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Reena Kapoor, Lovely Professional University Unit 2: Classification Schemes

Unit 2: Classification Schemes Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
2.1. Introduction to Major Schemes of Classification
2.2. Colon Classification (CC)
2.3. Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
2.4. Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)
2.5. Applications
2.6. Summary
2.7. Keywords
2.8. Review Questions
2.9. Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Illustrate the introduction of major schemes of classification
Understand the Dewey decimal classification (DDC)
Discuss the universal decimal classification (UDC)
Enumerate the applications of library classification schemes.

Introduction

Books are place on library shelves according to a classification scheme. A basic familiarity with
those systems is vital for the student so they can find materials efficiently within the collection.
Students of The Master’s Seminary will encounter the two main systems: (1) The Library of Congress
Classification System [LC], and (2) The Dewey Decimal System [Dewey]. The seminary utilizes the
LC system while The Master’s College utilizes the Dewey system.
The Dewey Decimal System is designed for the library user and browser. It has a logic flow, and
once the ten basic categories are memorized, a student can generally find what they are looking
for. The LC system is not designed with the library patron in mind. The LC system is really
designed for a “closed stacks” library where patrons do not “browse” the collection but rather
hand a page a request for a book, which would then retrieve it for the patron. As a result the LC
system is rather notorious for strange and often logic defying “calls numbers.”

2.1 Introduction to Major Schemes of Classification

1. Introduction: “Classification aims at demonstrating the way in which the human intellect
transforms the chaos of sense impressions into a cosmos of concepts”. Human beings seem
to have an innate need to organize entities. This need to organize large amount of knowl-
edge and information led to the development of classification schemes and other organiza-
tional tools. The ultimate aim of all classification work is to make sense out of chaos by
grouping similar things together. Library classification has mainly four purposes like
order the fields of knowledge in a systematic way, bring related items together in the most
helpful sequence, provide orderly access to the shelves, and lastly to provide an exact
location for an item on the shelf.

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