230. There is no more important factor in the success or failure of a library than the classification of the books and other material which form its stock. Some of its uses are obvious to all readers; it brings the material on any subject together on the shelves and in the catalogues, and thus enables both librarian and reader to find books readily. It has perhaps more important uses, because it enables the librarian, and, in open access libraries, the public, to see the strength and weakness of the collection in various subjects; it, therefore, is the only safe and certain means by which a collection may be built up systematically, and may be increased. Moreover, it reveals the obsolete books merely by bringing them into juxtaposition with books which have superseded them. An imperfectly classified, or unclassified, library resembles chaos as nearly as anything can do, and want of classification renders the finest collection of books useless except to those who already know all there is to be known of any subject in which they may be interested, and who can therefore find the books by other means. In short, classification is the primary key to the assembling, finding, selecting and rejecting of books.
231. It does even more than this. A perfectly or logically constructed classification shows not only all the books on a specific subject; it also shows the books which are collateral, or which lead up to and away from the books on the specific subject. It will readily be seen, therefore, that the art of classification is one that must be understood thoroughly by the successful librarian. Several text-books have been written on the subject, and many articles have appeared advocating and criticizing various systems. We can give here only a few leading principles, and afterwards discuss the four or five schemes which have received most general recognition from librarians.
232. A classification system is a schedule or chart of knowledge arranged in some logical order according to a definite and invariable principle. It may arrange knowledge by the historical, evolutionary or some other and arbitrary principle, the choice of which is governed by the rule that the order must be that which is likely to be most serviceable to the users of the system. Special classifications, such as would be necessary for arranging a collection devoted to anthropology, or botany, or archæology, naturally arrange books by the principle that will most clearly reveal their place in the progress of the subject required; and such classifications are merely mentioned in passing. General classifications, which are the business of the average librarian, usually proceed in the historical or evolutionary order we have mentioned. Their schedules consist of a number of general headings, called main classes, which are divided by gradual steps in accordance with the principle employed until specific headings are reached. Each of the headings must be exclusive of subjects not falling into it. In order to make this schedule of subjects practicable as a method of book arrangement, it must be equipped with special “form” classes which accommodate general works, or works of so composite a character that they do not fall into any of the subject-classes; and which also accommodate such aggregates of literature as poetry, drama, essays, fiction, etc., which are arranged by the form in which the matter in them is presented, and not by the matter itself. Further, it must be equipped with a notation, or a shorthand sign for each of the subjects in the schedule, which may be written on the backs of books and in catalogues instead of the names of the subjects. And, finally, it must have an index which forms a ready key to the tables of the schedule, and is a convenient means of checking the placings of books.
233. The theory of classification is a subject for special study, and there are rules of order, division, nomenclature, notation and indexing which it is useful for a library student to master. As the ground has been covered adequately by the text-books which are listed at the end of this, we shall do better to refer the reader to these rather than to enlarge this manual by attempting to traverse it.
Brown, J. D. Library Classification and Cataloguing. 1912. Grafton.
Dana, J. C. Classification. In his Library Primer, p. 84.
Edwards, Edward. Memoirs of Libraries, 1859, vol. ii., p. 761.
Graesel, A. Classification. In his Bibliothekslehre. 1902.
Jast, L. S. Library Classification. In Greenwood’s Year Book, 1900. p. 21.
Richardson, E. C. Classification: Theoretical and Practical. 1901. Ed. 2, 1912. Scribner’s.
(Contains the best bibliography.)
Sayers, W. C. Berwick. Introduction to Library Classification. 1918. Grafton.
—— Canons of Classification. 1915. Grafton.
—— Short Course in Bibliographical Classification with reference to the Decimal and Subject Systems. 1913. Library Association.
For articles, see Cannons, H 1-108, Classification.
235. General.—Quite a large number of classification schemes have been devised by Continental, American and British librarians, in which books are systematically arranged according to related topics, and marked with a notation which enables any book or subject to be distinguished by its number, for purposes of shelving, charging and cataloguing. All the best known of such schemes are described in Brown’s Library Classification and Cataloguing, London, 1912, and Richardson’s Classification, 1912. It will be sufficient to name the methods of Harris, Perkins and Smith, of America; Edwards and Sonnenschein, of England; Bonazzi, of Italy; and Hartwig, of Germany, which, with the well-known French scheme of Brunet, make up a very interesting collection of international contributions to the classification of books. None of these schemes has been adopted in more than one or two libraries, so that their influence is not sufficiently widespread to make any further description of their details necessary. It will be much more helpful to librarians if the chief systems of classification are mentioned which fulfil every requirement as regards notation and general adaptability to library work, and have been put to the practical test of application in a number of libraries. The systems in question are the Decimal, Expansive, Library of Congress, and Subject, the last being English and the three others American. They have all been extensively adopted, and each exists as a separate printed work, with an index; a vital part of any method of classification. Unprinted schemes, or those of merely theoretical interest, have little practical value, and though every librarian has his own ideas of classification, and generally manages to graft them on to the scheme of some other person, and even to nibble away at his original, it is the best and wisest course to adopt a complete, printed and accessible scheme with as little modification as possible.
