• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The River Houses

A National Network of Local Homeschool Societies

  • Subscribe!
  • Home
  • Topics β–Ύ
    • Arts & Music
    • Astronomy
    • Books & Libraries
    • Dewey Decimals
    • Friday Bird Families
    • Geography
    • Great Stars
    • Holidays & History
    • The Homeschool Year
    • Language & Literature
    • Lunar Society Bulletins
    • Natural History
    • Photo Contests
    • Poems-of-the-Week
    • Quick Freshes
    • Research & News
    • States & Countries
    • Weekly World Heritage
  • Calendars
  • Books
  • About Us β–Ύ
    • Our Mascots
  • Lunar Society
  • Friends
  • Shop!
You are here: Home > Homeschool Books & Libraries > Discovering Dewey > This Post

πŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: On Beyond Dewey (To Close the Year)

2 August 2022 by Bob O'Hara

On the first Tuesday of each month for the past year we’ve invited you and your homescholars to explore one of the major Dewey Decimal classes at your local library. Our survey for the year is finally doneΒ β€” hooray!Β β€” and if you’ve been following along with us, you’ve explored the whole of knowledge (!), from our Dewey introduction (September), to the General 000s (October), the Philosophical 100s (November), the Religious 200s (December), the Social 300s (January), the Linguistic 400s (February), the Scientific 500s (March), the Technological 600s (April), the Artistic 700s (May), the Literary 800s (June), and the HistoricalΒ & Geographical 900s (July). Whew!

The Dewey system is the standard in American public libraries, and if your students are familiar with it they’ll be right at home in a small-town library near you and in a big-city library across the countryΒ β€” aΒ lifetime of learning will be open to them.

But the Dewey system isn’t the world’s only library classification system. Most other countries have their own national systems that are suited to their local interests and their local collections (although some of these are modified versions of the Dewey system).

And there’s also one other big library classification system in use in the United States that your students will almost certainly encounter if they go off to college: the Library of Congress Classification system.

The Library of Congress is Washington is the largest library in the world, and we regularly recommend its online services to homeschoolers. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the Dewey Decimal Classification was coming into common use in most public libraries, Herbert Putnam (1861–1955), the Librarian of Congress at the time, wondered if LC could come up with something more suited to their own vast and ever-growing collections. The result was the Library of Congress Classification, which can accommodate deeper and broader collections more easily, and which is easier to expand than the Dewey system.

While the top level of the Dewey system is based on numbersΒ β€” the 100s, the 200s, the 300s, and so onΒ β€” the Library of Congress system is based on letters: Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and so on. (And you can see right away that it can have up to 26 top-level categories, instead of the ten that are available in Dewey.)

Most public libraries use the Dewey system, but most college and university libraries use the Library of Congress system. If you have a local university library near you, why not pay it a visit with your students and see how it is arranged. These are the main classes in the LC system:

  • LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION
    • Class A – General Works
    • Class B – Philosophy, Psychology, & Religion
    • Class C – Auxiliary Sciences of History
    • Class D – World History & History of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
    • Class E – History of America
    • Class F – Local History of the Americas
    • Class G – Geography, Anthropology, & Recreation
    • Class H – Social Sciences
    • Class J – Political Science
    • Class K – Law
    • Class L – Education
    • Class M – Music
    • Class N – Fine Arts
    • Class P – Language & Literature
    • Class Q – Science
    • Class R – Medicine
    • Class S – Agriculture
    • Class T – Technology
    • Class U – Military Science
    • Class V – Naval Science
    • Class Z – Bibliography & Library Science

Just as the top-level Dewey classes are subdivided into β€œtens” — the 500s (Science) is subdivided into the 510s, the 520s, the 530s, and so onΒ β€” the Library of Congress system creates first-level subdivisions by adding another letter: Class Q (Science) is subdivided into QA (Mathematics), QB (Astronomy), QC (Physics), QD (Chemistry), and so on.

Take out your copy of our recommended homeschool bird guide, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, and turn to the copyright page at the very end of the volume after the index. There in the fine print you’ll see all the publication details for the book, and as in most titles published today, you’ll also see recommended library call numbers. The recommended Dewey number shown is 598.297 (remember the 500s are Science and the 590s are Zoology), and right above that you’ll see the recommended Library of Congress number: QL681.F53. “Q” is Science, “QL” is Zoology (Animals), and all the numbers from QL670 to QL699 cover Birds.

