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INLS 150 Session 6 February 14, 2002

INLS 150 Session 6 February 14, 2002. Cristina Pattuelli School of Information & Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Classification Puzzle. Duck-billed platypus? Water mole? Egg-laying mammal? Ornithorhynchus paradoxus? Platypus anatinus?

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INLS 150 Session 6 February 14, 2002

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  1. INLS 150 Session 6 February 14, 2002 Cristina Pattuelli School of Information & Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  2. Classification Puzzle • Duck-billed platypus? • Water mole? • Egg-laying mammal? • Ornithorhynchus paradoxus? • Platypus anatinus? • Ornithorhynchus anatinus? Platypus plate. Reproduced from Bilderbuch fur Kinder: enthaltend eine angenehme Sammlung von Thieren, Planzen, Blumen, Fruchten … by J.F. Bertuch (Weimar, Germany: im Verlage des Landes-Industrie-Comptoirs, 1798–1830)

  3. Classification • Natural human learning activity • Scientific/Bibliographic

  4. Classification History • Aristotle - Classical Theory of Categories – ten categories: • things are categorized together based on what they have in common (properties) • Clear boundaries, hierarchy mirroring the actual world • Unchallenged until mid-19th c. http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/courses/categories.html

  5. Cracks in Classical Theory • Wittgenstein, 1953, family resemblances • Zadeh, 1965, fuzzy set theory • Lonsbury, 1965, family kinship • Rosch, 1973-early 1980’s, prototype theory • Ad hoc categories

  6. Classification • Multitude of uses: • Supermarkets’ shelf arrangement • Knowledge bases for expert systems • For data structure in business (organizational) archives and knowledge repositories • Design of menus for interactive searching • Libraries’ stack arrangement (order) • Etc…

  7. Bibliographic Tradition Two methods for arranging materials: Alphabetical catalog (Subject Headings) Classified catalog

  8. Classification Schemes Typology1 • Universal schemes • Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) • Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) • Library of Congress Classification (LCC) Began to be developed in North America during the 19th century Traugott Koch: http://www.lub.lu.se/desire/radar/reports/D3.2.3/class_v10.html

  9. Classification Schemes Typology 2 • National general schemes e.g., Governments maintain official classifications of occupations and industries Traugott Koch: http://www.lub.lu.se/desire/radar/reports/D3.2.3/class_v10.html

  10. Classification Schemes Typology 3 • Subject specific schemes • National Library of Medicine (NML) • Engineering Information (Ei) • ACM Computing Classification System (CCS) • Mathematics Subject Classification (MSC) Traugott Koch: http://www.lub.lu.se/desire/radar/reports/D3.2.3/class_v10.html

  11. Home-grown Schemes • For particular services • Yahoo! search service Traugott Koch: http://www.lub.lu.se/desire/radar/reports/D3.2.3/class_v10.html

  12. Epic, and other non dramatic poetry Drama Law Philosophy History Oratory Medicine Mathematical science Natural Science Miscellanea Callimachus’ Classification10 πινάκης (pinakes)

  13. Classified Catalog • Related classes and categories • Hierarchical approach • Logical sequence from general to specific • Notations facilitate creation of hierarchical subject trees

  14. Bibliographic Classification Scheme • Component parts: • Schedule (e.g., division in classes, facets) • Notation (numbers and/or letters) • Index (list of related terms for accessing the schedule)

  15. Bibliographic Classification • Two approaches: • Enumerative (assign a notation to every concept in the system) • Faceted (like faces of a diamond) • Facets = various subparts of the whole classification notation – synthetic approach

  16. Classification Concepts • Broad vs. Close • Broad: only main classes and few subdivisions • Close: all the detailed subdivisions available • Factors: collection’s size

  17. Major Classification Schemes • 1. DDC Dewey Decimal Classification • 2. LCC Library of Congress Classification • 3. UDC Universal Decimal Classification • 4. CC Colon Classification

  18. Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) 1876 – Melvil Dewey • Knowledge organization tool • Provide access to libraries’ collections • Also browsing mechanism for resources on the web • The most widely used classification system in the world

  19. DDC Structure • Hierarchical Structure • Enumerative (list of categories one by one) • World of Knowledge divided in 10 main classes (Classes represent disciplines or field of studies) - from 000 to 900 - • Each class further divided into 10 divisions • Each division into 10 sections • 999 classes in total • Relative index

  20. DDC Concepts • Arranged by discipline • Any specific topic can appear in any number of disciplines • e.g., a work on ‘FAMILIES” can be classed in a number of different disciplines. Depending on its emphasis

  21. DDC Family • 173 Ethics of family relationships • 241.63 Christian family ethics • 296.4 Religious family rites, celebrations • 304.666 Family planning • 306.8 Marriage and family • 616.89156 Family psychotherapy • 796 Sports for family • 929.2 Family histories A. Taylor, 2000

  22. DDC Notation • Decimal notation in Arabic numerals • much simpler than previous solutions (roman numerals, etc.) • Number Building: • 500 – Natural sciences and mathematics • 510 Mathematics, 520 Astronomy, 530 Physics • 530 –general works on physics, 531 classical mechanics, 532 fluid mechanics, 533 gas mechanics.. • A decimal point after each 3 digits.

