Page 189 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes Although the dictionary catalogue is quite popular and widely used in libraries, it has its merits
and demerits. Let us discuss these.

Merits of Dictionary Catalogue

(a) Its alphabetical arrangement is easy and simple to use. Anyone knowing the letters of an
alphabet and being able to refer a dictionary can find his/her references without any
difficulty.
(b) The works of the same author, different editions of the same title, translations of a work in
different languages, all such related entries can be brought together in a dictionary
catalogue. This indeed is a great facility for users.

(c) Subjects that are related but get distributed in a classified catalogue are brought, together
in a dictionary catalogue. For example, documents on `roses’ with reference to cultivation,
decoration, extraction of rose essence for making perfumes and scents, rose garden, rose
competition, artificial roses, etc. get distributed in a classified catalogue as they are classified
under different classes. But in a dictionary catalogue all these distributed relatives are
brought together, making it possible for users to get all the information on roses in one
search. These are, in fact, classified pockets in a dictionary catalogue.
(d) In a dictionary catalogue, subjects are entered under their specific names as such there is
no need for a user to know facet relations of subject to use the catalogue. A straight search
under a specific heading of a subject would fetch a reader the necessary information.
(e) New subject headings e.g., artificial intelligence can be inserted in a dictionary catalogue
without waiting for any authority list or standard subject headings to incorporate into it.
(f) All types of relationships between subjects such as hierarchical (broad and narrow terms)
associative (related terms), synonyms and homonyms, etc., can be shown in a dictionary
catalogue by appropriate cross references.

Demerits of Dictionary Catalogue

The alphabetical arrangement of entries in one sequence is at once the strength and weakness of
a dictionary catalogue. The subject entries get scattered in it, making it difficult for a user to get
a full view of the ramifications (divisions and subdivisions) of a subject. Further, sometime a
user moves from pillar to post in search of his entries. In order to get over this problem, a
number of cross-references are provided which makes the catalogue bulky. But with all these
limitations, many libraries use the dictionary catalogue all over the world.

Task With ten examples of subject headings, illustrate how an alphabetical subject
catalogue scatters related subjects.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
13. In a name catalogue, the entries of documents are under authors’ name and are arranged
alphabetically.
14. In an alphabetical subject catalogue, entries are made under the name of the specific
subjects of documents.

184 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY