Dewey's
Decimal
Did It!

He was born Melville Louis Kossouth Dewey, in Adams Center, New York on December 10, 1851. But, most students, teachers and librarians know him as Melvil Dewey--the man who invented a method of classifying knowledge for the purpose of cataloging books and other library materials.

Childhood and College

Melvil Dewey proved to be a remarkable person, even at an early age. He learned how to make shoes and boots by hand from his father when he was very young. Dewey could solve math problems in his head faster than most could solve them on paper. And, he passed the teachers exam at age 17.

Dewey, an avid reader and efficiency fanatic, invented the Dewey Decimal Classification System at age 21 to locate and find books in the library. He created the Dewey Classification System while still attending Amhearst College in New York.

The Spread of the Dewey System

From Amhearst College, Dewey went to Columbia College (later univeristy) and also instituted his book classification system there. From 1883 to 1888, Dewey was head librarian at Columbia College, where he also set up the first institution to train librarians. He was founder of the "Library Journal" and "Library Notes" periodicals. And, he was one of the founders of the American Library Association.

Dewey was proud of the college for librarian studies that he founded at Columbia College (The School for Library Economy). He wrote about the beginning classes in March 1887--published in "Library Notes." He also wrote about the libraries and what he called the "Library Age." Dewey said the "Library Age" would become known as the period in which he and his comtemporaries lived.

In 1893 he and his second wife, Emily Beal, created the Lake Placid (New York) Club, which pioneered recreational winter sports. Finally, in the 1920's Dewey moved from New York to Florida due to health problems and died December 26, 1931. Dewey will be remembered for having contributed more than any other single American to the development of library science in the United States.

 For more on the DDC, click on an underlined link below!