Thomas F. Saffell Library
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Using Dewey Decimal Numbers

How We Use the Dewey Number System

Our books are placed on shelves by collection and then by call number. Our call numbers are built on the Dewey Decimal System. So, all of the reference books that do not leave the library are shelved together as the Reference Collection. Their call numbers begin with a capital "R." Books in the Circulating Collection have no letter before the rest of the call number.

The first book below in the example of results from searching our online book catalog would be on shelves with numbers running from R 000 etc. to R 999 etc. To find the second book in the sample below, you would need to find where the Circulating Collection shelves begin with 000 etc. and then follow the numbers to "616.692 T939e".

The Dewey numbers are arranged in number order just as they would be if they represented a number instead of a location. The numbers are assigned to books so that books on the same subject are grouped together. Because there are many ways to arrange subjects and because a book may have more than one subject, the grouping by call number is just one way of finding books by subject. Browsing the bookshelves by call number may help you find additional books which would be missed in the subject section of the card catalog. The subject field of the online book catalog will also find books you would miss if you only browsed the shelves.

Because we may have several books on exactly the same subject, we could have several books with exactly the same Dewey Decimal number. To give each book an exact address on the shelf, we add another number to make the entire call number unique. This Cutter number sorts the books with the same decimal number. Read the Cutter number by the first letter, then the whole number, then the last letter(s) and number(s). To located a book first go to the right collection, then to the decimal number, and last to the Cutter Number. Following is an example.

An example display of a search from our online book catalog with call numbers in the fourth column from the left follows:

	The encyclopedia of child abuse.	Clark, Robin E.	2001	R 362.760973 C594e	IN
	The encyclopedia of fertility and infertility.	Turkington, Carol.	2001	616.692 T939e	IN
	Encyclopedia of urban legends.	Brunvand, Jan Harold.	2001	398.20973 B911e	IN
	Encyclopedia of computer science.		2000	R 004.03 E56	IN

Following is a sample display from our book catalog of books listed by the Dewey call numbers.

	Call Number	Title	Author	Status
	271 B751e	The explorer's guide to the abbeys, monasteries, and churches of Great Britain.	Bottomley, Frank.	IN
	271.093 W419b	Brothers of light, brothers of blood : the Penitentes of the Southwest.	Weigle, Marta.	IN
	271.3024 G796g	God's fool : the life and times of Francis of Assisi.	Green, Julien, 1900-	IN
	271.3024 T786m	A man for others : Maximilian Kolbe, Saint of Auschwitz, in the words of those who knew him.	Treece, Patricia.	IN
	271.79 H853k	The Knights Templar.	Howarth, Stephen.	IN
	271.82 L991v	Voices from the back pew : Catholics and former Catholics talk of their experiences and understandin	Lyons, Bernard, 1913-	IN

Dewey Numbers Related to Subjects

Below is a list showing how the Dewey Number system relates numbers to subjects.

000-099: Generalities- computer science, awards, library science, journalism,museums (encyclopedias have their own section)

100-199: Philosophy & Psychology (including ethics) 

200-299: Religion & Mytholology

300-399: Social Sciences- economics, jobs, government, politics, military, law,education, social issues, crime, communications, almanacs400-499: Language (including dictionaries) 

500-599: Natural Sciences- mathematics, astronomy, earth sciences, weather, dinosaurs, biology, animals 600-699: Technology/Applied Sciences- health & medicine, car repair, airplanes, gardening, pets, family living, cooking (careers are in a separatesection)

700-799: Arts- drawing, music, movies, television, and sports 

800-899: Literature- plays, poetry, poetry indexes, critical surveys of long andshort fiction, and of drama and poetry, Masterplots, Contemporary Authors, anthologies, etc. (not fiction or short stories - they are in separate sections)

900-999: Geography & History- travel, ancient worlds, historical events, genealogy (biographies have their own section at 920)

See a more detailed table of Dewey numbers and Subjects: Dewey Table