  23. How DDC Works • First, by knowledge area • classes • Then, faceting arrangement – there are characteristics that should be applicable to all topics (belonging to a place, being in the form of a periodical, etc.) • Standard Tables (e.g., for geographical areas, time periods, persons, forms of materials) • E.g., US always 73 – has to be appended by means of 09 (facet indicator)

  24. How DDC Works • E.g. a dictionary of mathematical terms: • First, the number for mathematics • Then, standard subdivision for ‘dictionary’ • Literature is an exception: • Always first by language used by author –list-- • Then, by form (e.g., poetry, novel, drama) –tables-- • And/or by period when the author wrote –tables--

  25. How DDC Works • Well-defined categories • Well-developed hierarchies • Rich network of relationships among topics • Great detail of specificity • Relative location vs. Fixed location • Open Stacks – Browsing facility

  26. How DDC Works • When more than a topic/subject, choose the more general • Borderline cases: • Consider the purpose of the creator(s) • Consider use of the item in the collection

  27. DDC • Integrity of numbers vs. Extensibility • Keeping pace with knowledge • Three areas completely remodeled: • 350-354 Public Administration, 370 Education • 560-59 Life sciences • Recent revisions: • Knowledge, systems and data processing • 005 (computer)

  28. DDC 21st edition – Update New classes • Area of computers and computer networking • 004.36 Client-server computing • 004.678 Internet • 005.118 Visual programming • 006.32 Neural nets • Etc…

  29. DDC 21st edition – Revisions • Extension of existing classes • Subdivisions: • Operating system • User interface • Mode of processing • Etc… • 22nd edition - 2003

  30. DDC Limitations • Western knowledge oriented • American and Christian bias • 21st ed. Revised and expanded: • 296 Judaism • 297 Islam • Revision for geographic area numbers: • E.g. Soviet Union

  31. Library of Congress Classification (LCC) • 1897 – Herbert Putnam • LC’s own classification system • Mixed notation • One or two letters for main classes + • Ordinal (whole) numbers + • One or more cutters + • Date at the end • More economical notation

  32. LCC • For a library’s huge collection of books • too detailed and complex for small libraries • Adopted by research and university libraries throughout the world

  33. Universal Decimal Classification • 1885 - Paul Otlet and Henri la Fontaine (Belgian lawyers) • Institute Internationale de Bibliographie • The Document Movement (provide access to all information in all formats)

  34. Universal Decimal Classification • Expansion of DDC (with Dewey’s permission) • Arabic numbers + symbols for long and expressive notations • Appropriate for specialist libraries and collections • Adopted by International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

  35. Colon Classification • S.R. Ranganathan – early 1930s • Faceted classification • Classification based on subject’s uses and relations • Notation • numbers divided by : (facet indicator)

  36. Colon Classification • Analytico-synthetic classification • Facets first, then class numbers constructed by synthesis

  37. Dewey Decimal Classification • Dewey Decimal Classification • http://www.oclc.org/dewey/about/ddc_21_summaries.htm • Main Class 300 – Social Sciences • The 1000 Sections 302 – Social Interaction • Detailed Hierarchy for 320.2 – Communication

  38. Library of Congress Classification • Library of Congress Classification • http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html • Main Class P – Language and Literature • Subclass P – Philology, Linguistics • P99-99.4 – Semiotics

  39. Bibliographic Classification Schemes Online • BULB LINK (DDC) http://link.bubl.ac.uk/ISC2 • CyberDewey (DDC) http://www.anthus.com/CyberDewey/CyberDewey.html • CyberStacks (LLC) http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/CTW.htm

  40. Home-grown Schemes • Yahoo! • Today • Yesterday • http://web.archive.org/web/19961017235908/http://www2.yahoo.com/

  41. Online Classification Advantages • Improve retrieval capabilities - ? • Improve navigation - ? • Provide browsing facilities - ? • Is a mechanism to switch b/w languages - ?

  42. Pros • Browsing a directory-type structure is user friendly • Broadening and narrowing a search (hierarchy subject tree) • Overview of the scope of a service • Look for related items not previously identified as relevant - serendipity • Interoperability on agreed classification schemes • Etc…

  43. Pros • On the web you can assign more than one classification number to a resource and keep it virtually in several access locations at once. • Not possible with physical resource

  44. Cons • Logical division of materials. Split up collection of related materials • Not always logical subdivision of classes • Delay in updating according with new areas of interest

  45. Personal Experience • What is your favorite? • What do you think about…..

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