Dewey Shelf Numbers

PowerPoint PresentationDDC number building for shelf arrangement
Julianne Beall
Broad outline
Part 2. Class numbers
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Part 1. Elements of typical call numbers
Call number = class number + book number (or other method of alphabetic subarrangement)
Example:
641.5972
.B3433
Call number
A set of letters, numerals or other symbols (in combination or alone) used by a library to identify a specific copy of a work. A call number consists of the class number and book number (or Cutter number).
It may also contain other data such as date, volume number, copy number and location symbol.
Class number
Notation that designates the class to which a given item belongs.
Example: 641.5972 Cooking characteristic of Mexico
Used for Rick Bayless's Mexican kitchen :
capturing the vibrant flavors of a world-class cuisine
Book number
The part of a call number that distinguishes a specific item from other items within the same class number, also called a Cutter number. A book number is composed of letters from the author's name and numbers.
Example: .B3433 for Bayless, Rick
From OCLC Cutter Four-Figure Table
Other method of alphabetic subarrangement
Instead of formal book numbers, many libraries prefer simple methods of alphabetic subarrangement
Example: Bay for Bayless, Rick
Part 2. Class numbers
Building with tables (numbered auxiliary tables)
Building with add tables
Broad classification
The classification of works in broad categories by logical abridgment, even when more specific numbers are available, e.g., the use of 641.5 Cooking instead of 641.5972 Mexican cooking for a cookbook of Mexican recipes.
Logical abridgment
The abridged number is the same as the full number, but shorter
The number is abridged at a logical place
Abridged edition
A shortened version of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system that is a logical truncation of the notational and structural hierarchy of the corresponding full edition on which it is based. The abridged edition is intended for general collections of 20,000 titles or less.
Segmentation marks (/ or ‘)
Records from Library of Congress and Library and Archives Canada include segmentation marks in Dewey class numbers
These marks show end of abridged number
The slash (/) appears in MARC records
The prime mark (‘) appears in Cataloging in Publication printed in books
Example of segmentation
The full number (641.56314) means cooking for people with diabetes
Never include segmentation marks in call numbers
Building with tables (numbered auxiliary tables)
Numbers from auxiliary tables are never used alone for shelf arrangement
They may, however, be used alone in a database for resource discovery
Today we won’t be able to cover all six auxiliary tables; we will cover the following tables:
Tables to be covered today
Table 2. Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Persons
Table 1. Standard Subdivisions
Table 3A. Subdivisions for Works by or about Individual Authors
Table 3B. Subdivisions for Works by or about More than One Author
Table 5. Ethnic and National Groups
Table 2. Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Persons
The following numbers are never used alone, but may be used as required (either directly when so noted or through the interposition of notation T1—09 from Table 1) with any number from the schedules, e.g., wages (331.29) in Japan (T2—52 in this table): 331.2952 ; railroad transportation (385) in Brazil (T2—81 in this table): 385.0981
641.593-641.599 Cooking characteristic of specific continents, countries, localities
Add to base number 641.59 notation T2—3-T2—9 from Table 2 , e.g., Southern cooking (United States) 641.5975
T2—75 Southeastern United States (South Atlantic states)
Class here southern states
641.59+[T2—]75=641.5975
641.59436 Austrian cooking
The underlined digits are ones that could logically be cut.
641.59+[T2—]45=641.5945 (etc.)
641.5945 Italian cooking
Facet
Any of the various categories into which a given class may be divided, e.g., division of the class "people" into the categories of ethnicity, age, education and language spoken. Each category contains terms based on a single characteristic of division, e.g., children, adolescents and adults are characteristics of division of the "ages" category.
Facet indicator
A digit used to introduce notation representing a characteristic of the subject. For example, "0" is often used as a facet indicator to introduce standard subdivision concepts.
Rule for logical abridgment
Never abridge a number so as to leave a “0” or other facet indicator at the end, in the part following the decimal point
Dewey numbers may end with “0” before the decimal point
Examples:
Table 1. Standard Subdivisions
The following notation is never used alone, but may be used as required with any regular schedule number, e.g., workbooks (T1—076 in this table) in arithmetic (513): 513.076. When adding to a number from the schedules, always insert a decimal point between the third and fourth digits of the complete number
T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment
T1—092 Persons
Class here treatment of individuals
T1—093-T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds
T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment
T1—093-T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds
Add to base number T1—09 notation T2—3-T2—9 from Table 2, e.g., the subject in North America T1—097, in Brazil T1—0981
630 Agriculture and related technologies
Standard subdivisions are added for agriculture and related technologies together, for agriculture alone
