Dwarven Subject Headings

Organization of Dwarven Libraries

With a delicate hand, numbers are written on the spine of each tome in light-reflective ink, denoting where such a tome would go in this library. The Scholars of this place take this task most seriously, keeping their hands from shaking as they write tiny numbers and letters in the Dwarvish script, each a descriptor, a marker that has been developed over centuries to make the task of finding and reshelving easier. Without these markings, it could be almost impossible to find such a specific tome when the shelves in this library tower over Giants.
Once the ink has settled and dried, the tome will be returned to its new home, similar tomes scattered around it to make for easy perusing. While in many cases the Scholars would be the ones looking for specific books, this system allows anyone access to the libraries and the knowledge within. Unlike the other races of the world, Dwarves think that knowledge should be open and free to all, no matter their skill level, status in society, or upbringing. Books and knowledge mean forward growth, and so the library systems have grown from those thoughts.
Libraries within the Dwarven Kingdom utilize a system known as Dwarven Subject Headings, a system that grants each book and tome a letter and number designation that denotes where a book may be found on a shelf. The various letters refer to specific topics of interest while the numbers help to put books in order by authors and publication dates. A simple scroll waits at the entrance of every library explaining the letters and the system, allowing all who wish to find knowledge, whether fiction or non-fiction, can find it with as little difficulty as possible.

History

Dwarven libraries were not always so organized, often sorted by the whim of the current head Librarian or other Scholar who believed their organization would be useful for generations after themselves. This was often far from the case as once the original organizer left the library or passed, few could find or understand the organizational scheme and the reorganization of thousands of books would begin again. For most Scholars, a large majority of time was spent reorganizing shelves in order to find the books they needed for their research while not truly getting any research done.
At some point, a Scholar approached the King and proposed an organizational structure based on subject matter that would be used throughout the Dwarven Kingdom at all libraries, allowing all who entered any library to find what they were looking for due to the standardized structure. A committee was created to determine the subject headings and within a few years, the Dwarven Subject Headings were born. In modern times, other well-educated races have developed their own subject headings to aid in their libraries, often using the Dwarven Subject Headings as a beginning point.

Subject Headings

Letter Prefix	Subject
A	General Works
B	Philosophy & Religion
C	Auxiliary Sciences of History
D	History of the Northern Continent
E-F	History of the Southern Continent & Elsewhere
G	Geography & Anthropology
H	Social Sciences
J	Politics & Diplomacy
K	Law
L	Education
M	Music
N	Fine Arts
P	Language & Literature
Q	Science
R	Medicine
S	Agriculture
T	Technology
U	Military Science
V	Magic
Z	Bibliography & Information Resources