Classification in British Public Libraries: A Historical Perspective

The Dewey Decimal Classification has become almost universal in British public libraries. In the 1890s, however, most public libraries were arranged using a system of main classes. Gradually this system gave way to more systematic classification schemes, such as Quinn-Brown, Brown’s Adjustable, and others. This article examines the spread of these schemes, including the longest lived of the rivals to Dewey, Brown’s Subject Classification, which survived into the late 1960s and is still in use in a few local studies collections.