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A guide to the Dewey Decimal System

The Christchurch City Libraries uses the Dewey Decimal System to classify non-fiction material. Subjects are divided into ten main groups which are represented by series of numbers:

Each of these ten groups is divided into more specialised subject fields, again represented numerically, for example:

Certain features are common to each of the groups, eg. the first numbers in any area are always general works on that subject and longer numbers represent more detailed aspects.

All non-fiction material is usually shelved in numerical order, according to its assigned Dewey number.

Fiction is shelved alphabetically by author, except fiction in foreign languages which is classified at 830 - 899.

Other points to note are:

• There is always a decimal point after the first three numbers
• The three letters which follow the number are usually the first three letters of the author's surname and help to distinguish that particular book from others at the same number
• "NOT FOR LOAN " on the spine indicates a reference book, which may only be used in the library
• "B" on the spine indicates a biography
• "NZ" indicates a New Zealand book
• The Green Piko Piko symbol indicates Nga Pounamu Māori collection & Māori collections at Community Libraries
• White Koru on black label is used in the Centre for the Child, Mobile and Banks Peninsula Libraries on items with Māori content not held in a special Māori collection

The Dewey Decimal Classification is (c) 1996-2001 OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Incorporated.
DDC, Dewey, and Dewey Decimal Classification are registered trademarks of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Incorporated.

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