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Classification �& Order

Dr.N.Sundar�Librarian

Thiagarajar College of Preceptors, Madurai.

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Classification & Order

Overview
Why Classification Scheme?
Classification Systems
Classification Terms
Bibliographic Classification
Component Parts of a Classification Scheme

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Overview

Library Classification and systematic order is a system of coding and organizing library materials (Books, Periodicals, AV resources, Maps, & Manuscripts, etc.) according to their subject and call number.
Cataloguing and Classification are part of library and information science field of study. In library this work goes hand in hand with cataloguing and classification section separately, sometimes grouped together as technical services. The library professional who engages in the process of cataloguing & classifying library items is named "Cataloguer or Catalogue librarian.
Library Classification systems are one of the two tools used to facilitate subject access respectively "Alphabetical indexing (Thesauri) and Subject Headings.

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Overview

Classification systems in libraries generally play two roles,

firstly, they facilitate subject access by allowing the user to find out what works or documents the library has on a certain subject.
Secondly, they provide a known location for the information source to be located (cutter).

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Why classification?

Classification is simply a systematically arranged list.
It is difficult to identify the library items unless each material has a specific place where it belongs.
It makes the library collection searchable by placing similar items together in the same area of shelving.
It is used to assign a numerical code, or alphanumerical notation to each item in the library to indicate the subject access of the item being catalogued.

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Classification Systems

Nowadays, there are two classification systems widely used in most of the libraries. These are

Colon Classification (CC) - Faceted Systems
Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
Library of Congress (LC) Classification

DDC is designed as a numerical breakdown of all topics.

LC is designed of an alphanumerical systems.

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Classification Systems

Other classification systems are also exist, usually designed for special libraries that need more specific subject organization.

Example: National Library of Medicine (NLM) & medical subject headings (MeSH)

Few others…

Bliss Bibliographic Classification (BC)
Dickinson Classification (DC)
Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) - Faceted Systems

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Classification Systems

Specific classification systems in other languages

Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC)
Chinese Library Classification (CLC)
Korean Decimal Classification (KDC)

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Classification Terms

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system was conceived by Melvil Dewey in 1873 and first published in 1876. The DDC is published by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.).

Schedules - These are the part of a classification system that lists known topics and assign basic numbers or alphanumerical combination to them. In which subjects are listed systematically showing their relationships.

Tables - DDC contains four tables of information that can be used in creating numbers from the schedules. These tables are needed to modify numbers from the schedules, creating more specific, topical numbers.

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Classification Terms

Summaries - In DDC, everything is organized in groups of 10. DDC has included in its classification book three summaries that show how information is organized in this classification system.

The first summary lists the ten main classes of information,
Second summary lists the one hundred divisions of those main classes,
third summary lists the one thousand sections of those classes.

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Classification Terms

Notation - The number, or letter and number combination, that is developed using the information given in a classification system (i.e. the schedules and tables of the DDC).

Book Number - This refers to the combination of letters or letters and numbers that are used to indicate an individual work in the library. (Classification, Cutter, Year of Publication, Accession numbers, etc).

Call Number - This is the location or address of an item on the library shelves. (Classification number & Cutter)

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Book Number

(Classification, Cutter, Year of Publication, Accession numbers, etc)

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Book Number

(Classification, Cutter, Year of Publication, Accession numbers, etc)

Classification & Order

624 FRA 2021 17890

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DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification)

The Ten Main Classes (1^st Summary)

000 Computer science, information & general works�100 Philosophy & psychology�200 Religion�300 Social sciences�400 Language�500 Science�600 Technology�700 Arts & recreation�800 Literature�900 History & geography

https://www.oclc.org/dewey/features/summaries.en.html

Classification & Order