The Efficient, Inventive (Often Annoying) Melvil Dewey

By Alexis O'Neill, Edwin Fotheringham (Illustrator)

Discover how one man's quest for order revolutionized libraries forever.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·3.8/5 Goodreads · 189 ratings

40 pages· 1,240 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Meet Melvil Dewey, a man driven by a passion for order and words. Faced with chaotic library systems, he envisioned a universal method to organize books, birthing the Dewey Decimal System. As a fervent advocate for public libraries, Dewey's relentless push for change, including the controversial inclusion of women in library schools, made him both a pioneer and a polarizing figure. His innovative yet often irritating persistence reshaped libraries, leaving a legacy that endures today. How did Dewey's vision overcome resistance to transform the world of books?

"To my thinking, a great librarian must have a clear head, a strong hand, and, above all, a great heart . . . and when I look into the future, I am inclined to think that most of the men who achieve this greatness will be women."

— from the book

From the publisher

Melvil Dewey’s love of organization and words drove him to develop and implement his Dewey Decimal system, leaving a significant and lasting impact in libraries across the country. When Melvil Dewey realized every library organized their books differently, he wondered if he could invent a system all libraries could use to organize them efficiently. A rat-a-tat speaker, Melvil was a persistent (and noisy) advocate for free public libraries. And while he made enemies along the way as he pushed for changes–like his battle to establish the first library school with women as students, through it all he was EFFICIENT, INVENTIVE, and often ANNOYING as he made big changes in the world of public libraries–changes still found in the libraries of today!

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