Gwinnett County Libraries Ditch Dewey Decimal System

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Gwinnett County libraries will reopen later this week after closing to ditch the Dewey Decimal system.

Gwinnett County libraries will re-open Thursday, after being closed all week to get rid of an aging organizational structure: the Dewey Decimal System.

The system has been around for more than a century and is usually the first lesson you learn on how to find a book in a library.

But Gwinnett 'slibraries are ditching Dewey in favor of a more modern system called BISAC. It’s like the ones bookstores use.

Books are organized first by category and subcategories if needed. Then, they’re organized alphabetically by author.

Charles Pace, director of Gwinnett’s libraries, said the change was made with the customer in mind.

“We feel that this system will be more intuitive, easier to use, and expedite finding things for our customers,” Pace said.  

All 15 of the county’s libraries are undergoing the change which Pace said is to bring them into the 21st century.

It also comes at no cost to the county or its citizens.