How to Organize Books in a Library

How to Organize Books in a Public Library

Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme

Domains of Knowledge

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC 23) divides domains of knowledge into ten main categories, as follows:

000 – 099: Computer Science, Information, and Public Works.
100 – 199: Philosophy and Psychology.
200 – 299: Religion.
300 – 399: Social Sciences.
400 – 499: Language.
500 – 599: Science.
600 – 699: Technology.
700 – 799: Arts and Entertainment.
800 – 899: Literature.
900 – 999: History and Geography.

Non-fiction books

Non-fiction books are arranged on shelves from left to right, and from top to bottom, as follows:

Numeric: According to the Dewey Decimal Classification based on the category number.

Alphabetically: By title, if it is in the same category, and the author number.

Fiction books

Fiction books or novels do not have classification numbers, as they are arranged alphabetically on the shelves, based on the author numbers.

Location codes There are 12 library location codes, where each code represents a distinct physical location, as follows:

• LIB: Main Library Collection.
• RLC: Reading List Collection
• REF: Reference Section.
• PER: Periodicals Display Shelves.
• CAR: Careers Section.
• CR: Corporate Reports.
• FIC: Fiction Section.
• CAS: Case Study Section.
• STA: Personnel Section.
• ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning.
• LAN: Language Management Section.
• RES: Research Management Section.

Subject Codes

The items within the sections are arranged according to the London Business School classification system, where each subject is given a code, and this code is printed on the books, and the main sections are as follows:

• A: Management.
• AD: Corporate Strategy.
• A: Organization.
• B: Marketing.
• BZ: Physical Distribution Management.
• C: Production and Operations.
• D: Research and Development.
• E: Finance and Accounting.
• EE: Financial Management and Corporate Finance.
• EL: Accounting.
• F: Personnel Management.
• G: Industrial Relations.
• J: Economics.
• JQ: International Economics.
• K: Industries.
• L: Behavioural Sciences, including Organisational Behaviour.
• M: Communications including Languages.
• P: Law.
• Q: Politics.
• S: Management Science.
• T: Operational Research.
• U: Statistics.
• V: Mathematics.
• W: Computers, Information Technology.
• Y: Information Science.

Note: When arranging books in the library, it is important to know the number of books that will be placed in the library at the present time, and to estimate the size of the increase, and expand it later.

How to arrange books

In the home library, there are several ways to arrange books in the home library, which are as follows:

Based on color

Books are arranged based on color, as the appearance of the library becomes beautiful and bright, but it is not a practical method, and can be followed when the collection of books is small.

Alphabetically

Books are sorted according to the name of the book, or the name of the author, and is a more logical method than colors.

Based on the subject of the book

In this method, books are divided into groups according to the subjects of the books, such as: gardening, cooking, and science fiction.

Based on the size of the book

Shelves are determined according to the size of the books that can accommodate them, so the longer books can be placed on the long shelves, and the shorter ones on the shorter shelves.