The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), or Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system created by Melvil Dewey in 1876. It has been revised and expanded through 23 major editions, the latest issued in 2011. Dewey was responsible for all revisions until his death in 1931. A designation number, such as Dewey 16 for the 16th edition, is given for each revision.
A library assigns a DDC number that unambiguously locates a particular volume to within a short length of shelving which makes it easy to find any particular book and return it to its proper place on the library shelves. The system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries.
Read more about Dewey Decimal Classification: Design, Administration and Publication, Influence, Comparison With Library of Congress Classification
Famous quotes containing the words dewey and/or decimal:
“Nature is the mother and the habitat of man, even if sometimes a stepmother and an unfriendly home.”
—John Dewey (1859–1952)
“It makes little sense to spend a month teaching decimal fractions to fourth-grade pupils when they can be taught in a week, and better understood and retained, by sixth-grade students. Child-centeredness does not mean lack of rigor or standards; it does mean finding the best match between curricula and children’s developing interests and abilities.”
—David Elkind (20th century)