Why not invite your students to be library detectives in your own home this week and see if they can find this “Cataloging-in-Publication” data in other books on your shelves. They’ll discover, for example, that your recommended homeschool dictionary is Dewey 423 and Library of Congress PE1628.

You and your students may never have occasion to use the Library of Congress system β€œin the wild” — Dewey is more than adequate for most general librariesΒ β€” but if you do run across it, don’t panic. It’s just another arrangement, running from AA to ZZ instead of 000 to 999. The skills that your students develop learning Dewey will serve them well if they ever happen to encounter this alternative library “language.”

What delightful decimals have you discovered in your public library Hercules Term? Or, what lovely letters have you discovered thanks to the Library of Congress? πŸ“–

❑ Dukedoms large enough: Have you found all the local libraries in your area? There may be more than you realize, and there’s no better homeschool field trip than aΒ field trip to aΒ new library! The WorldCat Library Finder will help you find all the library collections near youΒ β€” public and private, large and smallΒ β€” and the WorldCat catalog itself will help you locate the closest copy of almost any book in the world.Β πŸ›

❑ Dewey Detectives at home: Did you know there are secret Dewey Decimal numbers hiding in the books on your very own shelves? It’s true! Here are some tips on how you can send your students on a treasure hunt to find them.Β πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™€οΈ

❑ When in doubt, go to the library: This is one of our regular Homeschool Books & Libraries posts. Add your name to our weekly mailing list and get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox all through the year.Β πŸ—ž

❑ Become a Friend! If you enjoy the educational materials we distribute each week, please support our work and the noble cause of homeschooling by becoming a Friend of the River Houses! Your support keeps us going and growing! 😊

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related Posts:

  • πŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The General 000sπŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The General 000s
  • πŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Social 300sπŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Social 300s
  • πŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: Dewey Detectives at HomeπŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: Dewey Detectives at Home
  • πŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Linguistic 400sπŸ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Linguistic 400s

Filed Under: Discovering Dewey, Homeschool Books & Libraries

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

It’s free! Your name and email address are never shared with any third parties.

CHECK YOUR INBOX (or spam folder) to confirm your subscription. Thank you! 😊

Search the River Houses

Recent Posts

  • πŸŒ• HOMESCHOOL “CITIZEN SCIENCE” PROJECTS for June
  • πŸ”­ WATCHERS OF THE SKIES: Homeschool Astronomy for June
  • πŸ¦… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Wagtails and Pipits
  • πŸ–‹ 🌞 WONDERFUL WORDS (and Music!): β€œSumer is i-cumin in”
  • πŸ—“ πŸƒ 🏸 HAPPY HOMESCHOOL JUNE from the River Houses!
  • πŸ—“ πŸ’ͺ HERCULES TERM and the River Houses Homeschool Year
  • πŸ—“ βœ’οΈ WONDERFUL WORDS: Happy Birthday to Walt Whitman
  • 🌍 πŸ‡·πŸ‡Έ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: The Studenica Monastery in Serbia
  • πŸ—“ NEW CALENDARS & PLANNERS for the 2023–2024 Homeschool Year
  • πŸ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families – Week of 28 May 2023
  • 🌎 πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ SUNDAY STATES: North Dakota, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and More
  • πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ πŸ–‹ β€œAFTER A HUNDRED YEARS / Nobody knows the Place”
  • πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ πŸ•Š HOMESCHOOL HISTORY: Memorial Day
  • πŸ¦… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Indigobirds, Old World Sparrows, and Allies
  • πŸŽ“ πŸŽ‰ HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Let Us Rejoice!

