Dewey Decimal History and Explanation

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a primary purpose of the Dewey Decimal System in libraries?

• To organize nonfiction books by subject

• To alphabetize fiction books by author

• To recommend books to readers

• To track overdue books

Open Ended

Why is it important for libraries to have an organized system for nonfiction books?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about Melvil Dewey is correct?

• He published his classification system in 1906.

• He was never involved in controversies.

• He founded the American Library Association.

• He was not interested in organizing knowledge.

Multiple Choice

What was Melvil Dewey's main motivation for creating his classification system?

• To make libraries more beautiful

• To create a simple, logical way to organize knowledge

• To increase book sales

• To promote his own books

Open Ended

Explain how the Dewey Decimal System uses numbers and letters to organize books. Give an example if possible.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are components of the overall structure of the Dewey Decimal System?

• Ten categories

• Triple digit numbers

• Letters at the end

• Color-coded labels

Multiple Choice

Which Dewey Decimal category would you use to find books about technology?

• 600 Technology

• 500 Science

• 700 Art & Recreation

• 300 Social Sciences

Multiple Select

Which of the following are considered cons of the Dewey Decimal System?

• Western/Eurocentric focus

• Flexible and expandable

• Heavy emphasis on Christianity in religion

• Works worldwide

Multiple Choice

According to the Dewey Decimal System, what does a longer call number indicate about a book's subject?

• It is more specific

• It is less specific

• It is older

• It is more popular

Multiple Choice

If two books have the same Dewey Decimal number and letter, how are they ordered on the library shelf?

• By author's last name alphabetically

• By publication year

• By book title

• By book size

Open Ended

Explain the process you would use to determine the correct order of books if two books have the same decimal number in their call number.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following lists of decimals is in ascending order?

• 0.3, 0.305, 0.31, 0.4

• 0.4, 0.31, 0.305, 0.3

• 0.305, 0.3, 0.4, 0.31

• 0.31, 0.305, 0.3, 0.4

Multiple Choice

Why do libraries use the Dewey Decimal System to organize nonfiction books?

• To make it easier to find books on similar topics

• Because it looks nice on the shelves

• To keep fiction and nonfiction books together

• Because it is required by law

Open Ended

What is one new thing you learned about the Dewey Decimal System from this lesson?