I never realized it before, but in the dewey decimal system, 649–Child Rearing, is sandwiched right between 648-Housekeeping (ie stain removal, etc.) and 650–Management. Coincidence?
The Dewey Decimal Classification System was developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Mr. Dewey was a married man, and I have to wonder if he consulted his wife, Annie on this one. Following is my mental transcript of how that conversation would have gone (based in no part on fact):
Annie: Melvil, would you please take your shoes off at the door? You are tracking mud all over my new carpet!
Melvil: Oh, sorry honey.
Annie: Here’s some stain remover – I have to go change Godfrey’s diaper; leaving him in a soggy diaper can cause negative effects on his psyche and he may develop a fear of water.
Melvil: Yes honey.
Annie: No Melvil, don’t rub; dab the stain. Like this. Man, what would you do without me here to manage this household?
Melvil: Yes honey. I’m going to go back to work now. I have some classifications to do and I was stuck at 648, but I’ve just had an inspiration!
Annie: Make sure you are home for dinner – I didn’t slave over a hot stove for myself, you know!
Other interesting notes about Mr. Dewey:
- He is responsible for changing “catalogue” to the American version “catalog” (way to confuse me)
- Late in his life Dewey resided in the community of Lake Placid, New York, where he helped found a health resort. His theories of spelling reform found some local success at Lake Placid: there is an "Adirondac Loj" in the area, and dinner menus of the club featured his spelling reform. A September 1927 menu is headed "Simpler spelin" and features dishes like Hadok, Poted beef with noodls, Parsli or Masht potato, Butr, Steamd rys, Letis, and Ys cream. It also advises guests that "All shud see the butiful after-glo on mountains to the east just befor sunset. Fyn vu from Golfhous porch."
- He considered changing his own name from Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey to simply Melvil Dui.
I’m sure Annie had something to say about that last one.
