Fiction in the DDC

A user recently asked how the DDC handles fiction vs. nonfiction. It’s common in the library world to think of this basic division between creative and informative works, and to see them physically separated in libraries.

So how does the DDC handle fiction? There isn’t a strict fiction/nonfiction divide, though there are a few areas where fictional works are most likely to go. The biggest of these is the 800s, the main class for literature. Other areas include folklore (398), graphic novels (741.5), movies (791.43), TV (791.45), and video games (794.8).

In some cases, the fiction/nonfiction split is more defined than others. For example, 791.43 is about movies as a whole—Hollywood business, making movies, distribution, etc.—while the films themselves go at 791.437. In the 800s, there’s specific notation for literature itself and works that analyze or criticize literature, though there’s a mix. If you went down a shelf, for example, you might see criticism of English literature, followed by French literature, followed by criticism of French literature.

Many public libraries especially will organize their contemporary fiction collections by author name, title, genre, etc., rather than a formal classification system like the DDC. There’s still a correct DDC number for any John Grisham novel, for example, but many libraries may choose not to use it. Others may place some fictional works in the Dewey schedules, such as Shakespeare’s plays, but not more current publications. A library using a system like this may well first ask whether a work is fiction or nonfiction before deciding how to classify it.

Finally, be aware that if you see the word “fiction” in the DDC, it usually has a more specific meaning. In Table 3, for example, fiction is listed as one of several literary forms:

In this case, fiction means forms such as novels and short stories. Other literary forms, such as drama and poetry, may tell fictional stories, but are not considered fiction for classification purposes.

Comments

[Susan]

Do you think the fact that most libraries choose not to use DDC for their fiction collections indicates that the 800s are not fit for purpose, and therefore needs a major overhaul such as classifying by genre?

[Alex]

That's a very good question, Susan! I think it's at least worth discussing. I'd certainly want to know if libraries would be interested in such a solution, or if the status quo works from them.

I know from when I proposed genre-based classification for video games that classifying by genre can sometimes be very difficult. Even once you've decided on the group of genres you'd want to use (e.g., mystery vs. thriller; sci-fi vs. fantasy), you'd need to design a system such that most librarians would agree that this book belongs in this genre.

I'd love to hear more from librarians on how the current setup does or doesn't work for them.