Page 151 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

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each region. However, existing regulations in autonomous regions still do not include
classification-related rules. It can be inferred from the above that there is currently a legal
loophole or vacuo legis regarding the classification system to be used. The new body to be
created via the provision of 1989, the Library Coordinator Council, would be the authority
to dictate the specific regulations for classification of library collections and systematic
catalogues. But this new organ has not yet been consolidated, which explains the current
legal loophole in this matter. This situation could be avoided with provisions issued by a
transitory law, which could oblige professionals in state-owned libraries to use the UDC
until subsequent regulatory provisions. As a consequence, once again, we find ourselves
in a moment of transition, towards new theoretical and practical configurations in terms
of classification systems in Spain.
First Adoption of a Different Classification System: The LCC in a University Library
Based on the provision of 1989, the first implementation of a different classification system
in a Spanish state-owned library took place in Catalonia, at the library of the Pompeu
Fabra University, inaugurated in 1990. In the process of selecting a classification system
for this library, the rationale was that tradition should not be a hindrance: being a newly-
created library, it did not have to be tied to traditionally used systems. The choice of the
classification system was addressed and it was initially considered that if a new system
was to be chosen it would delay all the technical processes with the inconvenience that any
new personnel would not be trained to work with it. Numerous advantages were put
forward in favour of implementing the LCC in the Pompeu Fabra University library.
Firstly, it was considered to be a universal system as it covers all subject matters, as a
specialised classification system would not do, as the collections in a university library
are multidisciplinary in terms of subject. Furthermore, diverse classification systems could
not be applied as the Pompeu Fabra University library does not hold several libraries
with multiple specialist subjects; rather it has a single library with one modus operandi
and one management system. It was, thus, considered important that only one classification
system should be used which would also be applied to the single catalogue of the library,
to the arrangement of collections and to online access. The fact that the LCC was
implemented in numerous academic and university libraries, in addition to in the Library
of Congress itself, and that the system worked efficiently for users, was also an added
advantage.
The classification system should not become insufficient or obsolete with the development
of collections in size and scope. This seemed to be guaranteed as this system has been used
widely in academic and university libraries in the United States. It was also taken into
account the fact that LCC is a classification system maintained by an institution acting as
the Registration Authority, with official responsibility for creating and maintaining the
system. It was also argued that LCC has economic advantages due to the high number of
bibliographic records that include this classification, which may be consulted and even
copied. Another argument put forward was the fact that a large percentage of the Library
of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) has the corresponding LCC number linked to them,
both in their printed and CD-ROM versions. The Pompeu Fabra University Library uses
LCSH to assign subject headings to bibliographic entries. All these arguments supported
the option for the Library of Congress Classification, 9 in addition to the enthusiasm
shown by members of the academic staff. One of the initial difficulties that became apparent
was the lack of knowledge regarding the LCC, which was rectified through a training
course delivered by a librarian from Harvard University to the library personnel.
Contd....

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