Is Dewey Done? See What These 17 Sites Have to Say and Then Decide

Ever since bookstores have been selling books, they have shelved them by subject area. When patrons go to any subject section, they can usually find the book they are looking for by the last name of the author. This includes fiction and nonfiction books. Those of us who were taught to use the Dewey Decimal System are used to using decimals for the ten nonfiction sections from 000-999. When a student asks me to find a particular book, all I need is the call number to get to the exact location of that book. How would the bookstore model do in a school library? Some elementary school librarians like the idea because nonfiction books could be easier for young kids to locate. Judge for yourself.

Adams County Libraries Shelving Dewey- Denver, Colorado school libraries

Are the Dewey Decimal System's Days Numbered?- interesting article


The Demise of the Dewey Decimal System- Canadian librarian has incorporated the bookstore model in her school library

Dewey? At This Library With a Very Different Outlook, They Don't- New York Times article about the 15-branch Maricopa County Library District in Arizona. Here's a link to the NPR broadcast about the changes.

Dewey Decimal, Redone

The Dewey Dilemma- from the Library Journal

Dewey's Not Dead

Do We Dewey?-New York Times article from 2008

Has the Dewey Decimal system Finally Outlived its Usefulness?- blog post by librarian Roger Green

Red Hawk Elementary Scraps Dewey Decimal System  for Bookstore Model

Saying Goodbye to the Dewey Decimal System- article about five Albany public libraries

Students Not Fazed By Dewey-less Library- Gilbert, AZ

Three Benefits of the Dewey Decimal System- from eHow

What's So Great About Dewey? 

Will Dewey Still Do?- Massachusetts librarian airs her opinion about Dewey

Who's Killing the Dewey Decimal System?- article about the Gail Borden Public Library District in Elgin, IL

Would Your Elementary Library Work Better if You Scrapped the Dewey Decimal System?- from School Library Monthly's blog

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44 Things That Are All About Dewey (The Dewey Decimal System, That Is)

GAMES AND QUIZZES
Basic Dewey Decimal

Becoming Familiar With Dewey- print a certificate when you are done

Can You Do the Dewey?

Deciphering the Dewey Decimal System- short matching quiz on the ten categories

Dewey and the Alien

Dewey Call Numbers-quiz

The Dewey Challenge

Dewey Decimal Crossword Puzzle

Dewey Decimal Hangman

DDS- timed game

Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (easy)

Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (medium)

Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (hard)

Dewey Decimal Interactive Quiz

Do the Dewey

Do We Really Know Dewey?

Doin' Dewey with Mr. B

Flood in the Library- game for young kids from PBS

Fun Trivia: Dewey Decimal System

Kids Click for Dewey

Let's Do Dewey

Let's Do the DDC- OCLC's interactive site

Library Skills Game

Match the Author With the Correct Call Number

Order in the Library- excellent shelving game which has many levels of play; can be used for any age level

Quiz Me

Study Stack- matching game

LESSON PLANS
Dewey Bingo- MS Publisher document

The Dewey Decimal Classification System- written by Jean Halsey

Dewey Decimal Game 2- for 4th graders

The Dewey Directory- download a copy for your library

The Dewey Rap- for 4th graders

The Dewey Rap Music- .wav file

Free Presentations in PowerPoint Format

Huey and Louie Meet Dewey- for grades 3-5, 6-8

Shopping With the Dewey Decimal System

WEB QUESTS
The Book Disaster- for 5th graders

Dewey Decimal Web Quest

DeweyWorld- grades 4-6

Help! I am Locked in the Library- fro grades 4-6

Hunt For Dewey Decimal System

Vermont School Library Dewey Web Quest

What is a Call Number?- designed by 6th graders

Who Was Dewey?

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