Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification

Fall 2014 iSkills Workshop Series

Instructor: Elisa Sze

Librarian, Collections & Public Services Coordinator

Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Sept. 30 & Oct. 1, 2014

What is Dewey Decimal Classification?

• Method of organizing knowledge, first by discipline, then by subject

• Decimals allow the system to be extensible

• Notation is based on Arabic numerals, for universality

• Analytico-synthetic classification

069A211

069H972

069L653

Collocation: bringing together similar works

069 = about museology/

museum science

H972 = Cutter notation for the author’s name

Background

1873

1876

Images: DDC 1st ed. title page: https://archive.org/stream/classificationan00dewerich#page/n7/mode/2upPortrait of Melvil Dewey: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?1222486 World map: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?464988

Date conceived

First published in

Current copyright holder:

OCLC

Who updates it now?

Library of Congress

30+ languages

135+ countries

Formats & Editions

Print OnlineDDC 23 WebDewey WebDewey 23Abridged 15 WebDewey WebDewey 23

look for Abridged Edition 15

The Abridged 15 is guided by the same principles as the full DDC 23.

DDC 1 (1876)

000 Bibliography

100 Philosophy

200 Theology

300 Sociology

400 Philology

500 Natural Science

600 Useful Arts

700 Fine Arts

800 Literature

900 History

Source: Dewey, M. (1876). A classification and subject index for cataloguing and arranging the books and pamphlets of a library (Amherst, Massachusetts: Forest Press Division, Lake Placid Education Foundation). Page 12. Retrieved at: http://quod.lib.umich.edu.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/m/moa/aey7382.0001.001/14?page=root;size=100;view=image

DDC 23 (2011)000 Computer science, information & general

works100 Philosophy & psychology200 Religion300 Social sciences400 Language500 Science600 Technology700 Arts & recreation800 Literature900 History & geography

Source: Dewey, M. (2011). Dewey decimal classification and relative index, 23rd edition. J. Mitchell (Ed.). Dublin, OH: OCLC.

How to Classify

1. Determine the subject of the work.

2. Determine the DDC notation based on the discipline of the subject.

3. Follow all instructions in the schedule and relevant tables.

4. Keep in mind the rules of DDC.

Quick Warm-ups

http://dewey.org/webdewey/login/login.html

Diseases

Linguistics

Incunabula

Structural Hierarchy

Instructions and notes pertaining to one number also apply to the numbers beneath it in the same hierarchy.

700 The Arts contains a scope note “Description, critical appraisal…”

The same scope note also applies to:

730 Sculpture

736 Carving

736.4 Wood carving

Notational Hierarchy

Each number is: • Subordinate to the number that is 1 digit shorter

636.71 Breeds of dogs is subordinate to 636.7 Dogs

• Coordinate with numbers that have the same number of significant digits636.72 Nonsporting dogs is coordinate with 636.73 Working and herding dogs

• Superordinate to a number that is 1 digit longer636.72 Nonsporting dogs is superordinate to 636.728 Poodles

Length of Numbers

• All numbers must be at least 3 digits long• Some numbers will begin with 0 or 00

001 Knowledge

• No periods for 3-digit numbers• Numbers longer than 3 digits have a

period inserted between the 3rd and 4th digits001.1 Intellectual life

Number Building

• Table 1. Standard Subdivisions can be added to almost any number in the schedule except when instructed otherwise.

• Exceptions: - “Do not add”- “No number building”- Topics listed within “Including…” notes- When the topic is already covered by the

schedule (avoid redundancies!)

Number Building: 025 + T1Apply the appropriate standard subdivision to the base number 025.

Standard Subdivision

Final Notation

Dictionary of library operations

Journal of library operations

A museum of the artifacts of library operations

Number Building

• Tables 2 to 6 can only be added when specifically told to add them.

• Other instructions for number building appear in the schedule, when applicable.

Number Building: Notation for ROM using 069 + T1 –09 + T2

069.09 Historical, geographic, or biographical treatment of Museology

See instructions for:

T1 –093 - T1 –099

Look out for…

• Discontinued numbers [ ]

• Optional numbers ( )• Tables of preference

at the beginning of T1 and throughout the schedule

• Footnotes *• Center notes >

• Notes– Add– Build– Class elsewhere– Class here– Comprehensive works– Do not use– Including– See Manual– Scope notes

Rules for More Complex Classification

Rules of DDC

Rule of application

If a work deals with interrelated subjects in the same discipline, class the work with the subject that is being acted upon.

Example

Administration 101 for museum professionals

“Actor”: Administration Subject that is “acted upon”: Museums

Rules of DDC

Fuller treatment

If a work deals with two or more subjects in the same discipline, class the work with the subject receiving the fuller treatment.

Example

A book that is mostly about photography, with a bit about painting

Subject receiving fuller treatment: Photography

Rules of DDC

First-of-two rule

For two subjects treated equally, class the work with the subject whose number comes first in the DDC schedules.

Example

A book that is 50% about photography, 50% about painting

Subject whose number comes first: Painting

Rules of DDC

Rule of three

If a work covers equally 3 or more subjects that are all subdivisions of a broader subject, class the work in the first higher number that includes all the subjects.

Example

A book that is equally about mathematics, astronomy, and physics

First higher number that includes all the subjects: Science

Rules of DDCRule of zeroKeep only as many zeroes as necessary for distinguishing a standard subdivision from the regular numbers in the schedule.

Example700 The arts (fine,

decorative, literary, performing, and recreational)

700.1 Philosophy of art701 Philosophy of fine

and decorative arts720 Architecture720.1 Philosophy of

architecture

Rules of DDCInterdisciplinary numbers

If the work treats the subject from multiple disciplines, and an interdisciplinary number is provided in the schedules or Relative Index, use the interdisciplinary number when applicable.

Example

001.9 Controversial

knowledge

“Class here interdisciplinary works on controversial knowledge, parapsychology, occultism.”

Rules of DDC

• Table of Last Resort • Intention of the author

Your Turn

• Work in pairs or groups of 3.• Determine the notation for each topic.• For topics where more than 1 notation

is possible, explain your choice of notation.

• For notations that you build, explain the instructions that you used.

Freedom of information

Semantic Web

A museum collection of historical ball gowns

Artistic depictions of the natural sciences

For additional practice with DDC, try the exercises in

your handout.

Evaluations

http://current.ischool.utoronto.ca/classificationwithdewey/fall2014