Dewey Classification

Nature of bibliographic control systems (Dewey)

IST 603

November 15, 2006Denise A. Garofalo

Bibliographic control systems

Allow for the organization of the bibliographic universe into some systematic order

In libraries, provide the systematic arrangement by subject of materials in a manner most useful for retrieval

What is classification?

A bibliographic control systemA system of arranging a library’s collection

on the shelves which provides formal and orderly access to the materials shelved

A means of bringing together related items in a useful sequence from general to specific

A way to lead the user to the needed items

Shelf types--open stacks

Open stacks: allows for a direct search of the shelves by a user encourage browsing stimulate awareness of collection require comprehensible

classification system

Shelf types--closed stacks

Closed stacks: a library staff member retrieves requested items from the shelves only staff are permitted in the stacks lessen chance that items will be

mishandled, misplaced or taken require patron to limit searching to the

catalog and wait for staff to retrieve items

Catalog

Primary source of reference to the collection by users

Must be complete and current in order to be useful

Provides information about items through access points

Call number

The call number contains the information about where the item is shelved May have a location or collection prefix--j or REF

or VIDEO Next element is the classification number--736

or 917.3 or PZ4 Next is the Cutter number, an alpha-numeric

related to the main entry or author--H74 or Q14 May include a copy or accession number as the

final element

Classification--background

Collections have always had some sort of arrangement groupings by title or broad subject or date

or size, etc. arrangements generally involved a fixed

shelf location for materialsSubstantive developments in library

collection arrangement occurred in the 19th century


Thomas Jefferson is one of the best known early American classifiers—he adapted elements from Francis Bacon’s outline of knowledge Using this outline materials are classified

under functions of three basic faculties--history under memory, philosophy under reason, and poetry under imagination

the outline enjoyed widespread influence


The Catalogue of Benjamin Franklin’s Library Company of Philadelphia also was based on Bacon’s outline

The 1812 Catalogue of the Library of Congress was a variant of Franklin’s Philadelphia scheme

In 1815 Jefferson’s Catalogue of the Library of the United States was installed at LC (based on Bacon’s outline)


William Torrey Harris inverted the Baconian system and created an independent American classification

1876 saw the birth of the Dewey Decimal Classification based on W.T. Harris’s system is a hierarchical system, subdivision and

collocation must show the “natural” organization of the subject

the DDC spread across America and around the world


Charles A. Cutter began working at the Boston Athenaeum sought a practical method of arranging

library materials, not a classification of knowledge

his Expansive Classification does indicate other influences and contains subordinate classes


By the early 1900s LC’s collection had grown to almost 1 million items

The DDC was not robust enough for LC J.C.M. Hanson and Charles Martel designed an

independent system governed by the actual content of the collection--the LC classification system not a philosophic approach is an enumerative classification because it

seeks to assign designations (to enumerate) all the subject concepts required in the system


Another type of classification is synthetic, where lists of designations are confined to single, unsubdivided concepts and providing generalized rules from which to construct headings for composite subjects

Classification schemes

Most traditional schemes are enumerative

Recent schemes are syntheticNote that materials on shelves or in files

are arranged in a single order may have multiple access points (subject,

author, title, etc.) can only by organized by one of these at a

time

Questions?

Classification schemes--overview

A general works class accommodates items so broad in scope that no one class can be chosen--encyclopedias, dictionaries

Form classes organize materials according to how information is presented rather than content--poetry, plays, fiction, scores

Form divisions group items according to form--philosophical treatments, biographies

Includes an index for an alpha approach to the classified part of the scheme

Faceted classification

Uses clearly defined, mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive aspects of a class or subject S.R. Ranganathan’s Colon Classification (1930s) PMEST formula--five basic facets: personality,

material, energy, space and time (Wynar, p. 285) serves not just for shelving but for arranging items

for bibliographies and access service dbs discernible in verbal subjects (List of Subdivisions

in Sears is a list of generally applicable facets)

Classification criteria

Inclusive as well as comprehensive (encompass the whole field of knowledge)

Systematic (bring together related topics in logical fashion)

Flexible and expansible (new subjects can be inserted with dislocating the general sequence)

Employ clear and descriptive terminology

Classification--broad, close

Close classification: classing each work as specifically as possible, using all available subdivisions (LC classification)

Broad classification: groups works under the main divisions and subdivisions, without using breakdowns into narrower concepts (most useful in smaller collections; DDC)

General principles

Choosing the best location

Please note: Classification schemes vary in their flexibility regarding local manipulation

Try to be consistent to avoid confusion

General precepts

Class first according to subject, then by form (except in generals, where form may be paramount)

Class where it will be most usefulPlace it in the most specific subject division that

will contain it, rather than with the general topicIf it deals with 2 or 3 subjects, place it with the

predominant subject or the one treated first. More than 3 subjects--place it in the general class which combines all of the subjects

Refining precepts

A work discussing the Spanish influence on Portuguese literature should be classed with Portuguese literature--class works dealing with two subjects where one influences another are placed in the subject acted upon or influenced

Monographic sets--class either all together under a broad number or class separately under each individual volume’s subject

No classification is perfect

Each classification scheme is limitedA scheme can be logical within itself but

have inconsistencies language is separate from literature and

history from social sciences in DDC language is classed with literature and

history close to social sciences in LCCDDC and LCC are linear and uni-

dimensional

More limitations

Reorganization and relocation cause problems new numbers for new concepts moving concepts to more logical locations

Notations become more complex when keeping a scheme up-to-date

Purchased cataloging is only as good as the vendor’s catalogers

Questions?

