CLASSIFICATION: A REVIEW

OUTLINE

• Definition of Terms
• Principles and Guidelines in
Classification
• The Library Classification Systems
• Dewey Decimal Classification System
• Library of Congress Classification
System
• Shelflisting and Filing Catalog Records
DEFINITIONS
 CLASSIFICATION

• Act of organizing the universe of

knowledge into a systematic order
• Library classification – the systematic
arrangement of books and other
materials on shelves or of catalogue
and index entries in the manner which
is most useful to those who read or who
seek a definite piece of information
 CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

• Refers to a library classification scheme,

e.g. Dewey Decimal Classification
System, Library of Congress
Classification System
• Basis for organizing a library collection
 CALL NUMBER

• Class number – notation that designates the

class to where the material belongs
• Book/Item number/Author number
• Others
– Date
– Volume number
– Copy number
– Place mark
 BROAD AND CLOSE
CLASSIFICATION
• Broad Classification – a classification
that does not provide for minute
subdivision of topics.
• Close Classification – a classification
that provides for minute subdivision of
topics
 NOTATION

A system of symbols used to represent

the classes and divisions of a
classification scheme.
Types:
• Pure notation
• Mixed notation
• Hierarchical notation
• Expressive notation
PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
IN CLASSIFICATION
 CLASSIFYING LIBRARY
MATERIALS IN GENERAL
• Determine subject content
• Consider usefulness
• Make subject the primary concern
• Use most specific class number
available
• Do not classify from the index alone
• Do not classify from the title of the
material alone
 CLASSIFYING MULTITOPICAL
OR MULTIELEMENT WORKS
• Classify under dominant subject
• Classify under the subject being influenced
• Classify under subject, not the biased
element
• Classify under subject instead of the tool
applied to the subject
• Class under first subject non-dominant topics
• Class under broader subject 3 or more topics
 LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEMS
• Dewey Decimal Classification System
• Library of Congress Classification System
• Universal Decimal Classification System
• Colon Classification System
• Bibliographic Classification System
• Subject Classification System
• Expansive Classification System
• National Library of Medicine Classification
 THE DEWEY DECIMAL
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
 BRIEF INTRODUCTION

• Devised by Melvil Dewey (l85l-1939)

• Latest edition – 5 vols, 22nd edition
• First came out as a 44-page
anonymously published pamphlet
entitled A Classification and Subject
Index for Cataloging and Arranging the
Books and Pamphlets of a Library
 MERITS
• Practical
• Relative location
• Relative index brings together different aspects of the same
subject scattered in different disciplines
• Pure notation of Arabic numerals is universally recognizable
• Self-evident numerical sequence
• Hierarchical nature of notation expresses relationships between
and among class numbers
• Use of decimal system enables infinite expansion
• Mnemonic nature of notation helps library users to navigate
within the system
• Continuous revision and publication of the schedules ensures
currency
 WEAKNESSES
• Anglo-American bias
• Related disciplines are often separated
• Proper placement of certain subjects have also been questioned
• Literary works of the same author are scattered according to
literary form
• Base of ten limits the hospitality of the notational system by
restricting the capacity for accommodating subjects on the
same level of a hierarchy to nine divisions
• Uneven structure
• No new numbers can be inserted
• Lengthy numbers
• Relocations and completely revised schedules create practical
problems in terms of reclassification
 FORMS OF REVISION

• Reduction
• Expansion
• Relocation
 10 MAIN CLASSES
• 000 – Generalities
• 100 – Philosophy and Psychology
• 200 – Religion
• 300 – Social Sciences
• 400 – Language
• 500 – Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• 600 – Technology and Applied Sciences
• 700 – The Arts
• 800 – Literature and Rhetoric
• 900 – Geography and History
 NUMBER BUILDING
Adding an entire number to a base number
A bibliography for Physics
The main number for bibliographies and catalogs of works 016
on specific subjects or in specific disciplines with a note to
“add to base number 016 notation 001-999” the number for
the specific subject

The number for physics 530

The subject number added to the base number 016 530

The resulting number, terminal zero removed 016.53

 Number Building
Adding a fraction of a number or fractions of
numbers to a base number
A general Russian periodical 057.1
Number for all serial publications as indicated in the index 050
Number in schedule for serial publications in Slavic languages 057
with instruction: “add to base number 057, the numbers
following 037 in 037.1-037.9
Number for Russian 037.1

Add the number following 037 to base number 057 1

Resulting number 057.1
 AUXILIARY TABLES
• Table 1 – Standard subdivisions
• Table 2 – Geographic areas, historical periods, persons
• Table 3 – Subdivisions for individual literatures, for specific
literary forms
– Table 3A – Subdivisions for works by or about individual authors
– Table 3B – Subdivisions for works by or about more than one
author
– Table 3C – Notation to be added where instructed in Table 3B and
in 808-809
• Table 4 – Subdivisions of individual languages
• Table 5 – Racial, ethnic, national groups
• Table 6 – Languages
 NOTES

