Page 81 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes Notes that tell what is found at a classification: These notes include scope notes, definition
notes, number-built notes, former heading notes, variant name notes, and class-here notes.
An example of a scope or definition note is found at “553 Economic geology.” The first note
there reads, “Quantitative occurrence and distribution of geologic materials of economic utility.”
The second note at this classification is an example of a class-here note: “Class here
interdisciplinary works on non-metallic geologic materials.” Such notes are used to list major
topics that are included at a class and also to indicate where interdisciplinary and comprehensive
works are to be classified. Number-built notes explain the source of built numbers that are
included in the schedules, e.g. “559.9 Earth sciences of extra-terrestrial worlds. Number built
according to instructions under 554-559.” Former heading and variant name notes begin with
those words and seem self-explanatory.

Notes that tell what is found at other classifications: These notes begin with the words class,
for, or see also. For example, at “070.9 Historical and persons treatment of journalism and
newspapers” is found the note, “Class historical treatment of specific topics of journalism in
070.41-070.49.” At “338.5 General production economics” is the note, “For organization of
production, see 338.6.”
Including notes (notes that identify topics in “standing room”): These notes provide a location
for topics that do not yet have enough works about them to justify a separate number. It is
assumed that there may be more works in the future, in which case the topics could be assigned
their own number. Therefore, the rules for applying DDC do not allow number building of any
kind (including additions of standard subdivisions) for topics in “standing room.” The assumption
is that the number in which the topic stands may be subdivided in a later edition to create a
number for the topic, and so, if no number building has been done; all items on that topic can be
classified in the new number for the topic simply by adding new digits to the general number.
Standing-room notes begin with the word including. For example, in the library and information
sciences section under “Descriptive cataloguing,” one finds “025.322 Choice of entry and form of
heading.” The first note says, “Including corporate headings, personal name headings, and
uniform titles.” There is already a subdivision “025.3222 Authority files,” and it would be
possible in the future those individual subdivisions for corporate headings, personal name
headings, and uniform titles could be made.
Notes explaining changes in schedules and tables: These notes tell a user of the schedules that
there have been changes at a particular number since the last edition of DDC. There may have
been revisions of contents covered, a discontinuation of coverage either for a whole number or
for a part of its contents, or a relocation of all or part of the contents.
Notes that instruct the classifier in number building: Number-building instructions provide
ways to gain greater depth of analysis at a particular classification.
Notes that prescribe citation and preference order: These notes help a classifier decide which of
more than one aspect or characteristic to use for classification. Citation order allows the use of
two or more characteristics (i.e., facets) in a specified order. Preference order establishes the
order in which one chooses a facet when only one can be chosen. For example:
006 Special computer methods
. . .

Unless other instructions are given, class a subject with aspects in two or more
subdivisions of 006 in the number coming last, e.g., natural language processing
in expert systems 006.35 (not 006.33)

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