Crash Course in Dewey Decimal Classification

Fall 2016 iSkills Workshop Series

Instructor: Elisa SzeLibrarian, Collections & Public Services Coordinator

September 2016

What is Dewey Decimal Classification?

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

• Decimals make the system extensible• Notation is universal; uses Arabic

numerals• Analytico-synthetic classification

069 069 069

Collocation = bringing together similar works

Hussain

All about M

useums

Leung Museology:

An introduction

Singh M

useums

069H972

069L653

069S617

Collocation = bringing together similar works

Hussain

All about M

useums

Leung Museology:

An introduction

Singh

069 = about museology/

museum science

L653 = Cutter notation for the

author’s last name, Leung

Background

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

Date conceived

First published in

Current copyright holder:

OCLCWho updates it now?

Library of Congress

30+ languages

135+ countries

Formats & Editions

Print OnlineDDC 23 WebDewey 23Abridged 15 WebDewey look for

Abridged Edition 15

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

DDC, 1st ed. (1876)000 Bibliography 100 Philosophy200 Theology300 Sociology400 Philology500 Natural Science600 Useful Arts700 Fine Arts800 Literature900 HistorySource: 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

Classes in DDC 23rd ed. (2011)000 Computer science, information & general

works100 Philosophy & psychology200 Religion*300 Social sciences (Culture, political science, economics, law,

education, commerce, customs & folklore)

400 Language500 Science600 Technology (Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Management)

700 Arts & recreation 800 Literature900 History & geographySource: Dewey, M. (2011). Dewey decimal classification and relative index, 23rd edition. J. Mitchell (Ed.). Dublin, OH: OCLC.

How DDC compares with the Library of Congress Classification

A – General WorksB – Philosophy. Psychology.

ReligionC – Auxiliary Sciences of HistoryD – World History and History of

Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

E – History of the AmericasF – History of the AmericasG – Geography, Anthopology,

RecreationH – Social SciencesJ – Political ScienceK – LawL – Education

M – Music and Books on MusicN – Fine ArtsP – Language and LiteratureQ – ScienceR – MedicineS – AgricultureT – TechnologyU – Military ScienceV – Naval ScienceZ – Bibliography. Library Science.

Information Resources (General)

“Hundred Divisions”100 Philosophy110 Metaphysics120 Epistemology130 Parapsychology & occultism140 Philosophical schools of thought150 Psychology160 Philosophical logic170 Ethics180-190 History, geographic treatment,

biography

“Thousand Sections”110 Metaphysics111 Ontology[112] [Unassigned]113 Cosmology (Philosophy of nature)114 Space115 Time116 Change117 Structure118 Force and energy119 Number and quantity

How to classify

1. Determine the subject of the work.2. Determine the DDC number based on the

discipline of the subject.3. Follow all written instructions in the

schedule and relevant tables.4. Keep in mind the rules of DDC.

Quick warm-ups

http://dewey.org/webdewey/login/login.htmlUser ID: 100-210-803

Password: FACT*JNXN

Diseases

Linguistics

Incunabula

Structural Hierarchy

The Arts

Sculpture

Carving

Wood carving

Rules “drip down” the hierarchy

700

730

736

736.4

Notational HierarchyEach 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 one digit longer636.73 Working and herding dogs is superordinate to 636.736 Doberman-Pinscher

Dogs 636.7

Specific breeds of dogs 636.72-636.75

Sporting dogs, hounds & terriers 636.75

Nonsporting dogs636.72

Working & herding dogs 636.73

Hounds 636.753

Doberman-Pinscher 636.736

Terriers636.755Clipart from:

http://openclipart.org

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!)- When the topic that you want to use as the basis

of number-building does not encompass the whole of the topic in the schedule

T1. Standard Subdivisions--01 Philosophy and theory--02 Miscellany--03 Dictionaries, encyclopedias, concordances--04 Special topics--05 Serial publications--06 Organizations and management--07 Education, research, related topics--08 Groups of people--09 History, geographic treatment, biography

Number Building Using T1Apply the appropriate standard subdivision to the base number.

Standard Subdivision

Final Notation

Dictionary of cultural heritage

Journal of culturalissues

A museum collection aboutpop culture

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 Canadian outdoor sports using

796 + T1 –09 + T2

796.09 Historical or geographic treatment of outdoor sports

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

ExampleAdministration 101 for museum professionals

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

Rules of DDCFuller treatmentIf a work deals with two or more subjects in the same discipline, class the work with the subject receiving the fuller treatment.

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

Subject receiving fuller treatment: Photography

Rules of DDCFirst-of-two ruleFor two subjects treated equally, class the work with the subject whose number comes first in the DDC schedules.

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

Subject whose number comes first: Painting

Rules of DDCRule of threeIf 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.

ExampleA 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 numbersIf 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.• 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