Page 57 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes Another ‘example of the geographical device’
Early Egyptian religion for which the number is Q, 8677.
Here, Q, 8 is other religions, and 677 is Egypt from the schedule of space isolates

3.6.3 Subject Device

Subject device is used to form or sharpen a facet by adding to it (facet) another class number from
elsewhere in the scheme. This device has been used in several train classes. The part of the
number derived by the subject device should be enclosed in parenthesis (circular brackets).

Example: Medical college library is 2, J3 (L)
In the above example, in library science, 2, J3 represents college libraries to which is added (L)
from the main class L Medicine‘ to derive medical college library by subject device.
Let us take another example of subject device. Hindu Law is Z, (Q, 2) where Z is law, and (Q, 2)
is Hindu religion from the main class Q Religion.

3.6.4 Alphabetical Device

Alphabetical device is also used to form or sharpen an isolate number. The device is used by
taking the first or the first two or three letters of the names of persons, or objects, or products
widely accepted as such. The device can be used wherever warranted. The following are some
examples where the device is used:

0, 157, 3M61, G Gora, a novel by Rabindranath Tagore
Here, G stands for Gora
0, 157, 3M61, H + W Home and the world, a novel by Tagore.
Here, the initial letters of the two words in the title are connected, using the plus sign (+).
(H for Home and W for World)

D93CM Maruti motor car. D93C is for motor cars and M stands for Maruti
J, 381B Basmati rice, where J, 381 is rice’ and B is-for Basmati.

3.6.5 Common Isolate Device

Ranganathan defines common isolates as “an isolate idea denoted by the same isolate term and
represented by the same isolate number, quite irrespective of the compound subject in which it
occurs, or the basic subject with which the compound subject goes”. In DDC, it has been explained
as “a special kind of patterned repetition any subject can be presented in several forms. It could
be in the form of outline, history, theory or dictionary. It could also be in the form of a periodical
or a handbook. It could as well be a presentation of how to study or teach that subject. These
common forms and modes of presentation are called standard subdivisions.
It has been found that certain kinds of concepts keep recurring and may be found in many
subjects, e.g., proceedings, periodical, dictionary or encyclopaedia. These are all referred to as
forms of presentation. Publications like Journal of Economics, Encyclopaedia of Philosophy and
Proceedings of All India Library Conference have their own subjects. All these subjects, however,
are presented in particular forms. The forms involved here such as journal, encyclopaedia and
conference proceedings are commonly referred to as outer forms. There are inner forms also,

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