Dewey Decimal Classification

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Dewey Decimal Classification

• Lecture 10
• Libr 248
• Daniel Stuhlman

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OCLC WebDewey

• On the right hand side of the screen, under
  General (in a blue oval).
  
• Then click on Documentation Under Dewey
  Services, click on WebDewey User Guide
  
• Read through the WebDewey overview
• Why use WebDewey?
• Use associations between Dewey numbers and
  Library of Congress subject headings as
  additional access points to the DDC.
  
• Access the many pre-built numbers that are found
  only in the web version, especially in the
  literature area.
  
• Keep abreast of the latest changes to the
  Classification via the quarterly updates made to
  WebDewey.
  
• Make your own annotations to the DDC with the
  user notes feature.
  
• Use the thousands of additional Relative Index
  terms as additional access points to the DDC.
  

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Introduction to DDC

• Read through the introduction to DDC Dewey
  Decimal Classification
  
• The DDC is built on sound principles that make
  it ideal as a general knowledge organization
  tool meaningful notation in universally
  recognized Arabic numerals, well-defined
  categories, well-developed hierarchies, and a
  rich net work of relation ships among topics. In
  the DDC, basic classes are organized by
  disciplines or fields of study. At the broadest
  level, the DDC is divided into ten main classes,
  which together cover the entire world of
  knowledge. Each main class is further divided
  into ten divisions, and each division into ten
  sections (not all the numbers for the divisions
  and sections have been used).

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Ten Main Dewey Classes

• 000 Computers, information general works
• 100 Philosophy psychology
• 200 Religion philosophy of religion
• 300 Social sciences
• 400 Language
• 500 Science
• 600 Technology
• 700 Arts recreation
• 800 Literature
• 900 History geography

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Class 000

• Class 000 is the most general class, and is used
  for works not limited to any one specific
  discipline, e.g., encyclopedias, newspapers,
  general periodicals. This class is also used for
  certain specialized disciplines that deal with
  knowledge and information, e.g., computer
  science, library and information science,
  journalism. Each of the other main classes
  (100900) comprises a major discipline or group
  of related disciplines.

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Class 100

• Philosophy psychology
• 100 109 Philosophy psychology 110 119
  Metaphysics, Ontology, Cosmology (Philosophy of
  nature) 120 129 Epistemology, causation,
  humankind 130 139 Paranormal phenomena,
  Occult, Parapsychology
• 140 149 Specific philosophical schools 150
  159 Psychology 160 169 Logic, Induction,
  Deduction 170 179 Ethics (Moral philosophy)
  180 189 Ancient, medieval, Oriental
  philosophy 190 - 199 Modern Western philosophy
  

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Class 200

• Religion and philosophy of religion
• Both deal with the ultimate nature of existence
  and relationships, but religion treats these
  topics within the context of revelation, deity,
  and worship.

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Class 300

• Social sciences
• Includes sociology, anthropology, statistics,
  political science, economics, law, public
  administration, social problems and services,
  education, commerce, communications,
  transportation, and customs.

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Class 400

• Language, linguistics, and specific languages
• Literature, which is arranged by language, is
  found in 800.
  

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Class 500

• Natural sciences and mathematics
• The natural sciences describe and attempt to
  explain the world in which we live.
  

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Class 600

• Technology
• Technology consists of utilizing the sciences to
  harness the natural world and its resources for
  the benefit of humankind.
  

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Class 700

• The arts and recreation
• Art in general, fine and decorative arts, music,
  and the performing arts. Recreation, including
  sports and games, is also classed in 700.
  

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Class 800

• Literature, and rhetoric
• Includes prose, poetry, drama, etc.
• Folk literature is classed with customs in 300.

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Class 900

• Geography History
• When a work is a story of events that have
  transpired or an account of existing conditions
  in a particular place or region, it is classed in
  900. A history of a specific subject is classed
  with the subject.

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Discipline not Subject

• Since the parts of the DDC are arranged by
  discipline, not subject, a subject may appear in
  more than one class. For example, clothing has
  aspects that fall under more than one discipline.
  Customs associated with clothing belong in 391 as
  part of the discipline of customs clothing in
  the sense of fashion design belongs in 746.9 as
  part of the discipline of the arts.

