Melville Dewey
(1851-1931)

Melville Dewey was the creator of the Dewey Decimal System, which is still used in most school and public libraries across the country.  It is the most widely used classification system in the world. It organizes nonfiction books into 10 general subject areas.  Melville Dewey published the Dewey Decimal System in 1876.  He was a founding member of the American Library Association and founded the first library school at Columbia in 1887.

Here are some more links to learn more about the Dewey Decimal System:

http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/

http://mte.anacortes.k12.wa.us/library/dewey/deweystory.htm