Library Classification

The Temple library is organized according to Weine classification, an adaption of the Dewey Decimal scheme modified for Jewish libraries.  The main categories are:

Note: In addition there are several major sections outside the above number sequence:

Using the online catalog is the best way to find what we own and where it will be located, but you may find items by browsing the collection by subject categories.   Shelf labels will help you locate relevant sections.  

000 Generalities – Includes general reference works such as encyclopedias and dictionaries.  Note however that works about specific subjects  – Judiasm, Jewish-American history, Music ... – will be found within those sections.

100 Philosophy & Psychology  Works by and about Jewish philosophers (Philo, Maimonides, Buber) will be found under 259.
  130 Mental health (incl. self-esteem, interpersonal relations & suffering)
  150 Middot (character traits)
  170 Ethics (Mussar).   

200 Religion
   220 Bible
   231 Talmud
   240 Festivals
   246 Observances
   250 Judaism –  Religious history, concepts, and liturgy.  One of the major parts of the collection
   276 Reform Judaism

300 Sociology – Relations between Jews and other groups, between individuals and community, status of women, men, children, parents and families, as well as social issues, plus economics, international relations, folklore and costume.
   304.1 Women in Judaism
   361 Social Problems (e.g.,disabilities, poverty and homelessness, old age)
   364  Crime

400 Language – Primarily dictionaries and readers for Hebrew and Yiddish.
   460 Ladino
   470 Hebrew
   480 Yiddish

500 Pure Sciences – Includes ethnology, genetics and ecology. 

600 Applied Sciences – Jewish aspects of medicine and health, homemaking, cooking, calligraphy and printing
   641 Cookbooks

700 Arts & Recreation – Art and religion, architecture, ceremonial art, music, theater, film and sports
   780 Music

800 Literature –  literary collections and critical analysis.  Works by individual authors are shelved in Lit

900 History  – By time period and then geography.  
    929  Genealogy
    940.4 Holocaust 
    946 Spain and Portugal (i.e. Sephardim)
    947 Eastern Europe (incl. Pale of Settlement, Russia, Poland ..)
    950 Israel
    959 Jews in the Middle East (i.e. Mizrahi Jews)
    973 United States
      979.4 California