1. LOCATING A NON-FICTION BOOK IN THE LIBRARY
Using the
Dewey Decimal
System
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

2. What is a call number?
Every book in the library is given a unique call number to serve as an address for locating the book on the shelf.
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3. The Dewey system has ten main classes
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
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4. Let's see if we can catch a butterfly book.
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

5. To find the classification number for butterflies
we need to start with the class for Natural Science the 500's
This means that the first number of the call number will be a 5.
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

6. 100 Philosophy and Psychology 200 Religion 300 Social Science
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
500 Natural Science and Mathematics
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7. Let's look at the ten divisions of this 500 class.
510 Mathematics
520 Astronomy (planets and stars)
530 Physics (matter & energy)
540 Chemistry
550 Earth Sciences (the planet Earth)
560 Paleontology (dinosaurs)
570 Life Sciences (plants & animals)
580 Botanical Sciences (specifically plants)
590 Zoological Sciences (specifically animals)
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8. Butterflies will be classified under the Zoological Sciences 590
Now we know that the second number of the call number will be a 9  
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

9. 520 Astronomy (planets and stars) 530 Physics (matter & energy)
510 Mathematics
520 Astronomy (planets and stars)
530 Physics (matter & energy)
540 Chemistry
550 Earth Sciences (the planet Earth)
560 Paleontology (dinosaurs)
570 Life Sciences (plants & animals)
580 Botanical Sciences (specifically plants)
590 Zoological Sciences (specifically animals)
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10. Let's see the divisions of the 590's to find the next number.
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

11. The Zoological Sciences, the 590's, are also divided into ten divisions.
591 Zoology
592 Invertebrates (animals with no backbones)
593 Protozoa (single-celled organisms)
594 Mollusa (includes clams, slugs, octopus)
595 Other Invertebrates (worms and insects)
596 Vertebrates (animals with backbones)
597 Fishes
598 Reptiles and Birds 
599 Mammals
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12. Insects, including butterflies would be under 595.
591 Zoology
592 Invertebrates (animals with no backbones)
593 Protozoa (single-celled organisms)
594 Mollusa (includes clams, slugs, octopus)
595 Other Invertebrates (worms and insects)
596 Vertebrates (animals with backbones)
597 Fishes
598 Reptiles and Birds 
599 Mammals
595 Other Invertebrates (worms and insects)
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13. Now we have the first three numbers of the call number 595
The 595's are further divided by the use of decimals to specify what type of insects.
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian

14. Where will we find the butterfly book?
Natural Science
Zoological Sciences
Other invertebrates    
Insects
Lepidoptera
(butterflies & moths)
Butterflies      
Butterflies      
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15. REMEMBER: The more numbers, the more specific.
Note: When searching in a decimal system, search digit by digit
--not by whole number.
Adapted from University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
4/28/2019
Eva Galloway, White Hills Elementary School Librarian