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Online Reference

Subject-specific online resources, recommended websites and more.

Dewey Decimal Classification System

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is used by libraries to organize items in their collections by subject. Main subjects are given a three-digit number: 200, 300, etc., and then further broken down into sub-categories: 220, 230, 240, etc. Subdivisions of the sub-categories are shown by numbers after a decimal point: 220.550, 350.90, etc.

Following is a list of the subjects and some of the subdivisions used in the Dewey Decimal System. Click on a main subject for its sub-categories:

000 Generalities

100 Philosophy

200 Religion

300 Social Sciences

400 Language

500 Natural Sciences & Mathematics

600 Technology (Applied Sciences)

700 The Arts (Fine and Decorative)

800 Literature & Rhetoric

900 Geography & History

000 Generalities

010 Bibliography

020 Library and Information Sciences

030 General Encyclopedic Works

040 Not assigned

050 General Serial Publications

060 General Organizations & Museology

070 News Media, Journalism, Publishing

080 General Collections

090 Manuscripts & Rare Books

100 Philosophy

110 Metaphysics

120 Epistemology, causation, humankind

130 Paranormal Phenomena

140 Specific Philosophical Schools

150 Psychology

160 Logic

170 Ethics (Moral Philosophy)

180 Ancient, Medieval, Oriental Philosophy

190 Modern Western Philosophy

200 Religion

210 Philosophy & Theory of Religion

220 Bible

230 Christian Theology

240 Christian Moral & Devotional Theology

250 Christian Orders & Local Church

260 Social & Ecclesiastical Theology

270 History of Christianity & Christian Church

280 Christian Denominations & Sects

290 Comparative Religion & Other Religion

300 Social Sciences

310 Collections of General Statistics

320 Political Science

330 Economics

340 Law

350 Public Administration & Military Science

360 Social Problems & Services

370 Education

380 Commerce, Communication, Transportation

390 Customs, Etiquette, Folklore

400 Languages

410 Linguistics

420 English & Old English

430 Germanic Languages German

440 Romance Languages French

450 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic

460 Spanish & Portuguese Languages

470 Italic Languages Latin

480 Hellenic Languages Classical Greek

490 Other Languages

500 Natural Sciences & Mathematics

510 Mathematics

520 Astronomy & Allied Sciences

530 Physics

540 Chemistry & Allied Sciences

550 Earth Sciences

560 Paleontology Paleozoology

570 Life Sciences Biology

580 Plants

590 Animals

600 Technology (Applied Sciences)

610 Medical Sciences Medicine

620 Engineering & Allied Operations

630 Agriculture & Related Technology

640 Home Economics & Family Living

650 Management & Auxiliary Services

660 Chemical Engineering

670 Manufacturing

680 Manufacture for Specific Uses

690 Buildings

700 The Arts (Fine & Decorative)

710 Civic & Landscape Art

720 Architecture

730 Plastic Arts Sculpture

740 Drawing & Decorative Arts

750 Painting and Paintings

760 Graphic Arts Printmaking

770 Photography & Photographs

780 Music

790 Recreational & Performing Arts

800 Literature & Rhetoric

810 American Literature in English

820 English & Old English Literatures

830 Literatures of Germanic Languages

840 Literatures of Romance Languages

850 Italian, Romanian, Phaeto-Romanic

860 Spanish & Portuguese Literatures

870 Italic Literatures Latin

880 Hellenic Literature Classical Greek

890 Literatures of Other Languages

900 Geography & History

910 Geography & Travel

920 Biography, Genealogy, Insignia

930 History of Ancient World to ca. 499

940 General History of Europe

950 General History of Asia

960 General History of Africa

970 General History of North America

980 General History of South America

990 General History of Other Areas

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