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Conceptual Framework

• DDC is a hierarchical system. It breaks down all
  of knowledge into 10 main classes, each of
  which is further subdivided into 10 divisions,
  which are further subdivided into ten sections
  and so on, theoretically, ad infinitum. Each of
  the 10 main classes represent disciplines or
  fields of study and NOT SUBJECTS.
• Since numbers are grouped by Discipline not by
  subject, there is no one place or number for any
  given subject.

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The notes

• The notes printed in the schedules supply
  information that may not be apparent from reading
  through the hierarchy.
  
• Four types of notes
• 1. Class here frequently found at the start
  of a main class of numbers
  
• For example 362.1 Physical illness.
• Class here interdisciplinary works on illness
  and disability
  
• 2. Add to base one of the schemes for
  condensing the schedule by referring to repeated
  patterns common to more than one .
  
• For example Dewey number 636.201-208
• add to base 636.20 the s following 636.0 in
  636.001 636.08
  
• 2b. Add as instructed
• For example 363.7392 air pollution
• add as instructed under 362-363 pages 682-684

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The notes 2

• 3. General discontinued note Usually
  accompanied by a bracketed
  
• NEVER USE bracketed topics that have been
  relocated
  
• For example 362.08 Do not use class in
  362.1-362.8
  
• 4. optional note ( ) optional number
• For example 359.6
• (Option Class comprehensive works in 353.25.
  If option is chosen, change heading to Specific
  topics in naval administration, and do not add
  standard subdivisions)
• Options are provided for libraries whose needs
  are not met by the standard provisions designed
  for English-language users. Options are found in
  parentheses. International users find the
  options helpful. Quoted from the DDC.

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Relative Index

• Schedules give the overall structure, but, its
  difficult to classify a book by just using the
  schedule. The relative index (found in the
  beginning of volume 4 of the print version or in
  a WebDewey search will help the cataloger see how
  a number fits into the schedules.

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Relative Index 2

• Look up a subject or a word from a subject. The
  index will display class numbers that may be
  appropriate might be appropriate to use with that
  subject. More specifically the relative index
  relates subjects to disciplines outlined in the
  Dewey schedules. It achieves this by bringing
  together all the various aspects (disciplines) of
  a topic under one general term (relative index
  entry term ), no matter where those aspects would
  be classed throughout DDC.
• The first number displayed in an index entry is
  the number for interdisciplinary works.
  
• For example, a search of children in the
  relative index pulls up some 178 entries
  
• Children 305.23
• Children art representation 704.9425
• Children cooking for 641.5622
• Children literature 808.803523
• Children psychology 155.4
• Children--immunization 614.47083
• Children--institutional buildings--architecture
  725.57 and so forth
  

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Classification Example

• Yummy fried food, including a few main dishes to
  make for your enemies / by John Howells.
  
• Subject concerns techniques on frying food.
• Index Entry Cooking 641.5
• Are there other terms we could use to search
  the relative index for this books subject?
  
• Call Number 641.77Hierarchy 600
  Technology
  
• 640 Home family management
• 641 Food and drink
• 641.4-641.8 Food preservation, storage,
  cooking
  
• 641.77   Frying, sauteing, braising 
• If you click on 641.7 you get an expanded list of
  entries including 641.77. Notes on the bottom
  tell how to think about this number as well as
  alternative Dewey s to consider.
• In this case we class this book in 641.77 because
  it is mostly about the technique of frying.

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Example, cond.

• If the title was Yummy main dishes to make for
  your enemies, including some great fried dishes /
  by John Howells.
  
• Subject concerns main dishes.
• 641.82 Main dishes
• The book would be classed in 641.82 because it
  is about a particular category of food, i.e.,
  main dishes.

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641.82 Main dishes

• Any Dewey number is relative that means a later
  edition can reassign it. The current schedule
  is 641.82 Main dishes
  
• 641.821 Casserole dishes
• 641.822 Pasta dishes
• 641.823 Stews
• 641.8236 Chili
• 641.824 Meat and cheese pies
• 641.8248 Pizza

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641.824

• Phillips, Diane.
• Pot pies comfort food under cover / Diane
  Phillips.
  
