Melvil Dewey first developed the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) in the 1870’s. He was looking for a way to organize library materials by their subject. By looking at all known information in the world at that time, and planning for some future new knowledge, he organized information into ten broad categories (the first summary, or ten main classes). These main classes are:

        000     Generalities
        100     Philosophy, Psychology
        200     Religion
        300     Social Sciences
        400     Language
        500     Natural Sciences, Mathematics
        600     Technology (Applied Science)
        700     The Arts
        800     Literature
        900     Geography, History

[If you are reviewing this information from the "Summaries and Schedules" page, click here to return to the Summaries and Schedules page.  Otherwise:

Click the arrow below to continue to the next page