Page 59 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY
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Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory
Notes Self Assessment
Fill in the blanks:
21. The purpose of chronological device is to sharpen a ………………………. number.
22. Common isolates could also be in the form of a ……………………….. or a handbook.
23. In UDC, common isolates are called …………………………….. sub-divisions.
24. One and the same common ………………………….. idea is not always denoted by the
same term at all times.
Case Study DDC at Oxford Brookes
his library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) scheme to arrange books
and other library materials on the shelves so they may be easily retrieved. It is used
Tin many libraries and allows items about the same subject to be shelved together.
When an item arrives in the library it is assigned a DDC number, often called the “class-
mark” or “shelf-mark”. Each of the numbers in this shelf-mark has a meaning and is not
assigned randomly.
For example, the book “The Royal doctors 1485 - 1714” by Elizabeth Furdell has been
assigned the shelf-mark 610.6952094205 FUR. These numerals indicate:
610 = Medical sciences
610.6 = Professions
610.69 = Medical personnel
610.695 = Specific kindsof medical personnel
610.6952 = Physicians
610.69520942 = Physicians in England and Wales
610.6952094205 = Physicians in England and Wales 1485-1603
Most items will also be assigned some letters at the end of the numerals, “FUR” in the
above example. These are taken from the author’s surname or the first word of the title.
Finding Items on the Shelves
The shelf-mark will always have at least three numbers, followed by some letters. It is
usually displayed on the spine of the item, but is sometimes placed on the front cover.
Here are some examples:
The DDC system places items about the same subject at the same number. This means that
once you have identified the DDC number for the subject you are interested in, you can
browse the shelves at that number.
Contd....
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