Walk into almost any library in the world and the non-fiction is arranged the same way: by the Dewey Decimal Classification, devised by Melvil Dewey in 1876 and still the most widely used library classification. It groups books by subject, so all the science is together and all the history is together, and every book has one place on the shelf.
A small library doesn’t need the full system, which runs to thousands of pages. It needs the ten main classes, a few rules, and consistency.
The ten main classes
| Class | Subject | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 000 | Computer science, information, general works | Encyclopedias, computing |
| 100 | Philosophy and psychology | Ethics, self-help |
| 200 | Religion | Hinduism, Buddhism, mythology |
| 300 | Social sciences | Government, law, education, folk tales |
| 400 | Language | Dictionaries, grammar |
| 500 | Science | Maths, physics, animals, plants |
| 600 | Technology | Medicine, farming, cooking |
| 700 | Arts and recreation | Music, painting, sport |
| 800 | Literature | Poetry, plays, essays |
| 900 | History and geography | Travel, biography, history of Nepal |
Each class divides into ten, and each of those into ten again. The 500s (science) include 510 (mathematics), 520 (astronomy), 570 (life sciences) and 590 (animals). A decimal point adds more detail: 595.7 is insects.
How much detail does a small library need?
As little as makes your shelves easy to browse.
- Up to a few hundred non-fiction books: the ten main classes may be enough.
- A typical school or community library: three digits (595, 954) is plenty.
- Larger collections: add one or two decimal places where a shelf gets crowded.
The rule that matters: the same subject always gets the same number. Write down the numbers you use for common subjects, and use that list every time.
Building a shelf mark
A shelf mark (call number) is the class number plus the first three letters of the author’s family name, in capitals:
595.7 SHR: a book on insects by an author named Shrestha954.96 ACH: a history of Nepal by an author named Acharya
On the shelf, books sort by the number first, then by the letters.
Fiction and picture books
Most school and public libraries don’t use Dewey for stories. Instead:
- Fiction:
Fplus the author’s first three letters (F DEV), shelved alphabetically by author. - Picture books:
EorPICplus the author’s letters, in their own low shelves.
Children find stories by author and by browsing, not by subject.
Classifying Nepali books
Nepali libraries have long classified Nepali books inconsistently: some by Dewey, others by the librarian’s own scheme of author, size or publisher, and there’s no standard Nepali subject heading list. Work is under way on Nepali subject headings with Dewey numbers, drawing on major libraries such as TU Central Library and Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.
For a small library, the practical answer is to use one system for every book, whatever its language:
- A Nepali book about farming goes in the 630s, beside the English ones.
- Nepali literature is 891.495 in current editions of Dewey; libraries classified with older editions used 891.49, so you may find both on your shelves. Research on classifying Nepali books traces the change. Libraries with many Nepali poetry and essay collections often keep them together there, and shelve Nepali novels with the rest of the fiction, by author.
- History of Nepal is 954.96, and the geography of Nepal and travel in Nepal are in 915.496.
Write the author’s letters in whichever script your readers search by, and keep that choice consistent.
Putting Dewey on the books
- Decide the class number and build the shelf mark.
- Write it on the book’s spine label and on the back of the title page.
- Record it in the catalogue, so a search shows readers exactly where to go.
- Put signs on the shelves: “500 Science”, “900 History and geography”.
In Khulla, the shelf mark is a field on each title and copy. It’s searchable, and it
can be printed on the spine label beside the barcode. Labels print in
Latin characters for now, so if you plan to print shelf marks, write the author’s letters in
English (DEV, not देव).
Summary
- Dewey arranges non-fiction by subject in ten main classes, 000 to 900.
- A small library needs three digits at most, used consistently.
- Shelf mark = class number + first three letters of the author.
- Shelve fiction and picture books by author, outside Dewey.
- Classify Nepali and English books with the same system.
Questions
What are the ten Dewey Decimal classes?
000 Computer science, information and general works; 100 Philosophy and psychology; 200 Religion; 300 Social sciences; 400 Language; 500 Science; 600 Technology; 700 Arts and recreation; 800 Literature; 900 History and geography.
Does a small library need full Dewey numbers?
No. A small library can shorten Dewey numbers to three digits, or even to the ten main classes for a very small collection. What matters is that the same book always gets the same number.
Should fiction be classified with Dewey?
Most school and public libraries don't. They shelve fiction separately, arranged by author, and use Dewey for non-fiction.
Where do Nepali literature books go in Dewey?
Nepali literature is 891.495 in current editions of Dewey (older editions used 891.49), within the 800s for literature. Many small libraries shelve Nepali and English fiction by author, and use 891.495 for Nepali poetry, essays and drama.
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