Building Your Personal Library

If you are a book lover, you know how difficult it is to resist the temptation of buying new books. Even more difficult is to get rid of the books when you are done reading them. If you are like me, you want to preserve all books in an orderly fashion so that you have easy access to them whenever you (or anybody else) needs to access them. Today’s tips cover the topic on how to make a book library of your own with a call number which is like any other library.

First rule: Your collection should be reasonable and not be as big as a university library. Second rule: Your collection should be wide and not specialized. So what this means that if you’re an IT pro and there are only IT books in your bookshelf, then probably this is not best classification system for you.


Assuming that both the above mentioned rules are followed,we begin with building our library.

What you need is
1. Pair of scissors
2. Adhesive tape
3. White paper


The above materials are needed to create the spine labels which you often find on the spinal column of the books in library. You are welcome to buy ready made spine labels from stationary shops.

Creating the label: Cut out thin strips of rectangular pieces of paper( 1cm width and 4 cm length)

Now write the numbers (see tables below) and write them on the labels and paste them on the spine of the book. Arrange all your books by increasing order of number.

Classification : Now the main classification system, since the books are yours, it is assumed that you have read them and know the subject content. Classify them according to the following table

000 Computers, information & general works
100 Philosophy & psychology
200 Religion & philosophy of religion
300 Social sciences
400 Language
500 Science
600 Technology
700 Arts & recreation
800 Literature
900 History & geography

Within the main classes there will be further smaller divisions which could be looked up clicking on the individual classes. For example a book on World history could be given a number like 909 and a book on costume and personal appearance will find its number in 390. Of course your collection may be a little more specialized and you may have to go further in the numbers. If you need help with that please send me a personal email at infocounselor@gmail.com

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Class 000 is the most general class, and is used for works not limited to any one specific discipline, e.g., encyclopedias, newspapers, general periodicals. This class is also used for certain specialized disciplines that deal with knowledge and information, e.g., computer science, library and information science, journalism. Each of the other main classes (100–900) comprises a major discipline or group of related disciplines.


000 Generalities
001 Knowledge
002 The book
003 Systems
004 Data processing Computer science
005 Computer programming, programs, data
006 Special computer methods
010 – 019 Bibliography
020 – 029 Library & information sciences
030 - 039 General encyclopedic works by language or nationality
040 -- 049 Not assigned or no longer used
050 – 059 General serials & their indexes by language or nationality
060 – 069 General organization & Museology by nationality
070 - 079 News media, journalism, publishing by nationality
080 - 089 General collections
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Class 100 Philosophy & psychology
100 – 109 Philosophy & psychology
110 – 119 Metaphysics, Ontology, Cosmology (Philosophy of nature)
120 – 129 Epistemology, causation, humankind
130 – 139 Paranormal phenomena, Occult, Parapsychology
140 – 149 Specific philosophical schools
150 – 159 Psychology
160 – 169 Logic, Induction, Deduction
170 – 179 Ethics (Moral philosophy)
180 – 189 Ancient, medieval, Oriental philosophy
190 - 199 Modern Western philosophy
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Class 200 Religion and philosophy of religion
Both deal with the ultimate nature of existence and relationships, but religion treats these topics within the context of revelation, deity, and worship.
200 Religion
201 - 209 Christianity
210 - 219 Natural theology, Concepts of God, Creation
220 – 229 Bible
221 Old Testament
230 – 239 Christian theology, God
240 - 249 Christian moral & devotional theology
250 – 259 Christian orders & local church
260 – 269 Christian social theology
270 – 279 Christian church history
280 – 289 Christian denominations & sects
290 Other & comparative religions
291 Comparative religion
292 Classical (Greek & Roman) religion
293 Germanic religion
294 Religions of Indic origin
295 Zoroastrianism (Mazdaism, Parseeism)
296 Judaism
297 Islam & religions originating in it
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Class 300 Social sciences

Includes sociology, anthropology, statistics, political science, economics, law, public administration, social problems and services, education, commerce, communications, transportation, and customs.

300 Social sciences, Sociology & anthropology 310 – 319 General statistics
320 – 329 Political science
330 – 339 Economics
340 – 349 Law
350 – 359 Public administration
360 – 369 Social services; association
370 – 379 Education
380 – 389 Commerce, communications, transport
390 Customs, etiquette, folklore, Costume & personal appearance
392 Customs of life cycle & domestic life
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Class 400 Language, linguistics, and specific languages
Literature, which is arranged by language, is found in 800.

400 – 409 Language, Dictionaries & encyclopedias
410 – 419 Linguistics, Writing systems, Etymology
420 English & Old English
421- 429 English writing system & phonology
430 – 439 Germanic languages German
440 – 449 Romance languages French
450 - 459 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romantic
460 – 469 Spanish & Portugese languages
470 – 479 Italic Latin
480 – 489 Hellenic languages Classical Greek
490 Other languages, Celtic languages, Afro-Asiatic languages Semitic,
Ural-Altaic, Paleosiberian, Dravidian
499 Miscellaneous languages
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Class 500 Natural sciences and mathematics

The natural sciences describe and attempt to explain the world in which we live.

