this presentation I have made for my students of MS in Library and Information Science at DRTC, Indian Statistical Institute

1. Information Organization
Class on
“Classification Practice”
by
Sudipta Biswas
DRTC
Indian Statistical Institute
Bangalore
13/8/2014

2. What is Classification ?
The action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities
or characteristics.
Class
Class is a ranked group
Ranking is “arranging in a definite sequence of groups,
formed by the division of the entities of a universe”
Unitary Class: “Class comprising one and only one entity”
Multiple Class: “Class comprising two or more entities”

3. What is Group ?
Any sub­aggregate
of the entities formed by the
division of the entities of a universe is a group.
Unitary Group: Group consisting of one and only
one entity.
Multiple Group: Group consisting of two or more
entities.

4. What is Entity?
Any existent, concrete or conceptual – that is, a thing
or an idea is an entity.
A boy
A book
Sweetness
A system of philosophy
A subject of study

5. What is Universe ?
An aggregate under consideration in a given contex.
Aggregate is a collection of entities, without any special
arrangement among them.
Finite Universe: A universe with a finite number of entities.
e.g. Student in a classroom
Infinite Universe: A universe with an infinite number of entities.
e.g. Universe of integers

6. WHY ?
(CLassification)

7. Features of classification
 As a Process of Grouping and Division
 A Mental Process
 An Intrinsic Quality of Human Beings
 Not Merely a Groping of Things but also their Arrangement in Group
 Arrangement in Logical Order

8.  Classificationist
- One who designs a scheme for classification
 And provides a set of guiding postulates and principles
to fix the position of a newley emarging class by
interpolation or extapolation
 Classifier
- One who classifies a universe in accordance with a
preferred scheme for classification

9.  Knowledge Classification
- The process of classifing Universe of Knowledge or Domain
knoeledge
 Book/ Library Classification
- A library classification is a system of coding and organizing
library materials (books, serials, audiovisual, computer files, maps, photographs, manuscripts,
regalia, gramophone records, tape records, microfilm and so on) according to their
subject. It provides formal access to documents in a library.

10.  Scheme
- A large­scale
systematic plan or arrangement for attaining
some particular object or putting a particular idea into
effect
 Schema
- A representation of a plan or theory in the form of an
outline or model

11. Different Schemes of Classification
 Based on the Language
- English­Speaking
World
- Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
- Library of Congress Classification (LC)
- Bliss Bibliographic Classification (BC), etc
- Non English Speaking World
- Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC)
- Principes de Classement des Documents Musicaux (PCDM)
- Chinese Library Classification (CLC)
- Korean Decimal Classification (KDC), etc

12. Different Schemes of Classification
 Based on the Synthesis
(Synthesis means combining codes from different lists to represent the different attributes of a work)
- Bibliographic Classification by Bliss
- Colon Classification by Ranganathan
- Expansive Classification by Cutter
- Universal Decimal Classification, etc

13. Different Schemes of Classification
 Based on Arrangement
- Enumerative:
 subject headings are listed alphabetically, with numbers assigned to
each heading in alphabetical order.
- LCC
­Hierarchical:
 subjects are divided hierarchically, from most general to most
specific
- DDC
- Faceted or analytico­synthetic:
 subjects are divided into mutually exclusive orthogonal facet
- CC

14. Specific Classification Schemes
 Specific classification schemes are for particular
subject or types of meterials
- British Cataloge of Music Classification
- Dickinson Classification
- NLM Classification for Medicine

20. Thank You