Kieran’s notes from the back room :
“Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.” If this isn’t enough instruction for you to operate a motor vehicle, you might try checking out the DVD, ‘Rules of the road’ (Dewey number 629.2 in the non-fiction DVD section). Or, if you take the saying on a more metaphysical level, while looking at your self in the mirror, you might need a few books from the philosophy section (Dewey Numbers 100-150). Of course it might be that you were looking in the mirror to fix your hair, shave, put on make-up, straighten your tie, in which case you might be interested in fashion (Dewey 391.2 & 646.4). Or perhaps the phonology of the phrase intrigues you, in which case the Dewey 800’s may be your source of excitement. Maybe it is the deceptiveness implied in the phrase the catches you, in which case magic tricks and deceiving the audience (that is now gathered around you) would appeal. Head to 793.8 for the secrets. Dewey numbers are like addresses for non-fiction books. At bookstores, the organization is by subject. In the Dewey Decimal System items are organized by disciplines or fields of study. The consequence of this is that there is likely to be no single place for a given subject. So you might ask, “Where is the fashion section?” And the answer might be, “Well, the psychology of fashion is in the 155’s, costume in 355, customs 391, manufacture of 687, sewing 646…” We truly are not trying to confuse you… it is a system of organization and once you get the hang of it, it works. And we can also help you find what you need (or help you find the computer catalog, which will find where we hid what you want). If you would like to see the four enormous books that explain the Dewey Decimal Classification System in more detail than you will ever want, come by the back room and give me the secret hand shake and all will be revealed.
