Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Behind the Books: How Nonfiction Got Its Name

Melvil Dewey
You’ve heard comments like these:

“We shouldn’t define something by what it isn’t.”




  1. A fun bit of history, Melissa. Thanks for sharing. I wonder why they decided to leave the fairy tales and folk tales in the nonfiction. I can see having the myths and legends in with the religion section. But those others...not so much.

  2. Nice history bit! But it was Melvil Dewey, not John (who was an educational reformer), who invented the Dewey Decimal System.

  3. Yay! I'm not the only one who inadvertently switches Melvil out with John!