Disadvantages of the Dewey Decimal System

Avid Readers Don’t Need It




The influence of leisure materials into libraries in contemporary society is one that may have Melvil Dewey cringe a bit. I would be the first to admit that although I love the organizational method and hierarchical structure of the DDC, it can hamstring a patron who is simply visiting the library to check out their favorite series of books quickly and efficiently. In reference to this dilemma of leisure readers Pruitt-Annisette (2007) denotes, “Avid readers in the public library setting who wish only to read best-sellers or the latest gardening books do not need Dewey to find these items. Display cases and book carts meet the needs of these patrons” (p.13). Because there are a significant amount of library patrons who are not deeply involved in academic research regardless of level, the hierarchy of the DDC does not apply to their experience. Of course the importance of the DDC at academic institutions trumps the need to cater to avid readers, but with more libraries opening in local neighborhoods and towns the movement towards more user friendly methods of organization is becoming more popular.



The Numbers Are Scary




Whether it is lack of education or simply being overwhelmed, the Dewey Decimal System loses users and patrons because of the removal of a linear relationship between book and classification marker. What I mean by this is that there is simply no relationship between the number 100 and Philosophy and Psychology to the average library visitor. Again, Dewey developed his system at a university and for the purpose of organizing a collection so that academic research could be conducted in as an efficient manner as possible. The confusion over the number system developed by Dewey is highlighted by Fister (2009) when she recalls, “‘I heard over and over ‘those numbers scare me’, ‘I don’t understand them’, ‘they make me feel stupid’” (p. 22). To go through an intricate set of numbers that have no correlation or relevance to the subject matter seems, is an exercise in futility to a patron who is simply looking for a good read. The popularity of book stores that are inviting their visitors to relax and embraces walking around and browsing for fun and not function, underlines the distinct difference in this type of reader to that of an academic researcher.