Page 69 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes T = Time – like historical periods
Colon Classification: facet indicators
Facet indicators used for PMEST:
[personality]; [matter]: [energy]. [space] ‘ [time]

L, 45; 421: 6; 253: f.44’N5 - stands for “Medicine, Lungs; Tuberculosis: Treatment; X-ray:
Research.India’1950.”
Describes the document, Research in the cure of the tuberculosis of lungs by x-ray conducted in
India in 1950s
Multiple levels of PMEST were possible

Other indicators were also used, like & = “
4.1.5 The Future of Colon Classification

While Colon Classification, as well as many of Ranganathan’s ideas, continues to influence
library and information science, the scheme is not widely used in libraries. It gained a foothold
in India during Ranganathan’s life, but it never was the most commonly used scheme in India.
Its critics claim that the scheme is better suited for classification of academic libraries than public
or general-interest libraries. Colon Classification was also criticized because of major changes
from one edition to the next. This not only added a burden of retrofitting to the libraries that
used the scheme, but it also gave the international community the impression that Colon
Classification was a work-in-progress rather than a fully functioning scheme. (Criticism about
changes to the scheme particularly irritated Ranganathan. He pointed to his fifth law of library
science, that a library is a growing organism. He extended this law to include classification of
the library.) Most importantly, critics have long maintained that the Colon Classification notation
and code numbers are simply too complex to gain acceptance from average library patrons.
Unfortunately, when Ranganathan died in 1972 he had not left an organization in place to
continue work on the Colon Classification. All of the updates to the Colon Classification were
personally managed by Ranganathan (with a little help from assistants on the development of
schedules). So the code did not have the benefit of an overseeing organization to continue work
on the code and develop support for its use. Ranganathan was working on the 7th edition of the
Colon Classification system when he died. This was finally published in 1987.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
1. The foundation of Colon Classification was laid in Britain in the year 1914.
2. Space indicates action and interaction.

3. Colon Classification includes an additional guide for creating what it calls a Book Number.

4.2 Notation in Colon Classification

In the classification theory, Ranganathan introduced the conception of three planes of work
where the notational plane is beset with numerous obstacles. For this, much research has been
taken place where various innovations have been taken place. Therefore, CC uses a mixed
notation. It comprises of the following:

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