Dewey Decimal Classification

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC, also called the Dewey Decimal System) is a proprietarylibrary classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876; it has been greatly modified and expanded through 22 major revisions, the most recent in 2003.^[1] This system organizes books on library shelves in a specific and repeatable order that makes it easy to find any book and return it to its proper place. The system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries. system of

Design

The DDC attempts to organize all knowledge into ten main classes. The ten main classes are each further subdivided into ten divisions, and each division into ten sections, giving ten main classes, 100 divisions and 1000 sections. DDC's advantage in using decimals for its categories allows it to be both purely numerical and infinitely hierarchical. It also uses some aspects of a faceted classification scheme, combining elements from different parts of the structure to construct a number representing the subject content (often combining two subject elements with linking numbers and geographical and temporal elements) and form of an item rather than drawing upon a list containing each class and its meaning.

Except for general works and fiction, works are classified principally by subject, with extensions for subject relationships, place, time or type of material, producing classification numbers of at least three digits but otherwise of indeterminate length with a decimal point before the fourth digit, where present (e.g. 330 for economics + .9 for geographic treatment + .04 for Europe = 330.94 European economy; 973 for United States + .05 form division for periodicals = 973.05 periodicals concerning the United States generally).

Books are placed on the shelf in increasing numerical order of the decimal number, e.g. 050, 220, 330, 330.973, 331. When two books have the same classification number the second line of the call number (usually the first letter or letters of the author's last name, the title if there is no identifiable author) is placed in alphabetical order.

The DDC has a number for all books, including fiction: American fiction is classified in 813. Most libraries create a separate fiction section to allow shelving in a more generalized fashion than Dewey provides for, or to avoid the space that would be taken up in the 800s, or simply to allow readers to find preferred authors by alphabetical order of surname.

Some parts of the classification offer options to accommodate different kinds of libraries. An important feature of the scheme is the ability to assign multiple class numbers to a bibliographical item and only use one of them for shelving. The added numbers appear in the classified subject catalog (though this is not the usual practice in North America). For the full benefit of the scheme the relative index and the tables that form part of every edition must be understood and consulted when required. The structure of the schedules is such that subjects close to each other in a dictionary catalog are dispersed in the Dewey schedules (e.g., architecture of Chicago quite separate from geography of Chicago).

Classes listed

Main article: List of Dewey Decimal classes

The system is made up of ten main classes or categories, each divided into ten secondary classes or subcategories, each containing ten subdivisions.

• 000 – Computer science, information & general works
• 100 – Philosophy and psychology
• 200 – Religion
• 300 – Social sciences
• 400 – Language
• 500 – Science (including mathematics)
• 600 – Technology/Applied Science
• 700 – Arts and recreation
• 800 – Literature
• 900 – History, geography, and biography

Ranganathan's

Ranganathan's Portrait in DRTC, ISI-BC
Born	Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan 9 August 1892(1892-08-09) Sirkali, Tamil Nadu
Died	27 September 1972 (aged 80) Bangalore, India
Occupation	Author, Academic, Mathematician, Librarian
Nationality	Indian
Genres	Library Science, Documentation, Information Science
Notable work(s)	Prolegomena to Library Classification The Five Laws of Library Science Colon Classification Ramanujan: the Man and the Mathematician Classified Catalogue Code: With Additional Rules for Dictionary Catalogue Code Library Administration Indian Library Manifesto Library Manual for Library Authorities, Librarians, and Library Workers Classification and Communication Headings and Canons; Comparative Study of Five Catalogue Codes

Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan Listen (help·info) (Kannada: ಎಸ್. ಆರ್. ರಂಗನಾಥನ್, ಶಿಯಾಳಿ ರಾಮಾಮೃತ ರಂಗನಾಥನ್, Shiyali rāmāmruta raṅganāthaṉ ^?) (Tamil: சீகாழி/சீர்காழி ராமாமிருத ரங்கநாதன், ciyali rāmāmiruta raṅkanātaṉ ^?) (August 9, 1892, Sirkali, Tamil NaduBangalore) was a mathematician and librarian from India. His most notable contributions to the field were his five laws of library science and the development of the first major analytico-synthetic classification system, the colon classification. He is considered to be the father of library science, documentation, and information science in India and is widely known throughout the rest of the world for his fundamental thinking in the field. – September 27, 1972, 

