"Do the Dewey"

Yes, the internet is a wonderful place, but as genealogists we often find ourselves in the library. So to help us navigate the library shelves, let's "Do the Dewey". The Dewey Decimal Classification (or System) is a proprietary system of library classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876. If you need to know more about the Dewey Decimal System visit Wikipedia - Dewey Decimal Classification. The following information will be of benefit to the genealogist or family historian as they work in the library.

States are classified into one of six regions. Washington State is within the Pacific States Region 979. Each state has its own individual number, Washington's is 979.7. There is the further classification of each state's counties, King is 979.777 and Pierce is 979.778.

In this article, I have included the Dewey Decimel numbers for the states by region, Washington and its counties, the states in alphabetical order, and some of the subject areas of interest to genealogists. Knowing these numbers will make it easier for genealogists to browse the shelves when they are in the library.

States by Region:

North eastern states - 974
South eastern states - 975
South central states - 976
North central states - 977
Western states - 978
Pacific states - 979

Washington 979.7 and Counties:

Adams - 979.734
Asotin - 979.742
Benton - 979.751
Chelan - 979.759
Clallam - 979.799
Clark - 979.786
Columbia - 979.746
Cowlitz - 979.788
Douglas - 979.731
Ferry - 979.725
Franklin - 979.733
Garfield - 979.744
Grant - 979.732
Grays Harbor - 979.795
Island - 979.775
Jefferson - 979.798
King - 979.777
Kitsap - 979.776
Kittitas - 979.757
Klickitat - 979.753
Lewis - 979.782
Lincoln - 979.735
Mason - 979.797
Okanogan - 979.728
Olympic - 979.794
Pacific - 979.792
Pend Oreille - 979.721
Pierce - 979.778
San Juan - 979.774
Skagit - 979.772
Skamania - 979.784
Snohomish - 979.771
Spokane - 979.737
Stevens - 979.723
Thurston - 979.779
Wahkiakum - 979.791
Walla Walla - 979.748
Whatcom - 979.773
Whitman - 979.739
Yakima - 979.755

Alphabetical Lists of States:

Alabama - 976.1
Alaska - 979.8
Arizona - 979.1
Arkansas - 976.7
California - 979.4
Colorado - 978.8
Connecticut - 974.6
Delaware - 975.1
District of Columbia - 975.3
Florida - 975.9
Georgia - 975.8
Hawaii - 996.9
Idaho - 979.6
Illinois - 977.3
Indiana - 977.2
Iowa - 977.7
Kansas - 978.1
Kentucky - 976.9
Louisiana - 976.3
Maine - 974.1
Maryland - 975.2
Massachusetts - 974.4
Michigan - 977.4
Minnesota - 977.6
Mississippi - 976.2
Missouri - 977.8
Montana - 978.6
Nebraska - 978.2
Nevada - 979.3
New Hampshire - 974.2
New Jersey - 974.9
New Mexico - 978.9
New York - 974.7
North Carolina - 975.6
North Dakota - 978.4
Ohio - 977.1
Oklahoma - 976.6
Oregon - 979.5
Pennsylvania - 974.8
Rhode Island - 974.5
South Carolina - 975.7
South Dakota - 978.3
Tennessee - 976.8
Texas - 976.4
U.S. - 973
Utah - 979.2
Vermont - 974.3
Virginia - 975.5
Washington - 979.7
West Virginia - 975.4
Wisconsin - 977.5
Wyoming - 978.7

An alphabetical listing of counties and their Dewey Decimal numbers by state can be found in the Guides and Finding Aids of the St. Louis County Library.

Subjects of Interest to Genealogists:

Biography (life story) - 920
Bibliography (list of sources) - 016.x
Canada - 971.x
Colonial 1607-1775 - 973.2
Constitutional 1789-1809 - 973.4
Europe - 94x.
Family history/Genealogy - 929.2
Heraldry - 929.x
Some county records - 929.3
Church histories - 28x.
U.S. History, by date - 973.x
Revolution - 973.3
Civil War - 973.7

Links In This Article:
Wikipedia - Dewey Decimal Classification
Guides and Finding Aids
St. Louis County Library