• Definition notes – indicate the meaning

of a term heading

004.7 Peripherals
Input, output, storage devices that work with a
computer but are not part of its central
processing unit or internal storage
 Notes

• Scope notes indicate whether the meaning of

the number is narrower or broader than is
apparent from the heading

700 The Arts

Description, critical appraisal, techniques, procedures,
apparatus, equipment, materials of the fine, decorative,
literary, performing recreational arts
 Notes

• Number-built Notes - source of built

numbers
353.13263 Foreign service
Number built according to instructions under
352-354
 Notes

• Former heading notes

--983.2 Quechuan (Kechuan) and Aymaran
languages
Former heading: Andean languages
 Notes

• Variant-name notes – used for

synonyms and near synonyms

332.32 Savings and loan association

Variant names: building and loan associations
 Notes

• Class here notes – list major topics in

class which may be broader or narrower
than the heading

371.92 Parent-school relations

Class here parent participation in schools;
comprehensive works on teacher-parent
relations
 Notes

• Including notes – identify topics that

have standing room in the number
where the note is found

374.22 Groups in adult education

Including discussion, reading, self-help, special
interest
 Notes

• Class-elsewhere notes – lead the

classifier to interrelated topics, or
distinguish among numbers in the same
notational hierarchy

791.43 Motion pictures

Class photographic aspects of motion pictures in
778.53; class made-for-TV movies, videotapes
of motion pictures in 791.45
 Notes

• See references – lead from a stated or

implied comprehensive number for a
concept to the component parts of the
concept

577.7 Marine ecology

Class here Liliales, Lilies
For Orchidales, see 584.4
See also 583.29 for water lilies
 Notes

• Discontinued notes – indicate that all or part

of the contents of a number have been
moved to a more general number in the same
hierarchy, or have been dropped entirely

[516.361] Local and intrinsic differential geometry

Number discontinued
 Notes

• Relocation notes – state that all or part

of the contents have been moved to a
different number

[370.19] Sociology of education

Sociology of education relocated to 306.43
 Notes

• Do-not-use notes – instruct the classifier not

to use all or part of the regular standard
subdivision notation or an add table provision
in favor of a special or standard subdivisions
at a broader number

[374.809] Historical, geographic, person

treatment
Do not use; class in 374.9
 AUTHOR NOTATION

• Initial of author’s last name

Ex. D H
• For slightly larger collections, the
several letters of the main entry
Ex. Dic Hen
• May use author’s surname
Ex. Dickenson Henson
 CUTTER NUMBER

• Book number or item number

• Based on initials of main entry
Dewes 514
Dewey 515
Dewil 516
Cutter number for Dewey – D515
• Where there is no Cutter number that
fits a name exactly, use the first of the
two numbers closest to the name.
T325 for Thackeray based on
Thacher 325
Thad 326
• Cutter numbers are treated decimally
therefore any number can be extended by
adding extra digits at its end. Usually
number 5 or 6 is chosen as the extra digit to
give room on both sides for future
interpolation. Zero (0) is normally excluded
because it is usually mistaken for the letter o.
Sm52 Benjamin Smith
Sm53 Charles Smith
Sm525 Brian Smith
• When two authors classified in the
same number share the same Cutter
number in the table, assign a different
number for the second author by
adding a digit.
M315 Mann
M315 Heinrich Mann
M3155 Thomas Mann
• Names beginning with Mc, M’ and Mac
are treated as though they were spelled
Mac.
• When the main entry is under title, the
Cutter number is taken from the first
word of the title, articles disregarded.
• For individual biographies, the Cutter
number is taken from the name of the
biographee rather than from the main
entry.
• For collective biographies, the Cutter
number is based from the main entry.
 WORK MARK or
WORK LETTER
• It is added to the Cutter number to
distinguish different titles on the same
subject by the same author.
• In some cases, when books in a series
by the same author on the same
subject begin with the same word, it is
customary to use the first letter from
each key word in the titles.
 DDC CALL NUMBER

• Example for the book Philippine politics

by Alberto Lazo published in 1992:
F (place mark for Filipiniana)
320 (class no. for political science)
L45p (book no. for Lazo & work mark)
1992 (year of publication)
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
 BRIEF INTRODUCTION

