What are your favorite tricks for decoding built numbers using Webdewey? My favorite involves a shorthand that I use to keep track of how a number is built. Let’s say I am checking the number 155.418232. I copy and paste the number into the Browse Dewey Numbers (with Captions) box and get these results:
155.4182 Individual psychology
155.418232 No partial match, see nearby terms
155.41824 Adaptability--psychology--children, . . .
155.41825 Character development--psychology--children, . . .
Since I did not find the number, I copy and paste it into the Work Area, then insert a plus sign at the point where I believe that the number-building begins (right after the nearest- match number): 155.4182+32. Then I look at the nearest-match record: 155.4182 Individual psychology. In the upward hierarchy I see that the number is a subdivision of 155.4 Child psychology. In the Notes field I find the add instruction: “Add to base number 155.4182 the numbers following 155.2 in 155.22-155.28, e.g., moral development 155.41825, personality tests for children 155.41828.” I copy the “numbers following” number (155.2) into the Work Area after the plus sign, placing brackets around those digits so that I will remember that they are not part of the built number: 155.4182+[155.2]32. I can now see clearly that the final 32 comes from 155.232. I browse Dewey numbers with captions for 155.232 and find 155.232 Traits, which has “introversion” in the including note. The built number 155.418232 Traits in child psychology has recently been mapped to the LCSH “Introversion in children.”
Winton has recently explained some built music numbers. Here with links to his explanations are the numbers plus the shorthand that appears in the Work Area if I analyze the numbers. Since 1 is used as a facet indicator in the 780s, the plus sign often comes before a 1. The 1s and 19s in these numbers come from add tables.
784.22184 Symphonies for orchestra with vocal parts
784.22+1+[784.1]84
785.68196 Percussion ensembles for six players
785.68+19+[785.1]6
784.713857198 Arrangements for string orchestra of music for string ensembles for eight players
784.7+1+[781]38+[78]57+19+[785.1]8
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