How to Organize a Home Library Database Using Dewey Decimal

Sort your books by first separating fiction from non-fiction. Divide the non-fiction books into these categories: Generalities (bibliographies, encyclopedias, journalism and periodicals); Philosophy (including psychology and related subjects); Religion; Social Sciences (such as economics, education, government, sociology, etc.); Language; Pure Sciences; Technology and Applied Sciences; Arts (including photography, sculpture, drawing and painting, architecture, etc.); Literature; and Geography and History.

Organize your books using the DDC numbering system as follows, 000-099 Generalities; 100-199 Philosophy; 200-299 Religion; 300-399 Social Sciences; 400-499 Language; 500-599 Pure Sciences; 600-699 Technology and Applied Sciences; 700-799 The Arts; 800-899 Literature (fiction and fiction criticism); and 900-999 Geography and History. If you are unsure about a book, not to worry; the DDC will classify it for you. You can acquire the extensive list of all the DDC subcategories online or in a library.

Find the copyright page in each book and look for the ̶0;Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.̶1; Near the bottom of this information is the book̵7;s DDC number, such as 744.7U6L43. Unless you have many books in the same category, you may not need more than 744.7 and the first one or two letters from the author̵7;s last name. If the author̵7;s name is Smith, below the number you can put ̶0;Sm.̶1; If you have more than one book with an author whose last name begins with ̶0;Sm,̶1; add a third letter, such as ̶0;Smi.̶1;

Create your labels. You can write them by hand, although if you use a computer, simple label programs, free from many label makers, include blank templates to make your labels neat and uniform. Put the book̵7;s number on the label and below it the first initial or first two or three letters of the author̵7;s last name.

Attach the labels to their corresponding books at the bottom of the spine. Although your labels probably have adhesive backs, place clear packaging tape over the label, wrapping it around the back and front covers, to keep the label from pealing off. If the book is too thin for placing the label on the spine, place it on the front cover in the lower left-hand corner.

Organize your novels, poetry, short story collections and other fictional works one of two ways. You can alphabetize them by author or, using DDC, you can break them down, first by nation of origin and then by author. You can consult a DDC complete listing online or in a library for all of the subclassifications.

Enter the information from your labels into your computer database. Organizing by DDC numbers will automatically sort them in the same order you organized your library. Accompanying the DCC, you can include the title, author and other pertinent information.