This document provides an overview of data organization and classification in libraries and other domains. It begins by discussing the history of libraries and early classification systems used in ancient Mesopotamia and China. It then covers modern library classification standards like the Dewey Decimal System and subject-based organization. The document also examines classification of natural phenomena like volcanoes, stars, satellites, and languages. It concludes by discussing classification of administrative divisions and examples of categorizing a country's average life expectancy data.

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Frieda Brioschi - frieda.brioschi@gmail.com
Emma Tracanella - emma.tracanella@gmail.com
INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION
LESSON 3 - 2019/20

2. WITH YOUR DATA MANIPULATION
LET’S START

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PRESENT YOUR DATA(SET)

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NEXT STEP

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NEXT STEP

6. LIBRARIES
A JUMP INTO THE HISTORY OF
PHOTO BY JAREDD CRAIG ON UNSPLASH

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HISTORY
The history of libraries began with the first efforts to organize collections
of documents.
Topics of interest include accessibility of the collection, acquisition of materials,
arrangement and finding tools, the book trade, the influence of the physical
properties of the different writing materials, language distribution, role in education,
rates of literacy, budgets, staffing, libraries for specially targeted audiences,
architectural merit, patterns of usage, and the role of libraries in a nation's cultural
heritage, and the role of government, church or private sponsorship.
Since the 1960s, issues of computerization and digitization have arisen.
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CATALOGING
The function of the catalog is to identify all the items in a collection and to group
like items together.
All the great libraries of the ancient world seem to have had lists and inventories,
whether kept on clay, stone, papyrus, parchment, palm leaves, or bamboo strips.
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LIBRARY OF ASHURBANIPAL
Ashurbanipal (reigned 668–c. 627 BC), the last of the great
kings of Assyria, maintained an archive of some 25,000
tablets, comprising transcripts and texts systematically
collected from temples throughout his kingdom.
The tablets were stored in a variety of containers such as
wooden boxes, woven baskets of reeds, or clay shelves. The
"libraries" were cataloged using colophons, which are a
publisher's imprint on the spine of a book, or in this case a
tablet. The colophons stated the series name, the title of the
tablet, and any extra information the scribe needed to indicate.
Eventually, the clay tablets were organized by subject and size.
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ANCIENT CHINA
In ancient China the emperor Shih huang-ti, a member of the Ch’in dynasty and ruler of
the first unified Chinese empire, ordered that historical records other than those of the
Ch’in be destroyed so that history might be seen to begin with his dynasty.
Repression of history was lifted, however, under the Han dynasty, which succeeded the
Ch’in in 206 BC and classification schemes were developed.
Some favoured a seven-part classification, which included the Confucian
classics, philosophy, rhymed work (both prose and poetry), military prose, scientific and
occult writings, summaries, and medicine.
A later system categorized writings into four types: the classics, history, philosophy, and
miscellaneous works.
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ORGANIZING
For many centuries the feature that gave a work its unique identity was the name
of the writer, and users of the library were expected to know the names of the
authors whose works they wished to consult.
Since the late 19th century far more attention has been paid to cataloging the
subject contents of books as well as the names of their authors.
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LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION IN USE
While catalogs aim to identify and list items in a collection, schemes
of classification have a more general application in arranging documents in a
sequence that will make sense and be helpful to the user.
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LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION IN USE
Classification systems can be divided into three types depending on how they are used:
▸ Universal schemes
Covers all subjects, e.g. the Dewey Decimal Classification, Universal Decimal
Classification and Library of Congress Classification.
▸ Specific classification schemes
Covers particular subjects or types of materials, e.g. Iconclass, British Catalogue of
Music Classification, and Dickinson classification, or the NLM Classification.
▸ National schemes
Specially created for certain countries, e.g. the Swedish library classification system,
SAB (Sveriges Allmänna Biblioteksförening).
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DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION
The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) is
a general knowledge organisation tool first
published in the United States by Melvil
Dewey in 1876 and until now it and revised
through 23 major editions.
Basic classes are organised by disciplines
or fields of study.
The scheme comprises ten classes, each
divided into ten divisions, each having ten
sections.
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DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION
The system's notation uses Arabic numbers, with three whole numbers making up the main classes
and sub-classes and decimals designating further divisions.
For example:
500 Natural sciences and mathematics
510 Mathematics
516 Geometry
516.3 Analytic geometries
516.37 Metric differential geometries
516.375 Finsler geometry
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DATA ORGANIZATION
Organizing data is very difficult. There are many ways that you can do it. Actually,
there is an infinite number of options that you can take to organize the data
properly. There are people who have issues with data organization simply
because of the huge volumes that it presents itself in.
There is a world of difference between designing the database and the data
organization itself. How will the data be organized in the database?
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17. LIBRARIES
BEYOND

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METHODS
1. location
2. alphabetically
3. chronologically
4. with hierarchies
5. using categories
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LOCATION
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LOCATION
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ALPHABETICALLY
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CHRONOLOGICALLY
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HIERARCHICALLY
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WITH CATEGORIES
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25. CLASSIFICATION
DATA

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LINNAEUS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Linnaeus described a particular form of biological classification (taxonomy) in his
Systema Naturae (1735) and subsequent works. In the taxonomy of Linnaeus
there are three kingdoms, divided into classes, and they, in turn, into orders,
genera and species.
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MODERN CLASSIFICATION
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VOLCANOS
▸ Active
▸ Dormant
▸ Extinct
or by eruption type.
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ERUPTION CLASSIFICATION
29IMG BY CHIARA CINGOTTINI, DENSITYDESIGN RESEARCH LAB - CC-BY-SA

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STELLAR CLASSIFICATION
30IMG BY RURSUS AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA - CC-BY-SA

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SATELLITE CLASSIFICATION
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LANGUAGE FAMILIES
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ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
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35. COUNTRY & SCHOOL
YOU

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YOUR COUNTRY
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Paese Country Years (average)
- 1 19.0
Cina 1 13.0
Colombia 1 16.0
Italia 86 17.6
Montenegro 1 16.0
Spagna 1 17.0

38. WIKIPEDIA
DATA ORGANIZATION IN

39. IMG BY GURCH AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA - CC-BY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Categorization
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categoria:Categorie