National Dewey Decimal System Day
Celebrate the birthday of Melville Dewey on #NationalDeweyDecimalSytemDay
The inventor of the Dewey Decimal System of library classification, Melville Dewey, was born on 10 December 1851, and that is why National Dewey Decimal System day is celebrated annually on 10 December.
The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) or Dewey Decimal System is a proprietary library classification system which was first published in the United States in 1876. Since then, it has been revised and expanded through 23 editions – with the latest issued in 2011. It has grown from a four page pamphlet in 1876 with less than 1 000 classifications to a four volume set. It is also available in an abridged version more suited to smaller libraries.
Currently, the system is maintained by the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC) which is a library research centre. The OCLC has an experimental linked data version on the Web with open access, called WebDewey. This online access version is for cataloguers.
The Dewey Decimal system introduced the concept of relative location and index which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location, based on subject. Books had previously been given a permanent shelf location related to the order of acquisition, rather than topic.
The classification’s notation uses three digit Arabic numerals for main classes with fractional decimals allowing for expansion and further detail. A classification number that locates other volumes relative to each other based on subject matter is assigned by a library. This makes it easier to find any particular book and return to it to the correct shelf when finished.
This classification system is used in 200 000 libraries in at least 135 countries worldwide.
To celebrate, visit your local library and make use of the Dewey Decimal System to locate a particular book.
Post on social media using #NationalDeweyDecimalSystemDay.
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