The Dewey Decimal System is used in libraries worldwide. Published in May of 1876, a pamphlet entitled Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library was the first version of the Dewey Decimal System. The system was based on a numerical code that assigned books to specific subject areas. Designed to be easy to use and understand, so that anyone could find a book on a particular subject by simply looking up its classification number in a catalog.
This innovative system was first used at the Columbia University Library in New York City in 1882 and proved to be a great success. As a result, it was quickly adopted by libraries across the United States and around the world. Over the years, the system was refined and expanded and new categories and subcategories were added to better organize books on increasingly specialized subjects.
Despite its success, the Dewey Decimal System has not been without its critics. Some have argued that it is too rigid and fails to account for the complexities of many subjects. Others have pointed out that the system is based on a Eurocentric worldview that does not adequately represent the perspectives of other races, religions or cultures.
Despite these criticisms, the Dewey Decimal System remains a widely used system of classification in libraries around the world - used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries.
So which Dewey Decimal Number Are You?
Are you a 060, a lover of rules and guidelines? Are you an 818 joker? How about an 031 perfectionist or maybe a 629.8, possibly a robot? Find out with this (extremely unscientific) QUIZ!
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