Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- About the authors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A Brief History of the Dewey Decimal Classification
- 2 Governance and Revision of the DDC
- 3 Introduction to the Text
- 4 Basic Plan and Structure
- 5 Subject Analysis and Locating Class Numbers
- 6 Tables and Rules for Precedence and Citation Order
- 7 Number Building
- 8 Use of Table 1 Standard Subdivisions
- 9 Use of Table 2 Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Biography
- 10 Use of Table 4 Subdivisions of Individual Languages and Table 6 Languages
- 11 Use of Table 3 Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms
- 12 Use of Table 5 Ethnic and National Groups
- 13 Multiple Synthesis: Deeper Subject Analysis
- 14 Classification of General Statistics, Law, Geology, Geography and History
- 15 Using the Relative Index
- 16 WebDewey
- 17 Options and Local Adaptations
- 18 Current Developments in the DDC and Future Trends
- Appendix 1 A Broad Chronology of the DDC, 1851–2022
- Appendix 2 History of Other Versions of the DDC
- Appendix 3 Table of DDC Editors
- Appendix 4 Editors of the DDC
- Appendix 5 Takeaways
- Further resources
- Glossary
- Index
Appendix 5 - Takeaways
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2023
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- About the authors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A Brief History of the Dewey Decimal Classification
- 2 Governance and Revision of the DDC
- 3 Introduction to the Text
- 4 Basic Plan and Structure
- 5 Subject Analysis and Locating Class Numbers
- 6 Tables and Rules for Precedence and Citation Order
- 7 Number Building
- 8 Use of Table 1 Standard Subdivisions
- 9 Use of Table 2 Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Biography
- 10 Use of Table 4 Subdivisions of Individual Languages and Table 6 Languages
- 11 Use of Table 3 Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms
- 12 Use of Table 5 Ethnic and National Groups
- 13 Multiple Synthesis: Deeper Subject Analysis
- 14 Classification of General Statistics, Law, Geology, Geography and History
- 15 Using the Relative Index
- 16 WebDewey
- 17 Options and Local Adaptations
- 18 Current Developments in the DDC and Future Trends
- Appendix 1 A Broad Chronology of the DDC, 1851–2022
- Appendix 2 History of Other Versions of the DDC
- Appendix 3 Table of DDC Editors
- Appendix 4 Editors of the DDC
- Appendix 5 Takeaways
- Further resources
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
1. Melvil Dewey (1851–1931) was born on December 10, 1851; Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was his original name.
2. The DDC was first published in 1876 under the title A Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library. It was published by Amherst College, Massachusetts. Authorship was anonymous.
3. The Second Edition (1885) is important because:
(a) It was given a new and stable title: Decimal Classification and Relative Index.
(b) It was copyrighted by the Library Bureau, a company owned by Melvil Dewey.
(c) It was eleven times larger than the First Edition.
(d) W. S. Biscoe (1853–1933), a friend of Dewey, was associated with editing this edition.
(e) The class numbers were expanded beyond three digits, which demonstrated for the first time the potential of the decimal notation.
(f) Tables of form divisions were added before each class for the first time, which ultimately developed into Table 1, for standard subdivisions.
It was a first step in number synthesis.
(g) The ‘Integrity of Numbers’ policy was announced, which has influenced the revision of all subsequent editions. It has divided the DDC editors and other stakeholders into two camps, one observing the integrity of numbers policy in letter and spirit and the progressive camp, which wants the DDC to observe subject integrity to keep pace with growing knowledge and faithfully represent that knowledge in its classes.
4. Decimal Classification and Relative Index was the title from the Second (1885) to 12th Edition (1927). The name ‘Dewey’ was prefixed to this title in the 13th Edition (1932), published a year after Melvil Dewey's death.
5. Major contributions of the DDC to library classification include:
(a) It introduced classification by discipline.
(b) It provides relative location on the shelves in contrast to fixed location of books in the pre-Dewey days.
(c) Use of decimal numbers provides a hierarchical notation.
(d) It offers almost infinite capacity to add new subjects through the use of decimal notation.
(e) Numerous number-building facilities are available, making it basically an enumerative classification.
(f) There are regular and thoughtful revisions vetted by a formulated committee and editors, with strong institutional backup and sound revision machinery.
(g) The availability of DDC class numbers through centralized agencies such as WorldCat and LC MARC records is a great help to catalogers.
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- A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System , pp. 205 - 212Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2023