630.9 Agriculture—history
63+[T1—]09+[T2—]4=630.94 (etc.)
630.94 Agriculture—Europe
630.9436 Agriculture—Austria
634.9+[T1—]09=634.909 (etc.)
634.9 Forestry
Table 5. Ethnic and National Groups
The following numbers are never used alone, but may be used as required (either directly when so noted or through the interposition of notation T1—089 from Table 1) with any number from the schedules, e.g., civil and political rights ( 323.11 ) of Navajo Indians ( T5—9726 in this table): 323.119726 ; ceramic arts ( 738 ) of Jews ( T5—924 in this table): 738.089924 . They may also be used when so noted with numbers from other tables, e.g., notation T2—174 from Table 2
Table 5. Ethnic and National Groups (2)
Except where instructed otherwise, and unless it is redundant, add 0 to the number from this table and to the result add notation T2—1 or T2—3-T2—9 from Table 2 for area in which a group is or was located, e.g., Germans in Brazil T5—31081 , but Germans in Germany T5—31 ; Jews in Germany or Jews from Germany T5—924043
305.805-305.89 Specific ethnic and national groups
Add to base number 305.8 notation T5—05-T5—9 from Table 5, e.g., comprehensive works on Jews 305.8924, Chinese 305.8951, Chinese Australians 305.8951094, Inuit 305.89712
305.8+[T5—]951+0+[T2—]94= 305.8951094
305.8+[T5—]31 (etc.)
305.8+[T5—]41+0+[T2—]494=
305.8410494
830.1-838 Subdivisions of German literature
Add to base number 83 as instructed at beginning of Table 3, e.g., a collection of German literature 830.8
T3B—08 Collections of literary texts in more than one form
83+[T3B—]08=830.8
Table 3B. Subdivisions for Works by or about More than One Author
T3B—08 Collections of literary texts in more than one form
T3B—09 History, description, critical appraisal of works in more than one form
830.8 German literature—collections
830.1-838 Subdivisions of German literature
Add to base number 83 as instructed at beginning of Table 3, e.g., a collection of German literature 830.8
PERIOD TABLE
Table 3A. Subdivisions for Works by or about Individual Authors
T3A—1 Poetry
T3A—11-T3A—19 Poetry of specific periods
Add to T3A—1 notation from the period table for the specific literature in 810-890, e.g., earliest period T3A—11; do not add standard subdivisions
83+[T3A—]1+912=831.912 (etc.)
Specific literature (German) + specific form (poetry) + literary period (1900-1945) (etc.)
831.912 German poetry—1900-1945
831.914 German poetry—1945-1990
831.92 German poetry—1990-
598 *Aves (Birds)
Add table at 592-599
592-599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals
Except for modifications shown under specific entries, add to each subdivision identified by * as follows:
1 General topics of natural history of animals
Add to base number 1 the numbers following 591 in 591.3-591.7, e.g., beneficial animals 163
598+1+[591.]63=598.163
“1” as facet indicator
In the add table at 592-599, “1” introduces the facet: General topics of natural history of animals
Never abridge a number built using this add table with the facet indicator “1” at the end of the number after the decimal point
“1” is also used as facet indicator elsewhere in life sciences (570-590) and in music (780)
598+1+[591.]63=598.163
591 Specific topics in natural history of animals
591.6 Miscellaneous nontaxonomic kinds of animals
591.63 Beneficial animals
598+1+[591.]38=598.138 (etc.)
598.138 Birds—evolution
598.139 Baby birds
598.1468 Eggs—birds
598.15 Behavior—birds
338.47001-338.47999 Subdivisions for products and services
Add to base number 338.47 notation 001-999, e.g., gasoline production industry 338.4766553827, tourist industry 338.4791 . . . .
338.47+004=338.47004 (etc.)
Abridged number: 338.4
338.47+6151=338.476151 (etc.)
338.476151 Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) industry
338.47+624=338.47624 (etc.)
338.47+664853=338.47664853 (etc.)
338.47664853 Frozen vegetables industry
338.476649 Meat processing industry
338.4766492 Beef processing industry
338.47+666=338.47666 (etc.)
Part 3. Book numbers and other methods of subarrangement
All methods of subarrangement are optional and not part of DDC proper
Many different methods of subarrangement are used in Dewey libraries
In a very few places in the DDC there are instructions for subarrangement—but they are optional
Arrange alphabetically
006.74
.X6
Arrange chronologically
Individual biographies
634.9092
.G764
Double Cuttering
If you use Cutter numbers to arrange alphabetically by topic (e.g., name of biographee), you may then add a second Cutter number for the author’s name.
As with all forms of subarrangement, double Cuttering is not part of DDC proper
Example of double Cuttering
By Gordon S. Bowen
Dewey Cutter Program
Dewey Cutter Program
Cutter Four-Figure Table: examples
Sa565 (Sanders, Margaret)
Sch721 (Schreiber, Albert)
Sch723 (Schreiber, John)
Sch7243 (Schreiber, Nancy)
Sch7247 (Schreiber, Robert)
Sch725 (Schreiber, William)
St835 (Streeter, Joan)
The underlined digits were not provided automatically by the OCLC Cutter Program; they were added manually to distinguish between two different authors.
Cutter-Sanborn Four-Figure Table: examples
Other methods of alphabetic subarrangement
Many libraries use all or part of an author’s name for alphabetic subarrangement
Example of another method of alphabetic subarrangement
Sanders
Resources and links (1)
Comaromi, John P. Book numbers: a historical study and practical guide to their use. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1981
Lehnus, Donald J. Book numbers: history, principles, and application. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980

Documents

Dewey Shelf Numbers