This is fascinating! The realization that Dewey showed favoritism in how he laid out his system is obvious, and yet, is something I would never have considered. I worked as a "library aide" back in high school--as many geeks do--so I have (had) a particular interest in the Dewey Decimal System. Even the name makes it sound like science versus one man's impression of what is important!
Yes, the history of Dewey and his system really is interesting! He based it on a combination of the numbering system used by the British Library and a system of knowledge developed by philosopher William Torrey Harris. We owe him a debt, even though there is always room for improvement.
This is fascinating! The realization that Dewey showed favoritism in how he laid out his system is obvious, and yet, is something I would never have considered. I worked as a "library aide" back in high school--as many geeks do--so I have (had) a particular interest in the Dewey Decimal System. Even the name makes it sound like science versus one man's impression of what is important!
Yes, the history of Dewey and his system really is interesting! He based it on a combination of the numbering system used by the British Library and a system of knowledge developed by philosopher William Torrey Harris. We owe him a debt, even though there is always room for improvement.