The ubiquitous white tags on library books show their Dewey Decimal numbers.
The Dewey Decimal System was first implemented in 1873 at Amherst College Library by librarian Melvin Dewey. Its ease of use combined with its flexibility and the depth of categorization and subdivision it allows led it to eventually become the standard for libraries all over the world. Save time and hassle at the library by learning the system for yourself.
000 to 299
000 to 099 are general knowledge topics, including books about computer science from 003 through 006, bibliographies, catalogs, encyclopedias, books on museums and libraries, almanacs, books of trivia and global periodicals.
The 100s are philosophy and psychology, including books on ethics, feelings, death and dying, space, time and the self.
The 200s are books on religion, including the Bible, Koran and other sacred works, books on all major religions, God, the problem of evil, Biblical figures, spirituality and mythology.
300 to 499
The 300s are social sciences and folklore, with topics from world statistics in the 310s to political science, economics, law, civics, the military, education, communication, transportation and etiquette; then folklore and customs of war and diplomacy in 398 and 399. The 400s are language books, including books on the philosophy of language and dictionaries, etymologies and grammar books for all world language groups.
500 to 799
Books in the 500s are on math and science. Mathematical topics like geometry, algebra and mathematical theory run from 510 to 519, while books on the sciences from astronomy, to physics, then chemistry, geology, paleontology, evolution and biology go from 520 to 599
The 600's books are on medicine and technology, including topics like pharmacology, surgery, disease, patient care, history of medicine, anatomy and specialized medicine. 600 to 619 contains books on engineering, mining, agriculture, food, housekeeping, child rearing, metal working and textiles. Clothes and construction make up 620 to 698.
800 to 999
The 800s are literature. American poetry, drama, fiction, essays, speeches, letters, satires, and books about them are the 810s. Their British counterparts are in the 820s, Germanic literature in the 830s, French in the 840s, Italian in the 850s, Ionian in the 860s, classical and modern Greek and Roman in the 870s, and other world literature starting in the 880s.
The 900s are geography and history, progressing from histories of the ancient world, to histories of Europe, Asia, Africa, North then South America, to Oceania, ending with 999, extraterrestrial worlds.
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