after the numbers are also important, particularly when there are many books which have the same number. The three letters denotes the first three letters of the first named author's surname or if the book has been edited, the first three letters of the title of the book (excluding definite and indefinite articles).

• So always note down the full shelfmark given on the catalogue!

• For the purpose of this Learning Object when looking for books on the shelf read the shelfmark by looking at the first three digits and noting whether the digits are 100s, tens, or unit.

• The following screen shows the shelf pattern in the Library: across from left to right and from the top to bottom.

The shelf pattern is across (from left to right) and from top to bottom

Basic Example • When looking for books on the shelf read the shelfmark by looking at the first

three digits and noting whether it is 100s, tens, or a unit. Example One: 701 ACT and 700 BAC

• Having focused on the first three digits and put these in order (smaller to bigger number order) then look at the three letters and put that in alphabetical order.

• Thus the order on the shelf would be:700 BAC followed by 701 ACT {700 > 701}

701ACT

700BAC

700BAC

701ACT

700, no tens, 1 unit, ACT 700, no tens, no units, BAC

Your shelfmark – bigger or smaller• The shelfmarks are arranged on the shelves from smaller numbers (broad

and general) to bigger numbers (more specific) within the 10 main classes. Here is a collection of shelfmarks from the main classes mixed together.

• Look at the first 3 digits of each shelfmark (arrange them smaller to bigger). Then having done that, look at the next 3 digits of each shelfmark and (arrange them smaller to bigger) keeping them within the main classes (if letters – arrange alphabetically) and repeat with the next 3 digits and so on if necessary.

• Can you put them into the correct order – you have 20 seconds?

330.216AUB

287MCC

428.202407HIC

001.196

BAK/W

428.003 FOW

428DEW

428BAK

150GRO

150.1982

FRE

1 8 9765432

9

Your shelfmark – how did you do?

The Correct order is:

330.216AUB

287MCC

428.202407HIC

001.196

BAK/W

428.003 FOW

428DEW

428BAK

150GRO

150.1982

FRE

18 9 7 6 54 32

330.216AUB

287MCC

428.202407HIC

001.196

BAK/W

428.003 FOW

428DEW

428BAK

150GRO

150.1982

FRE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Example 2

701.015BOA

700.001TAY

700.005PAC

A B C

First 3 digits Second 3 digits

Alphabetical order

Resulting order:Having put the first 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, C, A or C, B, AThen within that having put the second 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, C, AFollowing the alphabetical order of 3 letters the sequence is: B, C, A

First 3 digits Second 3 digits

Alphabetical order

Example 3

709.569941ACT

709.568941KWZ

711.570941ART

A B C

First 3 digits Second 3 digits

Alphabetical order

Resulting order:Having put the first 3 digits in order the sequence would be: A, B, C or B, A, CThen within that having put the second 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, A, CThen within that having put the third 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, A, CFollowing the alphabetical order of 3 letters the sequence is: B, A, C

First 3 digits Second 3 digits

Alphabetical order

Third 3 digits Third 3 digits

Learning outcome

You should now know or understand the following:-• Who created the Dewey Decimal classification

system.• The shelve pattern and how books are arranged

on the shelves.• How Dewey Decimal works and how to find the

shelfmark given on the Catalogue on the shelves.