• Pub info New York Doubleday, 2000.
• 641.824 Phillips
• Subject Potpies.
• This book from 2000 is from the class for meat
  and cheese pies.
  
• Henry, Linda.
• Pizzas / writer, Linda Henry.
• Pub info Des Moines Better Homes and Gardens
  Books, c1994.
  
• 641.824 Henry
• Better homes and gardens test kitchen
• Subject Pizza.
• In 1994 641.824 was for pizza. But for some
  people pizza is a meat and cheese pie.
  

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641.77 Frying, sauteing, braising

• The complete wok cook book / by the editors of
  Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine
  illustrations Susan Jaekel
  
• Menlo Park, CA Lane, c1988.
• 641.77 Complete
• Subject Wok cookery.
• Rodgers, Rick, 1953-
• Fried and true crispy and delicious dishes from
  appetizers to desserts / Rick Rodgers
  photographs by Christopher Hirsheimer.
  
• Pub info San Francisco Chronicle Books, c1999.
  
  
• 641.77 Rodgers
• Subjects Deep frying. Cookery,
  International.
  

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Classification Process

• 1. Decide what the book is about.
• 2. Choose subject key words and look them up in
  the relative index. Be aware of synonyms and
  different nomenclature.
  
• Remember the index is only a general guide to
  the subject, not a thesaurus.
  
• 3. Look at the summaries and then the schedules.
  Examine the hierarchy in the schedules. Examine
  the choices in the schedules.
  
• 4. Ask yourself What is the discipline? Is this
  the correct discipline? Is there a more specific
  number than the one given in the index?
  

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Classification Process 2

• A book can not be classified just by looking up a
  class number in the index. After checking the
  index go to the schedules and examine the
  hierarchy.
• Catalogers may find it helpful to go from the
  index to the summaries. The summaries provide a
  method for mental navigation through the
  schedules.
• This is especially helpful for beginners.

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Mistakes to Avoid

• 1. Misunderstanding the subject of the book
• To avoid this do a careful technical reading of
  the book. Look at the dust jacket, table of
  contents, introduction, preface, bibliography,
  index, etc.
• 2. Using the index carelessly
• To avoid this look at the summaries (in volume
  2 before the 000 schedules)
  
• 3. Not choosing the most specific number
• To avoid this carefully examine the schedule.

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What the book is about

• The classifier must determine what the book is
  about. This means but the subject and the
  discipline of the subject. When determining the
  discipline the cataloger needs to determine
  specifically which of several aspects of a
  subject is involved or predominates.

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Precise verses Broad

• The size and diversity of the library you
  determines the need for specific or broad class
  number. For example, if the library owns a lot
  of books on European cooking, the cataloger will
  need to generate a specific or precise number to
  differentiate between the types of cooking from
  different regions and countries within Europe
  that the library owns. But, if the library only
  has three books on cooking, the cataloger will
  not need to construct a precise or long
  classification number (using the location tables)
  in order to separate French cooking from Belgium
  cooking. Instead all three books under the
  general concept of cookery and differentiate the
  books simply by their main entry based cutter
  number.

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Dewey numbers

• Dewey numbers are always composed of at least 3
  digits to the left of the decimal point. 0s are
  used as place holders in the number lower than
  100.
• Since 1967, the Library of Congress has divided
  Dewey class numbers into as many as three
  segments. Prime marks () are used to separate
  the segments. The prime marks indicate logical
  places to shorten a long class number if a
  library does not desire the complete number.
  When transcribing a Dewey class number from LC
  copy, convert a prime mark to a slash marks (/)
  . OCLC bib formats.

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Fiction

• Most public libraries do not classify fiction.
  The may use the letter F or Fic with a cutter
  number.

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Cutter numbers

• Cutter table provides a way to
• Translate the 26 letters of the alphabet using
  only 9 digits, for alphabetic shelf arrangement.
  
  
• Cutter number
• 1. First character is taken from the first
  letter of the main entry (m.e.)
  
• 2. The next one or two numbers (decision based
  upon the librarys policy/size of collection)
  taken from the cutter table (represent the next 2
  letters of the m.e.)