We’ve made a handy graphical way to see how your library matches up with Dewey®.

The Dewey Decimal System®, also called the Dewey Decimal Classification® (DDC)—called the “Melvil Decimal System” on LibraryThing for legal reasons—is the classification used by most public libraries, especially in the US. First developed in 1876, it divides the world into ten major categories 0-9. Each of these are further subdivided 0-9 again, twice, yielding a number between 000 and 999. Further division is accomplished by adding a decimal point (.) and adding more decimals. It’s imperfect, but it’s simple—and it’s everywhere.

• You can look at your own here: https://www.librarything.com/profile/MEMBERNAME/stats/ddc (if you’re signed in, “MEMBERNAME” will work to get you there)
• And explore mine here: https://www.librarything.com/profile/timspalding/stats/ddc
• You will also find that, if you post your page to Twitter or Facebook, it will post a full-sized graph–a hint of a feature that’s coming more generally soon.
• Explore the whole Melvil Decimal System on LibraryThing, including our Dewey-Emoji mashup, Dewmojis.
• Come Talk about it on talk, and help us improve it.

Here’s what it looks like on the top level. I have a lot of history and religion. True enough.

Here’s one level down. Did someone say “occult”?

Here’s what it looks like posted to Facebook:

“Dewey,” “Dewey Decimal,” “Dewey Decimal Classification” and “DDC” are registered trademarked of OCLC, an Ohio-based library cartel.