When was the Dewey Decimal system created?

The Dewey Decimal System was created in the 1870s by Melvil Dewey, specifically in 1876. This system was designed to categorize books into specific classes and facilitate the organization and retrieval of library materials. It is based on a hierarchical structure, using three-digit numbers to represent broad categories and allowing for further subdivision into more specific topics. The creation of the Dewey Decimal System was a significant advancement in library science, as it provided a systematic approach to classification that is still widely used in libraries today. This historical context highlights the importance of the 1870s as the period during which Dewey introduced his innovative classification scheme, laying the groundwork for modern library organization.