Although a debate about the origins of the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme has been going on for generations, historical consensus remains elusive. This paper contributes new information to the historiography on the origins of the scheme: (1) by grounding an account of Melvil Dewey's thinking as he was crafting the Decimal Classification on an analysis of a larger body of sources than previous classification historians have consulted; and (2) by expanding and deepening historical understanding of the contextual forces influencing his decisions on the classification structure.
BT - Libraries & Culture IS - 2 LA - English N2 -Although a debate about the origins of the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme has been going on for generations, historical consensus remains elusive. This paper contributes new information to the historiography on the origins of the scheme: (1) by grounding an account of Melvil Dewey's thinking as he was crafting the Decimal Classification on an analysis of a larger body of sources than previous classification historians have consulted; and (2) by expanding and deepening historical understanding of the contextual forces influencing his decisions on the classification structure.
PY - 1998 SP - 175 EP - 194 T2 - Libraries & Culture TI - The Amherst Method: The Origins of the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme VL - 33 ER -