Non-fiction books in the Somerville Library are shelved on the middle floor. We use the Dewey Decimal System to organise them. This classification system arranges books by subject. Each book is given a shelfmark, or class number, which is displayed on the spine of the book. The books are shelved in numerical order. This makes it easy to find the book you need.
The first three digits indicate the general subject area. The digits after the decimal point indicate the subsection. This helps you find books on specific subjects.
Every subject falls into one of the ten broad categories:
000 General Information
100 Philosophy, Ethics and related disciplines
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Language
500 Pure Sciences
600 Technology and Applied Sciences
700 The Arts and Sport
800 Literature
900 Geography and History
These are divided into subcategories so that the classification becomes more specific. For example, 940 is General European History, 942 is British History, 942.08 is Victorian History and 942.085 is the Suffragette Movement.
Use the Library Catalogue to search for books. This will give you the class numbers for non-fiction items. Ask the Librarians if you need help.
Want to know more? Our Librarians recommended Newcastle University Library’s introduction to the Dewey Decimal System.