 Education

Ranganathan, born on 9 August 1892, came from a moderate background in British-ruled India. He was born in the small town of Shiyali (now known as Sirkazhi), in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Ranganathan began his professional life as a mathematician; he earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in mathematics from Madras Christian College in his home province, and then went on to earn a teaching license. His lifelong goal was to teach mathematics, and he was successively a member of the mathematics faculties at universities in Mangalore, Coimbatore and Madras (all within the span of five years). As a mathematics professor, he published a handful of papers, mostly on the history of mathematics and his career as an educator was somewhat hindered by a handicap of stammering (a difficulty Ranganathan gradually overcame in his professional life). The Government of India awarded Padmashri to Dr. S.R. Ranganathan for valuable contributions to Library Science.

Dr. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1892–1972) of India was an inventor, educator, librarian, and a philosopher. His early education was of a mathematics background. Using this systematic way of thinking, he later applied this to his work in library science. His most notably work was on library classification and administration.^[2] He went abroad to study librarianship at the University College of London, working under W.C. Berwick Sayers.

He was a university librarian and professor of library science at Benares Hindu University (1945–47) and professor of library science at the University of Delhi (1947–55). The last appointment made him director of the first Indian school of librarianship to offer higher degrees. He was president of the Indian Library Association from 1944–53. In 1957 he was elected an honorary member of the Federation Internationale de Documentation(FID) and was made a vice president for life of the Library Association of Great Britain.^[3]

Ranganathan made fundamental contributions to world library and information profession.

These laws are:

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his [or her] book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism.

The Five Laws of Library Science are some of the most influential concepts in the field of library science. Since they were published in 1931, these five laws “have remained a centerpiece of professional values...”.^[4] In fact, these basic theories of Library Science continue to directly affect the development of this discipline and the service of all libraries.

 First law: Books are for Use

The first law constitutes the basis for the library services. Ranganathan observed that books were often chained to prevent their removal and that the emphasis was on storage and preservation rather than use. He did not reject the notion that preservation and storage were important, but he asserted that the purpose of such activities was to promote the use of them. Without the use of materials, there is little value in the item. By emphasizing use, Ranganathan refocused the attention of the field to access-related issues, such as the library's location, loan policies, hours and days of operation, as well as such mundanities as library furniture and the quality of staffing.^[4]

Second Law: Every reader his or her book

This law suggests that every member of the community should be able to obtain materials needed. Ranganathan felt that all individuals from all social environments were entitled to library service, and that the basis of library use was education, to which all were entitled. These entitlements were not without some important obligations for both libraries/librarians and library patrons. Librarians should have excellent first-hand knowledge of the people to be served. Collections should meet the special interests of the community, and libraries should promote and advertise their services extensively to attract a wide range of users. ^[4]

Third Law: Every book its reader

This principle is closely related to the second law but it focuses on the item itself, suggesting that each item in a library has an individual or individuals who would find that item useful. Ranganathan argued that the library could devise many methods to ensure that each item finds it appropriate reader. One method involved the basic rules for access to the collection, most notably the need for open shelving.^[4]

Fourth Law: Save the time of the reader

This law is a recognition that part of the excellence of library service is its ability to meet the needs of the library user efficiently. To this end, Ranganathan recommended the use of appropriate business methods to improve library management. He observed that centralizing the library collection in one location provided distinct advantages. He also noted that excellent staff would not only include those who possess strong reference skills, but also strong technical skills in cataloging, cross-referencing, ordering, accessioning, and the circulation of materials.^[4]

Fifth Law: The library is a growing organism

This law focused more on the need for internal change than on changes in the environment itself. He argued that library organizations must accommodate growth in staff, the physical collection, and patron use. This involved allowing for growth in the physical building, reading areas, shelving, and in space for the catalog.^[4]

