Page 171 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Information Analysis and Repackaging

Notes LC divides all knowledge into 21 main classes indicated by a single letter of the alphabet:

A General Works
B Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C History: Auxiliary science
D History: General and Old World
E-F History: America
G Geography
H Social Sciences
J Political Sciences
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliography and Library Science
There is one final point to make about classification systems. Theoretically, a classification system
should work in such a way that books on any one subject would be found in only one place. However,
this becomes impossible for those books that deal with more than one subject. For example, a book
such as Women, Philosophy, and Sport: A Collection of Critical Essays could be classified under
women’s studies (HQ), philosophy (B), or sports (GV), which are far apart from each other on the
shelves.
However, only one class number can be assigned to this book. The cataloguer will have to examine
the book and choose the class number that corresponds to the subject covered most prominently by
that book. Subjects covered in the book but not reflected in the call number chosen by the cataloguer
will be described by additional subject headings assigned by the cataloguer.

9.6 Headings and Sears List of Subject Headings

Sears list of subject headings was the brainchild of Minnie Earl Sears who gave its first edition in 1923
as List of Subject Headings for Small Libraries that was based on the list of subject headings used by
nine small well-catalogued libraries. She edited the List till 1933 when it was in its 3rd edition.
The name of the list was changed to the present one since its 6th edition. Small Libraries was removed
from the title as medium sized libraries also started using it. Sears was added to the title in recognition
to the contribution of Minnie Earl Sears. It is in its 18th edition, which was published in 2004. The
feature of this edition is Principles of the Sears List, which enlists the theoretical principles of subject
headings used in the List as well as general principles of subject cataloguing.
The principles guide the indexer in formulating new headings or subdivision of headings not
provided for in the List. The List follows the LCSH, however there is a difference as stated in the

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