1. The Numbers in Nonfiction

2. 818 PRE Recipe for making a nonfiction number: Numbers & Letters
Numbers for subject area
First 3 letters of author’s last name
Numbers & Letters

3. Now let’s learn more about the NUMBERS in a nonfiction call number.

4. How do we know what number goes with each subject ?
By using something cool called the Dewey Decimal System !

5. The Dewey Decimal System is a tool used to sort books into
groups or
categories

6. This system was invented by a man named
Melvil Dewey.
He was a librarian who lived long ago.

7. Sorting books by subject, what a
brilliant idea!
In Melvil’s day there was no set way for library books to be organized. This made it hard for people to find the books they wanted, so Melvil started thinking and came up with a brilliant idea!! 7

8. There are 10 general groups for sorting ALL of the subjects
He decided it would make it easier to find books if they were grouped by subject, so first he came up with 10 general groups to use for sorting all subjects.
General means broad, lots of subjects will fit into each group. 8

10. The 10 Groups: General Works Philosophy Religion Social Studies
Language Science
Technology Arts and Leisure
Literature History/Geography

11. Books that fit in this group have many different subjects in them.
General Works
Books that fit in this group have many different subjects in them.

12. Here are some examples:

13. Books that fit in this group tell about how we think and feel.
Philosophy
Books that fit in this group tell about how we think and feel.

14. Here are some examples:

15. 200s
Religion
Books in this group tell about different religions or stories from the bible.

16. Here are some examples:

17. F RIO Would this book be located in 200’s? The Lightning Thief:
Percy Jackson series (Book 1) by Rick Riordan

18. F RIO Would this book be located in the 200s ? The Lost Hero:
The Heroes of Olympus series (Book 1) by Rick Riordan

19. Books in this group tell about how people live together.
300s Social Sciences
Books in this group tell about how people live together.

20. 320 Government 330 Careers 340 Court System 350 Military Equipment
Social Issues
320 Government
330 Careers
340 Court System
350 Military Equipment
360 Environmental Issues
370 Education
380 Transportation
390 Holidays & Scary
Stories
300-such as immigration and world cultures
350-such as tanks, submarines, and weapons
360-such as
370-such as
380-such as 20

21. Fairy tales,
folk tales,
tall tales
and myths are also placed (or grouped) in the 300s.

22. Here are some examples:

23. Here are some examples of holiday books:

24. Books about careers are found in the 300s.
Books about our government are found in the 300s.
Books about families are found in the 300s.
Books about careers are found in the 300s.

25. Books about trains are found in the 300s.
Scary stories are found in the 300s.
Books about the history of transportation are found in the 300s.

26. Would this book be located in the 300s ?
SHA
It’s Christmas,David!
by David Shannon

27. 811 ANG Would this book be located in the 300s ?
Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem
by Maya Angelou

28. Books in this group are about different languages or grammar.
400s-Language
Books in this group are about different languages or grammar.

29. Here are some examples:

30. Books in this group are about things from nature.
500s-Science
& Math
Books in this group are about things from nature.

31. 500 Science Experiments
510 Mathematics 
520 Stars, planets, astronomy
530 Physical Science - force & motion, electricity, magnetism
540 Chemistry, Atoms & Molecules
550 Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Weather
560 Dinosaurs, Prehistoric Animals
570 Forests, Deserts, Mountains, Oceans, Evolution
580 Plants & Trees
590 Animals & Insects
599 Mammals

32. Here are some examples:

34. Books about dinosaurs are ALWAYS found in the 500s and have this call number:
567.9
Books about snakes are ALWAYS found in the 500s and have this call number:
597.96
Snakes as pets:
639.3
Books about elephants are ALWAYS found in the 500s and have this call number:

35. This group has man-made things that make the world a better place.
600s-Technology
600 inventions
610 human body, disease, medicine
620 space ships, trains, cars, fire truck, airplanes
630 pets
640 cookbooks
650 careers, secret codes
670 paper making
680 wood working
690 building
This group has man-made things that make the world a better place. 35

36. Inventions!
Cooking!
Human body!
Tractors!
Farm Animals!
Paper Making!
Fire Trucks!
Dogs!
Woodworking!

37. Books in this group are about things we do for fun.
700s-Arts and Leisure
710 art appreciation, history of art
720 architecture
730 origami
740 drawing, crafts, sewing
750 painting
760 print making
770 photography
780 music
790 sports, games, magic, camping, fishing, Olympics
Books in this group are about things we do for fun. 37

38. Origami!
Drawing!
Art!
Football!
Camping!
Cartoons!
Baseball!
Fishing!
Crafts!

39. Can you think of other
subjects that would
be located in
the 700s?

40. 800s-Literature
Books in this group are stories, plays, poetry, and joke & riddle books.
poetry
818 jokes and riddles 40

41. Here are some examples:

42. This is the group fiction books were put in long ago when The Dewey Decimal System was first invented.

43. Today we have too many fiction books in our libraries to organize them in this way, so fiction books have their own way of being organized.
Today we have too many fiction books in our libraries to organize them in this way, so fiction books have their own way of being organized. 43

44. order, by author’s last name !In
order, by author’s last name !

45. Books in this group tell about events and places.
900s-History/Geography
900 American history by decade and century
910 explorers, atlases
920 flags
930 archeology, ancient civilizations
940 knights, castles, WWI and WWII, Europe
950 Asia and Middle Eastern countries
960 African countries
970 North & Central American countries, Native American Tribes, American History, States
980 South American countries
990 Pacific Islands, Australia
Books in this group tell about events and places. 45

46. 977.7

47. Biography-920s
This is the biography section that contains books about groups of people.

48. Here are some examples:

49. Knowing these 10 big groups will help make it easier to find the books you want in the nonfiction section.

50. REMEMBER, nonfiction call numbers are placed in number order first, so that means all of the books about the same subject end up near each other on the shelf.

51. Just like this!