Page 30 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Unit 2: Theory of Subjects

Initially, it is not known whether the subject will grow further or not. If it has a promise more Notes
researchers start working on it, and the subject starts growing and the literature on the subject
starts appearing in a scattered way in different journals, conference papers, and so on. At a later
stage, the scattered literature is gleaned, examined, and a review paper or a book is written
where the ideas pertaining to the subject are organized and systematized and in some cases the
subject is given a name. Take for example a new area like ‘nanotechnology’ that has just started
developing. Ideas on this subject are gradually getting organized. It is not yet known in how
many dimensions this subject will expand. Hence, in the very beginning, the ideas of a nascent
subject is usually not organized or systematized.
In view of what has been said above, a new definition of ‘subject’ is being advanced here.
A subject comprises a segment or segments of the universe of knowledge. A subject can be
composed of a single segment like physics or any division or subdivision of it; double segments
like science and technology, multiple segments like physical sciences, and so on.

2.1.1 Characteristics of a Subject

Characteristics of the subject are as follows:
(i) A subject possesses all the characteristics that a segment possesses.
(ii) A subject is identified by a name, a notation, or a symbol. For example: Iron is a name; its
notation in UDC is 546.72; and its chemical symbol is Fe.
(iii) The name can be composed of a single keyword like physics, or a set of keywords like
solid fuel rocket engine.

(iv) The name of a subject is a noun that at times can have one or more qualifiers or modifiers.
Examples: Analytical chemistry; Fast neutron; etc. In the examples ‘analytical’ is a qualifier;
‘fast’ is a modifier.
(v) The word or words that denote a subject can act as a subject heading.
(vi) The name of a subject sometimes undergoes change due to various reasons. For example,
the name of our profession has evolved in the following way: Library economy →
Librarianship → Library science → Library and information science → Library and
information studies, etc. Now, in many cases, it is referred only as Information science/s.
With the advent of space age, the name of the subject Aeronautical engineering has changed
to Aerospace engineering. Elsewhere, Bombay has been named as Mumbai, Madras as
Chennai, and Calcutta as Kolkata.

2.1.2 Subject System

The concept of a subject system has already been defined. In the solar system, there is the Sun,
planets, satellites, asteroids, solar comets, action, space, and time. In other words, one can say
that in the system there are objects (the sun, planets, etc.); action (planets, satellites, etc. are all
moving); space (the entire system occupies a huge amount of space. Pluto is about 7.2 billion km
from the Sun); and time. (It is believed that the system is existing for 4.5 billion years. In
Prolegomena the subject system has to a certain extent been described as loose assemblage
under Formation of subjects.

Task Visit National Library of India and do a research on the subject systems and prepare
a small report.

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