Fairy Tales in the Library: Dewey Decimal 398.2

If you are looking for great stories, the library is your biggest friend. But where to find the fairy tales in the library?

Have you ever walked into a library and felt intimidated by all the floors and walls of books? I indeed have been. However, I discovered that there is a system that brings order to the millions of books.

Where to find fairy tales in the library?

As a professional storyteller, I constantly search for good books with fairy tales and folktales. And I found out where they are hiding in the library!

Books in the library are ordered according to the Dewey Decimal System. At ‘398.2 Folk Literature’, a subsection of ‘398 Folklore’, you will find the books with traditional tales like fairy tales and folktales.

It is also where you can find ghost stories, mythological material, and more. Check out Types of Traditional Tales if all these different names make you wonder what is what.

Where to find fairy tales for children in the library?

You find fairy tales for children in the children’s section of your library at the number 398.2.

Why 398.2?

The Dewey Decimal System is a system for libraries initially designed by and named after Melvil Dewey. It categorizes all books and allows librarians to order books in the library by category.

There is no significance to the number 398.2, except that it tells you something about the kind of book:

• The number 3 signifies that this book belongs to the category of Social Sciences.
• The number 39 specifies that this book is part of the subcategory of Customs, Etiquette, Folklore.
• The number 398 further specifies this to Folklore.
• And finally, 398.2 restricts this to Folk Literature.

You can see an excellent visual explanation on the website Library Thing.

I still believe in 398.2

Fairy tale lovers and librarian geeks alike have this little joke. They will wear something with the number 398.2 or write things like ‘I still believe in 398.2’.

Only the one who knows the meaning of 398.2 will understand what it means. You are now one of those who know! 🙂

On Etsy and Amazon, there are many products with the number 398.2, with which you can show your love for fairy tales.

💡 Check out the jewelry with 398.2 on Amazon

What does I still believe in 398.2 mean?

I still believe in 398.2 refers to the section of fairy tales in the library, which is categorized with the number 398.2 in the Dewey Decimal System. So, I still believe in 398.2 means I still believe in fairy tales.

💡 In Singapore, they have their own 398.2 Storytelling Festival!

Why are fairy tales in the nonfiction section of the library?

You might wonder, like me, why these stories are not in the fiction section. After all, they did not really happen, did they?

Fairy tales are in the nonfiction section because they are seen as anthropological material. They can be studied and tell us something about the culture at the time they were written down.

Help, my library does not have this 398.2 number!

No need to panic! Walk up to one of the librarians and simply ask them where the fairy tales and folktales are located. Generally speaking, librarians are kind people who love books themselves.

Photo credits: Pixabay