Melvil Dewey

Melvil Dewey
Melvil Dewey
Born	Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey December 10, 1851 (1851-12-10) Adams Center, New York
Died	December 26, 1931(1931-12-26) (aged 80) Lake Placid, Florida
Nationality	American
Education	Amherst College
Occupation	librarian, resort developer, reformer
Known for	Dewey Decimal Classification
Religion	Christian
Signature
(Melvil) Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System of library classification, and a founder of the Lake Placid Club. Dewey was born in Adams Center, New York, the fifth and last child of Joel and Eliza Greene Dewey. He attended rural schools and determined early that his destiny was to be a reformer in educating the masses. At Amherst College he belonged to Delta Kappa Epsilon, earning a bachelor's degree in 1874 and a master's in 1877. While still a student, he founded the Library Bureau which sold high quality index cards and filing cabinets, and established the standard dimensions for catalog cards.[1] From 1883 to 1888 he was chief librarian at Columbia University, from 1888 to 1906 director of the New York State Library, and from 1888 to 1900 secretary and executive officer of the University of the State of New York. In 1895 Dewey founded with his wife Annie the Lake Placid Club. He and his son Godfrey had been active in arranging[clarification needed] the Winter Olympics — he was chairman of the New York State Winter Olympics Committee. In 1926 he went to Florida to establish a new branch of the Lake Placid Club. He died in Lake Placid, Florida.[2] Even Dewey's friends found his personality difficult, and he early in life established a pattern of making powerful enemies.[3] As one biographer put it, "Although he did not lack friends, they were becoming weary of coming to his defense, so endless a process it had become.”[4] He was removed from his position as New York State Librarian during a controversy over policies he had instituted at the Lake Placid Club restricting membership based on race and religion.[5] Another biography refers to Dewey's "old nemesis—a persistent inability to control himself around women" as an ongoing cause of trouble on the job.[6] Dewey had been married (in turn) to Annie R. Godfrey and Emily McKay Beal[2] He is a member of the American Library Association's Hall of Fame. Dewey was a pioneer of American librarianship[7] and an influential factor in the development of libraries in America in the beginning of the 20th century.[8] He is best known for the decimal classification system that is used in most public and school libraries. But the decimal system was just one of a long list of innovations. Among them was the idea of the state library as controller of school and public library services within a state.[9] Dewey is also known for the creation of hanging vertical files, which first introduced at the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.[10] Dewey Decimal Classification Spine Books Label show Call Number for Dewey Decimal System. Immediately after receiving his undergraduate degree he was hired to manage Amherst's library and reclassify its collections. Dewey worked out a new scheme that superimposed a system of decimal numbers on a structure of knowledge first outlined by Sir Francis Bacon[11] Dewey copyrighted the system in 1876. This system has proved to be enormously influential; though many American libraries have since adopted the classification scheme of the Library of Congress, Dewey's system remains in widespread use. Selected publications 1876 Classification and subject index for cataloguing and arranging the books and pamphlets of a library. (Copy available at Gutenberg.org) 1885 Decimal classification and relative index for arranging, cataloguing, and indexing public and private libraries and for pamphlets, clippings, notes, scrap books, index rerums, etc. Boston, Library bureau. 1886 Librarianship as a profession for college-bred women. An address delivered before the Association of collegiate alumnæ, on March 13, 1886, by Melvil Dewey. Boston, Library bureau. 1887 Library notes: improved methods and labor-savers for librarians, readers and writers. Boston : Library bureau. 1895 Abridged decimal classification and relative index for libraries. Boston, Library bureau. 1898 Simplified library school rules. Boston, London [etc.] Library bureau. 1889 Libraries as related to the educational work of the state. Albany. 1890 Statistics of libraries in the state of New York numbering over 300 volumes. Albany 1894 Library school rules: 1. Card catalog rules; 2. Accession book rules; 3. Shelf list rules, by Melvil Dewey. 1904 A.L.A. catalog. Washington, Government Printing Office.