 LCC used Cutter’s Expansive Classification

as a model for developing its outline of
classes/subclasses and notation.
 Individual classes were developed by
different groups of specialists under the
direction of J.C. Hanson & Charles Martel.
 The classification system was originally
designed for the Library of Congress
collection.
 21 MAIN CLASSES OF LCC
A General works L Education
B Philosophy, Psychology, M Music and books on music
Religion N Fine arts
C Auxiliary sciences of history P Language and Literature
D History: General and Old
World Q Science
E General history of America R Medicine
F Local history of America S Agriculture
G Geography, Maps, T Technology
Anthropology, Recreation U Military Science
H Social Sciences V Naval Science
J Political Science
Z Bibliography and Library
K Law Science
• Each of the main classes, except E, F,
and Z is divided into subclasses
represented by 2 or 3 capital letters
that represent disciplines or major
branches of the main class.
• Each subclass is further divided into
divisions represented by Arabic
numbers with decimal extensions.
 MERITS
• Practical system that has proved to be satisfactory
• Based on the literary warrant of the materials in the
Library of Congress collection
• Enumerative system that requires minimal notational
synthesis
• Each schedule was developed by subject specialists
• Notation is compact and hospitable
• Frequent additions and changes, stemming for the
most part from what is needed in the day to day
cataloging work at LC, and these are made readily
available to the cataloging community
• Minimal reclassification
 WEAKNESSES
• Scope notes are inferior to those of DDC.
• There is much national bias in emphasis and terminology.
• Too few subjects are seen as compounds.
• Alphabetical arrangements are often used in place of logical
hierarchies.
• There is no clear and predictable theoretical basis for subject
analysis.
• As a result of maintaining stability, parts of the classification are
obsolete in the sense that structure and collocation do not
reflect current conditions.
• It is expensive to keep an up-to-date working collection of
schedules, supplements, new announcements of changes and
cumulations of additions and changes.
 FORMAT OF SCHEDULES

• Preface
• Synopsis of the subclasses
• Outline of the major divisions
• Schedule
• Auxiliary tables
• Index
• Additions and changes to the schedule
 ORGANIZATION OF
DIVISIONS
• General form divisions
• Theory/Philosophy
• History
• Treatises or General works
• Law/Regulation/State relations
• Study and teaching
• Special subjects and subdivision of subjects
 LC CLASS NUMBER

• Uses a three-element pattern: (1) single

capital letters for main classes with one,
two or three capital letters for their
subclasses, (2) Arabic integers from 1
to 9999 with decimal extensions for
divisions, and (3) Cutter numbers for
further subdivisions of subjects.
 LCC CALL NUMBER

Examples:
HN N
113 6530.5
.F74 .L8
1995 G47
1996
 CUTTER NUMBERS

• Cutter number as part of class number

• Cutter number as book or item number
• Double Cutter numbers
• Successive Cutter numbers
• “A” and “Z” Cutter numbers
 LCC AUXILIARY TABLES

TYPES:
1. Tables of General Application
2. Tables of Limited Application
 TABLES OF GENERAL
APPLICATION
• Tables for geographic division by means of
Cutter numbers
– Regions and countries in one alphabet – provides
alphabetical arrangement of countries by means
of Cutter numbers. It is used whenever the
schedule gives the instruction “By country, A-Z” or
“By region or country, A-Z”
– United States – contains a list of the states and
regions of the United States
– Canadian provinces
• Biography table
– When works about a person, including
autobiography, letters, speeches, and
biography are classed in a number
designated for individual biography, they
are subarranged according to the
biography table.
• Translation table
- The table of translation is used to
place a translation of a work with
the original text on the shelves.
 TABLES OF LIMITED
APPLICATION
• Tables applicable to an individual class or
subclass
- Author tables in class P
– Geography tables in class H
– Geography tables in class S
• Tables for internal subarrangement
- Tables used for subarrangement within a
span of numbers.
 NOTES

• Scope notes – explain the type of works

to be classified at that subject, may
refer the classifier to related topics
elsewhere in the schedule or in another
schedule.
QH 540 Ecology
Class here works on general ecology and general
animal ecology
 Notes

• Including notes – list topics which are

included within a subject.
SF 101 Animal culture
Brands and branding, and other means of
identifying including cattle marks and
earmarks
 Notes

• See notes – refer the classifier to a

number elsewhere in the schedules,
often as a result of reclassification
decision.
QH 540 Ecology
For ecology of a particular topographic area
See GF 101 +
 Notes

• Confer notes – indicate that related

topics are classified elsewhere in the
schedules.
QH 540 Ecology
Cf. HX550.E25 Communism and ecology
Cf. QH546 Ecological genetics
 Notes

• Apply table at notes – refer the classifier to a

table with subdivision instructions, so that the
same instruction is not repeated on the same
page or several times over a couple of pages.
NK 3650.5 A-Z
By region or country, A-Z
Apply table at NK 3649.35 A-Z
 SHELFLISTING

• It is the process of preparing and

maintaining library shelflist records
• The shelflist consists of duplicates of
main entry records arranged by call no.
• It applies the principle of unique call
numbers of cataloged materials.
• It is used for inventory control.
 FILING CATALOG RECORDS

• In manually prepared catalogs, entries are

arranged alphabetically as in the dictionary or
divided catalogs, and in classified order as in
the shelflist.
• In an online catalog, arrangement of stored
records depends on how a given system is
designed. Some systems display retrieved
items either alphabetically, chronologically or
in classified order.