Page 20 - DLIS103_LIBRARY_CLASSIFICATION_AND_CATALOGUING_THEORY

Unit 2: Classification Schemes

stands for a 16; class, e.g., philosophy, psychology, chemistry, literature, history, etc. In CC, Notes
originally there were nearly 30 such main classes. This number rose to 47 in the sixth
edition. You can find that many of the main classes listed in the seventh edition are not
exactly basic subjects as you know them. If you take, for example, B Mathematics, the
different subjects listed under it appear more like its extensions. Similarly properties of
matter, sound, heat, electricity, magnetism etc., under C Physics are only adjuncts to the
main class C. But in classifying, it makes a difference. Iii C6 Electricity, 6 is not a fundamen-
tal category, but is part of the basic class, and hence a separate facet formula had to be given
for it.
(f) Planes of Work: According to Ranganathan, there are three planes of work through which
a scheme of library classification passes. The three planes arc Idea plane, herbal plane and
Notational plane.
A scheme of library classification has to first enumerate the Universe of Subjects, state their
interrelations and fix their order. This is done in the idea plane. The findings of the idea
plane are to be represented in terms. This is the verbal plane of Work. Lastly, these terms
are transformed into a notation. This last plane of work is known as the notational plane.
There are thus three planes of work: idea, verbal and notational.
(g) Rounds and Levels: Having identified five fundamental categories, it was found that some
of them manifest themselves- more than once in a subject, for example personality, matter
and energy. This phenomenon was handled by the introduction of the postulates of rounds
and levels. Take, far instance, a subject like Treatment of brain tumor by radium therapy. In
this, we have the fundamental, categories brain FET tumor [A], treatment [ER]-,and
radium therapy [El., 11 (E), thus, repeats itself. Such repetition of any of to three (R M and
E) fundamental categories is called round of fundamental category. These rounds are
indicated as [IPI], [2PI], [113], [2E], [1Mi], [2M1] and soon.
Let us take another example: King Lear by Shakespeare. First you must find what fundamental
categories are present in this subject. The basic class is, of course; literature. The isolates are
language, form of literature, author and his work. All these are isolates, I under the fundamental
category personality. They, therefore, belong to the personality facet. ‘These occurrences are
referred to as levels of personality and they all fall in the first round. They are, therefore, indicated
as [1P1], [1P2], [1P3], [1P4]. They are read as first level; first round, second level; first round, third
level; and first round, fourth level.
Library and information science literature is replete with information about Dr. ShiyaliRamamrita
Ranganathan, and for good reason. While considered the father of librarianship in his native India,
his influence has spread far from India, to the entire library world. This paper will focus on the
historical and contemporary importance of Ranganathan's ideas in the library profession, focusing
specifically on his Colon Classification (CC) scheme.
Ranganathan's story of entering librarianship is an intriguing one. Brought up by his grandfather
who was a teacher, he always placed an emphasis on education. He received his BA, and an MA in
math from Madras Christian College. He taught physics and math at several colleges in India, but
was dissatisfied with the low pay for teaching positions. As Garfield (1984) writes, “when his
attempts to get higher pay for teacher failed, Ranganathan was reluctantly persuaded by a friend
to apply for the well-paid post of Madras University librarian. To his surprise, he won the
appointment, although he lacked any library training”. Ranganathan disliked the library work at
first, because of its quiet atmosphere and his current library’s organizational problems. Eventually,
he embraced the challenge and, after studying at the School of Librarianship, University College
in London, he “launched a full-scale reform program to implement his ideas for staffing and
furnishing the library as well as classifying and cataloging its contents”. He also, in observing
hundreds of other libraries, developed principles that he thought would unify libraries, and create
a better organizational scheme. He devised the Five Laws of Library Science, simply-stated yet far-
reaching principles that guide library practices through a user-centered philosophy. His ideas for
organization took shape into an innovative classification scheme.

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