Dewey vs. Library of Congress

Elementary school seems like so long ago. But I still remember our librarian explaining to us the Dewey Decimal System which we would be using to find library books. Now that I am in college, it is time to convert to the Library of Congress Classification System, unless I am planning on reading a Junie B. Jones book (which I would greatly enjoy).

There are some major differences between these two systems, and each one has pros and cons. The Library of Congress Classification is definitely much more extensive, and has twenty six different categories with subheadings under each. In contrast, the Dewey Decimal system has ten categories with a much broader range of options. The Library of Congress Classification has much more material to be classified, but it can also be confusing and misleading. For instance, under the language and literature sections you may find various journals written over literature, and then mixed in with it you may find a fictional book. It can also be misleading because of the way subjects are classified. They use the alphabet as a numbering tool, but only a few of the letters actually match the heading they are paired with. This can be confusing because they are user intuitive. The Library of Congress Classification can be a bit confusing when you first start using it. Get a look at it for yourself! http://education-portal.com/articles/Dewey_Decimal_System_vs_Library_of_Congress_Whats_the_Difference.html