Post Topics

  • 🎡 Homeschool Arts & Music
  • πŸ”­ Homeschool Astronomy
  • πŸ“š Homeschool Books & Libraries
  • πŸ’° Homeschool Collections & Collecting
  • πŸ“… Homeschool Holidays & History
  • πŸ“– Homeschool Language & Literature
  • πŸŒ• Lunar Society Bulletins
  • πŸ—Ί Homeschool Geography
  • πŸ› Homeschool Museums & Monuments
  • 🏞 Homeschool Natural History
  • πŸ—“ Quick Freshes for Homeschool Families
  • πŸ”Ž Homeschool Research & News
  • 🌎 πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Homeschool States & Countries
  • πŸ—“ Homeschool Terms & Calendars

Astronomy

  • American Meteor Society
    • – Fireball Reporting System
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day
  • Evening Sky Maps
  • Homeschool Astronomy (Sky & Telescope)
  • Hubble Space Telescope
    • – Learning Resources
  • NASA
    • – Asteroid Watch
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Our Solar System
    • – Spot the Station
    • – Webb Space Telescope
  • The Planets Today
    • – Light-Distance to the Planets
  • The Sky This Week (USNO)
  • Space Weather
  • Stellarium Night Sky Charts
  • Time and Date
    • – Eclipses
    • – Meteor Showers
    • – Moon Phases
    • – Seasons
  • Tonight’s Sky (hubblesite.com)
  • Virtual Planisphere

Books & Libraries

  • Baldwin Library of Children’s Literature
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • Classic Children’s Books (read.gov)
  • Folger Shakespeare Library
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Shakespeare’s Plays Online
  • HathiTrust Digital Library
  • In Our Time (BBC Podcasts)
  • New York Public Library Digital Collections
  • Project Gutenberg
  • US Library of Congress
    • – Children’s Book Selections
    • – Educator Resources
    • – LC Blogs
    • – LC Digital Collections
    • – Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
  • US National Archives
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Founders Online
    • – K–5 Resources
    • – Teaching With Documents
  • Vatican Library Digital Collections
  • WorldCat Library Catalog
    • – WorldCat Library Finder
  • World Digital Library

Museums, Parks, & Monuments

  • Art Collections Online
  • British Museum Collections Online
  • Google Arts & Culture Collections
  • Smithsonian Institution
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Smithsonian Museums
    • – Smithsonian Open Access
  • Timeline of Art History
  • US National Park Service
    • – Educator Resources
    • – National Memorials
    • – National Monuments
    • – National Parks
    • – Wild & Scenic Rivers Program
  • US National Wildlife Refuges
  • US State Parks
  • Watercolour World

Natural History

  • All About Birds (Cornell University)
    • – Bird Identification Guide
    • – eBird Online
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • BirdCast Daily Migration Maps
  • Time and Date
    • – Seasons
  • UC Museum of Paleontology
    • – Educator Resources
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service
    • – Education Programs
  • US Geological Survey
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Latest Earthquakes
  • US National Weather Service
    • – Educator Resources
    • – Nationwide Air Quality
    • – Nationwide River Conditions
    • – Wildfire and Smoke Map
  • Wild & Scenic Rivers Program

Maps & Geography

  • Antipodes Map
  • FlightAware (Planes in the Air)
  • Mapquest World Maps
  • MarineTraffic (Ships at Sea)
  • OpenStreetMap World Maps
  • Printable Blank Maps & Flags
  • Printable Outline Maps (d-maps.com)
  • River Runner
  • USGS Topographic Maps
  • World Heritage Sites (UNESCO)
    • – Educator Resources
  • Zoom Earth

Civics & Social Science

  • Bill of Rights Institute
  • Constitution Center
  • C-Span Classroom
  • Free Speech Curriculum from FIRE
  • Foundation for Economic Education
  • History of the Western World (I)
    • – Western World (II)
  • iCivics.org
  • Learn Liberty
  • Mises Institute Economics
  • MyMoney.gov
    • – Educator Resources
  • Online Library of Liberty
  • US Founding Documents
  • US Government Portal
    • – The Congress
    • – The Supreme Court
    • – The White House
  • US Mint
    • – Coin Activities for Kids
    • – Educator Resources
  • US Postal Museum
    • – Explore the Collections
    • – Activities for Kids
    • – Stamps Teach (from APS)
  • Visual Capitalist
Sign up for our free newsletter and get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox every week!

All original content Β© 2017–2023 by The River Houses Β· The River Houses and the River Houses emblem are Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.