Working in the Library for close to 14 years now, I continue to be amazed at the folks that come back to the library after many years absence and say ” I used to know the Dewey Decimal system”
There are some school libraries that actually have kids memorize the classifications! How crazy is that! And they wonder why kids are turned off to libraries!
My response is usually “Well, Dewey didn’t go anywhere, he just had to adapt to the computer age by adding the 000’s computer/software/technology category”.
In my opinion, it STILL works, and it’s not a power trip kind of thing people are afraid to ask, like they should be embarrassed that they don’t KNOW where to find that book on the History of Salt. By all means, ask the librarian, but ask also if you can get a refresher course on how to use the new catalog (which has turned into the incriminating kiosk standing off by itself)
Nothing is an open field. Ask, learn, use the catalog and by all means, make lists.
The Dewey Decimal System was, and still is the best way of navigation through the stacks
Grafedie in the Library 