Page 142 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Unit 7: Library Classification Canons and Principles

literally, ideas presented in spoken language demonstrate work on only two planes (idea and Notes
verbal) while ideas presented in written language demonstrate work on all three planes (idea,
verbal, and notational).

!
Caution This strikes me as literally correct but conceptually wrong. It seems to be subtly
influenced by the colonial world in which Ranganathan grew up; oral cultures are allowed
to work in only two planes while written cultures have the option of a third plane of work.
This implies (if it does not directly state) that oral cultures are less than written cultures.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
7. …………………….are part of a system which we will call a mental state.
8. Work on the notation plane is a form of………………..

7.5 Canons/Principles of Ranganathan

Following are the Canons/Principles of Ranganathan:

7.5.1 Canons for Characteristics

Canon of Differentiation: Each characteristic used should differentiate, that is, it should
give rise to at least two classes.

Canon of Concomitance: No two characteristics should be concomitant.
Canon of Relevance: Each characteristic should be relevant to the purpose of the
classification.

Canon of Ascertainability: Each characteristic should be definitely ascertainable.
Canon of Permanence: Each characteristic should continue to be both ascertainable and
unchanged, so long as there is no change in the purpose of the classification.

Canon of Relevant Sequence: The characteristics of the scheme are to be used in a sequence
relevant to the purpose of the classification.

Canon of Consistency: The sequence of applying the chosen characteristics should be
consistently adhered to.

7.5.2 Canons for Array

Canon of Exhaustiveness: The classes in any array of classes should be very exhaustive of
their common immediate universe.

Canon of Exclusiveness: The classes in an array of classes should be mutually exclusive.
Canon of Helpful Sequence: The sequence of the classes in any array should be helpful.
It should be according to some convenient principle, and not arbitrary, wherever insistence
on one principle does not violate other more important requirements.
Canon of Consistent Sequence: Whenever similar classes occur in different arrays, their
sequences should be parallel in all such arrays, wherever insistence on such a parallel does

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