1. How to find books using Dewey
Decimal shelfmarkFind the book on the shelves!
How to find books using
Dewey Decimal shelfmark

2. Introduction
• When you look for books on the Library Catalogue you will be given a shelfmark, indicating where
the books are held in the Library collection.
• You will notice that some books have number shelfmarks and others have alphabetical ones.
• We have two subject sequences in use in Birkbeck Library.
• The majority of the stock is arranged in number order known as Dewey Decimal: Example 1
320 = politics
320.941 = British politics
320.973 = American politics
• Some books have been classified by a scheme that uses letters known as Bliss : Example 2
YB = English Literature
YD = English Literature in the 15th & 16th century
YF = Shakespeare
• This Learning Object focuses on the number sequence also known as Dewey Decimal Classification
and will provide a quick overview of this and how to find the books on the shelf.

3. What is Dewey Decimal
• Dewey Decimal system is a hierarchical classification system used by libraries for organising items,
from the broadest to the most specific topics. It was created by Melville Dewey in 1876.
• The system is made up of 10 main classes or categories, each divided into 10 secondary classes or
subcategories, etc.
• In Dewey, basic classes are organized by fields of study. At the broadest level, Dewey is divided into
ten main classes:
000 - Computer Science, Information and general works
100 - Philosophy and Psychology
200 - Religion
300 - Social Science
400 - Languages
500 - Science
600 - Technology applied science
700 - Arts and recreation
800 - Literature (in-house rule applies to specific country literature)
900 - History and Geography

4. How is it organised
• When you move among the shelves looking for the shelfmark that you found on
the catalogue you will see that the books are arranged in numerical order and
then alphabetically by the 3 letters at the end of the shelfmark.
• The letters that come after the numbers are also important, particularly when
there are many books which have the same number. The three letters denotes the
first three letters of the first named author's surname or if the book has been
edited, the first three letters of the title of the book (excluding definite and
indefinite articles).
• So always note down the full shelfmark given on the catalogue!
• For the purpose of this Learning Object when looking for books on the shelf read
the shelfmark by looking at the first three digits and noting whether the digits are
100s, tens, or unit.
• The following screen shows the shelf pattern in the Library: across from left to
right and from the top to bottom.

5. The shelf pattern is across (from left to
right) and from top to bottom

6. Basic Example
• When looking for books on the shelf read the shelfmark by looking at the
first three digits and noting whether it is 100s, tens, or a unit.
Example One: 701 ACT and 700 BAC
• Having focused on the first three digits and put these in order (smaller to
bigger number order) then look at the three letters and put that in
alphabetical order.
• Thus the order on the shelf would be:
700 BAC followed by 701 ACT
{700 > 701}
701
ACT
700
BAC
700
BAC
701
ACT
700, no tens, 1 unit, ACT 700, no tens, no units, BAC

7. Your shelfmark – bigger or smaller
• The shelfmarks are arranged on the shelves from smaller numbers (broad
and general) to bigger numbers (more specific) within the 10 main classes.
Here is a collection of shelfmarks from the main classes mixed together.
• Look at the first 3 digits of each shelfmark (arrange them smaller to bigger).
Then having done that, look at the next 3 digits of each shelfmark and
(arrange them smaller to bigger) keeping them within the main classes (if
letters – arrange alphabetically) and repeat with the next 3 digits and so on if
necessary.
• Can you put them into the correct order – you have 20 seconds?
330.
216
AUB
287
MCC
428.
202
407
HIC
001.
196
BAK/
W
428.
003
FOW
428
DEW
428
BAK
150
GRO
150.
198
2
FRE
1 8 9765432
9

8. Your shelfmark – how did you do?
The Correct order is:
330.
216
AUB
287
MCC
428.
202
407
HIC
001.
196
BAK/
W
428.
003
FOW
428
DEW
428
BAK
150
GRO
150.
198
2
FRE
18 9 7 6 54 32
330.
216
AUB
287
MCC
428.
202
407
HIC
001.
196
BAK/
W
428.
003
FOW
428
DEW
428
BAK
150
GRO
150.
198
2
FRE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9. Example 2
701.
015
BOA
700.
001
TAY
700.
005
PAC
A B C
First 3 digits
Second 3 digits
Alphabetical order
Resulting order:
Having put the first 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, C, A or C, B, A
Then within that having put the second 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, C, A
Following the alphabetical order of 3 letters the sequence is: B, C, A
First 3 digits
Second 3 digits
Alphabetical order

10. Example 3
709.
569
941
ACT
709.
568
941
KWZ
711.
570
941
ART
A B C
First 3 digits
Second 3 digits
Alphabetical order
Resulting order:
Having put the first 3 digits in order the sequence would be: A, B, C or B, A, C
Then within that having put the second 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, A, C
Then within that having put the third 3 digits in order the sequence would be: B, A, C
Following the alphabetical order of 3 letters the sequence is: B, A, C
First 3 digits
Second 3 digits
Alphabetical order
Third 3 digits Third 3 digits

11. Learning outcome
You should now know or understand the
following:-
• Who created the Dewey Decimal classification
system.
• The shelve pattern and how books are
arranged on the shelves.
• How Dewey Decimal works and how to find
the shelfmark given on the Catalogue on the
shelves.