GEN-EDITOR-L Archives

From: Marilyn Bridge Brown <>
Subject: Dewey Decimal System
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 21:09:52 -0500

When I took over and reorganized the genealogy room in our public
library, I had the choice of using the dewey decimal system, or grouping
books alphabetical by state, then within each state alphabetical by
county, etc. I chose the dewey decimal system and wish now I hadn't.
Patrons who aren't well acquainted with the dewey decimal system have
trouble understanding why Virginia is before Kentucky, etc. And even I
have trouble shelving individual county records within a state when the
counties aren't alphabetical.

The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Rudisill
Library in Tulsa, OK, are two major genealogy libraries that use a
straight alphabetical shelving system, so it is acceptible to do so. If
I were starting over, I'd keep the geneal reference books in 929.1; the
family histories in 929.2; some of the national and military histories
in 976.- ; but I'd put all the books relating to a specific state (then
county within a state) in a straight alphabetical shelving system,
whether they were marriages, obits, histories, or whatever.

-----Marilyn Bridge Brown, 627 Polk 412, Mena, Arkansas 71953
-----e-mail:
-----researching: BRIDGE, HARRINGTON, ETTER, FLETCHER, KUNKEL
-----editor/publisher: Fletcher Family Research Bulletin --
http://www.cswnet.com/~fletcher/
-----president and editor: Polk County Genealogical Society

This thread:

• Dewey Decimal System by Martha Kounse <>
  • Re: Dewey Decimal System by "Tracey & Scott Morris" <>
  • Re: Dewey Decimal System by Karen <>

  • Dewey Decimal System by Marilyn Bridge Brown <>