The Historical Development of The Dewey Decimal Classification System
Comaromi, John P.
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/1778
Description
- Title
- The Historical Development of The Dewey Decimal Classification System
- Author(s)
- Comaromi, John P.
- Issue Date
- 1975
- Keyword(s)
- Classification, Dewey decimal
- Classification
- Date of Ingest
- 2007-08-02T19:18:09Z
- Abstract
- "Melvil Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 on the tenthday of the tenth month.* To this fact I attribute the reason why Deweyconceived his idea of using Arabic numerals decimally to mark the subjects ofbooks. I call this, happily, the ""birthday theory."" At this early hour you maynot embrace this theory. Perhaps you will find more to your liking the""digital-clock-on-the-bar theory."" Parched by a long prayer meeting, Deweyrepaired to a local tavern to restore his depleted spirits. While staring over hisbeer at the digital clock on the bar, he conceived his decimal plan.Fortunately, he had stared at the clock after one o'clock, but before ten, andwhen the hour did not change. This theory has two known flaws: Dewey didnot drink, and digital clocks were not then found on bars or anywhere. Isense your reluctance to embrace this theory as well. Nevertheless, there areonly two or three views regarding Dewey's conception that are better than the""birthday theory"" or the ""digital-clock-on-the-bar theory."" None has beenproposed that is worse, however, so I withdraw both."
- Publisher
- Graduate School of Library Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Series/Report Name or Number
- Allerton Park Institute (21st : 1975)
- ISSN
- 0536-4604
- Type of Resource
- text
- Genre of Resource
- Conference Paper / Presentation
- Language
- en
- Permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1778
- Copyright and License Information
- Copyright owned by Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1975.