500 Natural sciences & mathematics
501- 509 Philosophy & theory of science
510 Mathematics
520 – 529 Astronomy & allied sciences
530 – 539 Physics, Light, heat, electricity
540 – 549 Chemistry & allied sciences
550 – 559 Earth sciences
560 – 569 Paleontology Paleozoology
570 – 579 Life sciences, anthropology, biology, genetics
580 – 589 Botanical sciences, Botany, Spermatophyta (Seed-bearing plants)
590 – 599 Zoological sciences
591 Zoology
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Class 600 Technology
Technology consists of utilizing the sciences to harness the natural world and its resources for the benefit of humankind.
600 Technology (Applied sciences)
601- 619 Medical sciences Medicine
620 – 629 Engineering & allied operations
630 – 639 Agriculture
640 – 649 Home economics & family living, Food & drink, Child rearing & home care of sick
650 – 659 Management & auxiliary services
660 – 669 Chemical engineering, Explosives, fuels technology, food technology, cleaning technology
670 Manufacturing
671 Metalworking & metal products
672 Iron, steel, other iron alloys
673 Nonferrous metals
674 Lumber processing, wood products, cork
675 Leather & fur processing
676 Pulp & paper technology
677 Textiles
678 Elastomers & elastomer products
679 Other products of specific materials
680 Manufacture for specific uses
681 Precision instruments & other devices
682 Small forge work (Blacksmithing)
683 Hardware & household appliances
684 Furnishings & home workshops
685 Leather, fur, related products
686 Printing & related activities
687 Clothing
690 Buildings
691 Building materials
692 Auxiliary construction practices
693 Specific materials & purposes
694 Wood construction Carpentry
695 Roof covering
696 Utilities
697 Heating, ventilating, air-conditioning
698 Detail finishing
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Class 700 The arts and recreation

701 Philosophy & theory
702 Miscellany
703 Dictionaries & encyclopedias
704 Special topics
705 Serial publications
706 Organizations & management
707 Education, research, related topics
708 Galleries, museums, private collections
709 Historical, areas, persons treatment
710 Civic & landscape art
711 Area planning (Civic art)
712 Landscape architecture
713 Landscape architecture of trafficways
714 Water features
715 Woody plants
716 Herbaceous plants
717 Structures
718 Landscape design of cemeteries
719 Natural landscapes
720-9 Architecture
730-9 Plastic arts Sculpture

739 Art metalwork
740 Drawing & decorative arts
741 Drawing & drawings
742 Perspective
743 Drawing & drawings by subject
745 Decorative arts
746 Textile arts
747 Interior decoration
748 Glass
749 Furniture & accessories
750-9 Painting & paintings
751 Techniques, equipment
760 Graphic arts Printmaking & prints
761 Relief processes (Block printing)
763 Lithographic (Planographic) processes
764 Chromolithography & serigraphy
765 Metal engraving
766 Mezzotinting & related processes
767 Etching & drypoint
768 Not assigned or no longer used
769 Prints
770 Photography & photographs
771 Techniques, equipment, materials
772 Metallic salt processes
773 Pigment processes of printing
774 Holography
778 Fields & kinds of photography
779 Photographs
780 Music
781 General principles & musical forms
782 Vocal music
783 Music for single voices The voice
784 Instruments & Instrumental ensembles
785 Chamber music
786 Keyboard & other instruments
787 Stringed instruments (Chordophones)
788 Wind instruments (Aerophones)
790 Recreational & performing arts
791 Public performances
792 Stage presentations
793 Indoor games & amusements
794 Indoor games of skill
795 Games of chance
796 Athletic & outdoor sports & games
797 Aquatic & air sports
798 Equestrian sports & animal racing
799 Fishing, hunting, shooting
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Class 800 Literature, and Rhetoric
Includes prose, poetry, drama, etc.
Folk literature is classed with customs in 300.
801- 809 Philosophy & theory
810 – 819 American literature in English
820 – 829 English & Old English literatures
830 – 839 Literatures of Germanic languages
840 - 349 Literatures of Romance languages
850 – 859 Italian, Romanian, Rhaeto-Romanic
860 – 869 Spanish & Portuguese literatures
870 – 879 Italic literatures Latin
880 – 889 Hellenic literatures Classical Greek
890 – 899 Literatures of other languages
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Class 900 Geography & History
When a work is a story of events that have transpired or an account of existing conditions in a particular place or region, it is classed in 900. A history of a specific subject is classed with the subject.

901 - 908 Philosophy & theory
909 World history
910 -919 Geography & travel, Historical geography
920 – 929 Biography, genealogy, insignia
930 – 939 History of ancient world
940 - 949 General history of Europe
950 – 950 General history of Asia Far East
960 – 969 General history of Africa
970 – 979 General history of North America
990 - 998 General history of other areas
999 Extraterrestrial worlds
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