Working with Dewey - 200s

Greetings!

This week we will tackle the 200s and do our best to get them in shape. For most of us this section – the Religion and Bible section – is plentiful. We are Christian schools and we have access to Christian materials and can freely add in this section.

Below this post is the Dewey section of the 200s. I keep in mind that I have an elementary school library and not a university library or a theology major’s library. I can probably not worry about 210, 230, or 250. So, starting with 200, in this number would go anything that doesn’t really fit in any of the other sections. This is a more generic section. It is very likely that you won’t use this number, so don’t worry about it.

On to the 220’s. In this section we have copies of The Holy Bible, and a set or two of The Bible Story books. You probably have at least one set of these blue books in your library and possibly even in your classroom libraries, too. Older people often cull their libraries and like to donate these to schools. We also put our ‘Bible Biographies’ here. The books that are written about Bible characters such as Ruth, Samuel, Esther, and so forth call ‘Bible Biographies’. We have quite a collection at our school and have actually divided them into Old Testament and New Testament characters. If you don’t have too many of these I recommend that you keep them all together.

Next would be the 240s. I see lots of devotional books in schools that I visit and here is the place they belong. Put them in 242 and they will look nice all together.

Mission books belong in the 260s – in 266 to be specific.

If you have any books on the history of the church or history of Christianity, put them in 270. Books about the Waldenses specifically go in 272.

Books about Seventh-day Adventists go in 286.7, and other Christian denominations would be in 280.

If you have books about other religions, put them in 290.

Now, what should you weed out? This might be tough for you, since we never want to throw away Christian books. It might appear as though we are throwing away Christianity! Well, don’t worry about it. You are putting your house in order.

So, how many Bibles do you have? How many do you need? Are any of the Bibles in bad condition? Missing pages? Marked up and difficult to read? Here is a place to start. How many sets of The Bible Story do you need? Most schools only need one set. Choose one that is complete and attractive and get rid of the others.

How many devotional books do you need? I have been in small schools that have so many devotional books that each student could have two or three. Look at them and choose the ones that are child-friendly. Any that are for adults can be donated to the church and let the adults take them and read them. (Don’t accept them back in a year or two!) In fact, take a look and take ALL the books that are on an adult level to the church. These are probably too difficult for the children to read or not interesting for them and they take up space on the shelf that is needed for other things.

What about our Ellen White books? We actually have a separate section for Ellen White’s books. Take a look at all of the ones you have. I would expect that you have multiple copies of many of her books. Pull out one good set of the Conflict of the Ages series, one set of the Testimonies, and one of any of the others that will actually be used in the curriculum. Send the rest to the church library or put them on a table for members to take. Just because she wrote it does not mean that it is meant for children. Keep what you NEED and donate what you don’t need.

Now look and see what the other books look like. Discard any that are too adult, have few pictures or illustrations and tiny print, are too old or beat up, or aren’t attractive.

I hope this is a great week for you.
Audrey

200s
200 Religion
210 Philosophy and theory of religion
212 Bible atlas
220 The Bible
220.92 Bible Biographies (or can separate OT 221.9’2 from NT 225.9’2)
221 The Shoebox Kids, Guide’s Greatest, etc
230 Christianity and Christian theology
240 Christian moral and devotional theology
242 Devotional Literature (or can separate Daily Devotionals 242.2)
248 Christian experience
250 Christian orders and local church (preaching, texts of sermons, pastoral work and office, parish administration, pastoral care of families and kinds of persons)
260 Social and ecclesiastical theology (sacraments, other rites, religious education, spiritual renewal, public worship, associations for religious work)
266 Mission Stories
270 History of Christianity and the Christian church
272 Waldenses
280 Christian denominations and sects; general Christianity
286.7 Seventh-day Adventist denomination
290 Other religions (Greek, Roman, Judaism, Islam, etc.)