Break time

Dewey Decimal Classification

The oldest and most widely used in America

Born Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey, he shortened his name to Melvil Dewey (he wanted it to be Dui) founded ALA founded the first American library

school (Columbia University)


Dewey never claimed to have originated decimals

His relative index was his claim to originality in his classification a key to the diverse material included in

his tables however his most significant contribution

IS decimals, in the hierarchical divisions


First DDC came out anonymously in 1876 and was titled A Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library

The second, revised and greatly enlarged, edition came out in 1885 under Dewey’s name

UDC (Universal Decimal Classification) is based on the DDC

DDC--basic concepts

Arranges all knowledge (library materials) into 10 broad subject classes numbered from 000-900

Numbers can be expanded to cover aspects of general subjects

The more specific the item being classified the longer the number grows

Long numbers may be accurate but are impractical and unwieldy

DDC--basic concepts

A compact scheme--4 volumes total (22nd)Incorporates mnemonic devices

transferred from one class to another (-03 at the end of a class number of any length indicates a dictionary of the subject at hand)

Allows for a great detail of specificationArranges subjects from the general to the

specific

DDC--basic premise

Under Dewey there is no one class for any given subject

Primary arrangement is by disciplineAny specific topic may appear in any

number of disciplinesAspects of a topic are brought

together in the relative index

DDC--schedule format

Summaries DDC provides three summaries

10 main DDC classesDivisions of a typical DDC classSections of a typical DDC division

Typical DDC hierarchical sequences or multilevel summaries can be found in eight places in the schedules

DDC--basic concepts

Notes are a helpful source of information notes that tell what is found at a class # notes that tell what is found at other class #s notes that ID topics in “standing room” (topics that

don’t have enough works about them to justify a separate number--computers were like this for awhile, 001.6 then 004-006)

notes that explain changes in schedules and tables notes that instruct in number building notes that prescribe precedence order notes that explain options

DDC--basic concepts

Number building way to expand existing numbers in

the schedules in tables these numbers are

preceded by a “-” to indicate they cannot stand alone (omit the dash when attaching to a number)

Standard subdivisions

Originally “Form divisions”Some treat formatOthers represent modes of treatment

which cover theoretical or historical aspects of the subject (such as philosophy and theory, history, etc.)

Unless specific instructions indicate otherwise, these can be used with any number if application is meaningful

More info available

Geographic areas

When a given heading can be subdivided geographically and the library has many books dealing on the subject use Table 2 (area table)

The number can be expanded by region or site

The bulkiest table

Individual literatures

Table 3 is actually three tablesThey are never used alone but

under the instructions given at 808-809 and 810-890

Individual languages

Table 4 is used with base numbers for individual languages

See 420-490 for explanationDoes provide mnemonic form

divisions -1 for writing systems -2 for etymology -3 for dictionaries

Racial, ethnic groups

Table 5 is used according to specific instructions in the schedules or other tables

May also be used through -89 interposition

Use is parallel to that of Table 2

Languages

Table 6 is a basic mnemonic table to indicate the particular language of the work or the language which is the subject

Groups of persons

Table 7 is used as instructed in the schedules or in other tables

Deals with various characteristics or persons (social groups)

Adding from other parts

There are many places in the DDC schedules where the classifier is directed to find a number elsewhere in the schedule and add it whole to the number at hand

Check DDC itself for examples

Relative index

Claimed to show relationships of each specific topic to one or more disciplines and to other topics

Contains terms found in the schedules and tables and synonyms for those terms

Also has names of states, provinces, cities, geographic features, some personal names

Does not contain phrases that begin with adjectival phrases (Portuguese plays)

Relative index

Enumerates alphabetically all the main headings in the class schedules

Also contains certain specific entries not actually listed in the schedules

Index terminology varies from that found in the schedules (Perspiration)

Should never become a substitute for the schedules

Other DDC info

DDC segments 636.6/01 small libraries may just use 636.6 larger libraries would use 636.601

Updating--new edition every 8 years or so

Abridged editions are available for the very small libraries (can “grow” into full DDC) (14th)

Questions?

Assignment

Do DDC classification assignment

Read Wynar Brown cover—Chapters 14, 16,17

Blue cover—Chapters 9, 11, 12

Technology

Dewey Classification