Page 80 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Unit 4: Colon Classification and Dewey Decimal Classification

2 Religions Notes
3 Social sciences
4 Languages
5 Pure sciences

6 Technology (Applied sciences)
7 The arts
8 Literature (Belles-letters)
9 General geography and history and their auxiliaries

Strictly and mathematically speaking, the number denoting Main Classes should have been
written as 0.0 Generalities, 0.1 Philosophy and related disciplines, 0.2 Religion, and so on. But
for the brevity and simplicity of notation, the initial nought and the decimal point are omitted,
though these are understood to be there. Thus in DDC, if you come across a number say 512, then
actually it should be treated as 0.512. We read 512 as five one two, and not as five hundred
twelve. Similarly we read 91 as nine one and not ninety-one; and 025.4 as zero two five point
four.
To simplify the ordinal value of these decimal fractions, and for their arrangement, there is a
convention that no number in DDC shall comprise less than three digits. If any number is of less
than three digits, then we add the required number of zeros to make the number of digits three.
Hence in actual practice the ten main classes are denoted as:

000 Generalities
100 Philosophy and related disciplines
200 Religion
300 Social sciences

400 Language
500 Pure sciences
600 Technology (Applied sciences)
700 The arts

800 Literature
900 General geography and history
The above ten divisions are also called the First Summary of DDC schedules. For the beginner
it is the first practical step to learn the system.

4.7.3 Notes

Perhaps the most helpful sources of information for the DDC classifier are the notes. There are
several major kinds of notes in the twenty-second edition: notes that tell what is found at a
classification, notes that tell what is found at other classifications, “including” notes (i.e., notes
that identify topics in “standing room”), notes that explain changes in schedules and tables,
notes that instruct the classifier in number building, notes that prescribe citation and preference
order, and notes that explain options. Notes found in the first two groups have what is called
“hierarchical force.” This means that they are applicable to all the subdivisions under the number
that has the note, as well as to the number with the note.

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