236. Decimal Classification.—This, the most popular and widely applied of all library schemes, was invented by Melvil Dewey in 1873-76, and has been under revision constantly since, and is to-day in general a very extensive and detailed scheme. As indicated by its name, the system is divided into groups of ten, and from this results an admirable notation of unlimited expansibility.
Its chief divisions are as follows:
| 000 General Works. | ||||
| 010 | Bibliography. | |||
| 020 | Library Economy. | |||
| 030 | General Cyclopædias. | |||
| 040 | General Collections. | |||
| 050 | General Periodicals. | |||
| 060 | General Societies. | |||
| 070 | Newspapers. | |||
| 080 | Special Libraries. | |||
| 090 | Book Rarities. | |||
| 100 Philosophy. | ||||
| 110 | Metaphysics | |||
| 120 | Metaphysics: Special Topics. | |||
| 130 | Mind and Body. | |||
| 140 | Philosophical Systems. | |||
| 150 | Mental Faculties, Psychology. | |||
| 160 | Logic. | |||
| 170 | Ethics. | |||
| 180 | Ancient Philosophers. | |||
| 190 | Modern Philosophers. | |||
| 200 Religion. | ||||
| 210 | Natural Theology. | |||
| 220 | Bible. | |||
| 230 | Doctrinal Theology. | |||
| 240 | Devotional and Practical. | |||
| 350 | Homiletic, Pastoral, etc. | |||
| 260 | Church Institutions. | |||
| 270 | Religious History. | |||
| 280 | Christian Churches and Sects. | |||
| 290 | Non-Christian Religions. | |||
| 300 Sociology. | ||||
| 310 | Statistics. | |||
| 320 | Political Science. | |||
| 330 | Political Economy. | |||
| 340 | Law. | |||
| 350 | Administration. | |||
| 360 | Associations. | |||
| 370 | Education. | |||
| 380 | Commerce, etc. | |||
| 390 | Customs, Costumes, Folklore. | |||
| 400 Philology. | ||||
| 410 | Comparative. | |||
| 420 | English. | |||
| 430 | German. | |||
| 440 | French. | |||
| 450 | Italian. | |||
| 460 | Spanish. | |||
| 470 | Latin. | |||
| 480 | Greek. | |||
| 490 | Minor Languages. | |||
| 500 Natural Science. | ||||
| 510 | Mathematics. | |||
| 520 | Astronomy. | |||
| 530 | Physics. | |||
| 540 | Chemistry | |||
| 550 | Geology. | |||
| 560 | Palæontology. | |||
| 570 | Biology. | |||
| 580 | Botany. | |||
| 590 | Zoology. | |||
| 600 Useful Arts.[211] | ||||
| 610 | Medicine. | |||
| 620 | Engineering. | |||
| 630 | Agriculture. | |||
| 640 | Domestic Economy. | |||
| 650 | Communications. | |||
| 660 | Chemical Technology. | |||
| 670 | Manufactures. | |||
| 680 | Mechanic Trades. | |||
| 690 | Building. | |||
| 700 Fine Arts. | ||||
| 710 | Landscape Gardening. | |||
| 720 | Architecture. | |||
| 730 | Sculpture. | |||
| 740 | Drawing, Decoration. | |||
| 750 | Painting. | |||
| 760 | Engraving. | |||
| 770 | Photography. | |||
| 780 | Music. | |||
| 790 | Amusements. | |||
| 800 Literature. | ||||
| 810 | American. | |||
| 820 | English. | |||
| 830 | German. | |||
| 840 | French. | |||
| 850 | Italian. | |||
| 860 | Spanish. | |||
| 870 | Latin. | |||
| 880 | Greek. | |||
| 890 | Minor Languages. | |||
| 900 History. | ||||
| 910 | Geography and Description. | |||
| 920 | Biography. | |||
| 930 | Ancient History. | |||
| 940 | Europe. | - | Modern. | |
| 950 | Asia. | |||
| 960 | Africa. | |||
| 970 | N. America. | |||
| 980 | S. America. | |||
| 990 | Oceanica and Polar Regions. | |||
This scheme is published separately as Tables and Index of the Decimal Classification and relative Index for arranging and cataloguing Libraries, Clippings, Notes, etc., by Melvil Dewey, Boston, and has been largely expanded, with an elaborate additional apparatus of form and relation marks, by the Institut International de Bibliographie, Brussels.
237. Expansive Classification.—This system was devised by Charles Amni Cutter, a well-known American librarian, and author of the code of Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue, which has been a text-book for many years. The Expansive Classification has not been adopted to any extent in Britain, but is printed in a series of seven classifications of progressive fullness, and completely indexed, and so becomes one of the methods to be studied.
An outline of the scheme follows:
This scheme is published separately as Expansive Classification: the first six Expansions, by C. A. Cutter, Boston, 1891, etc., and a seventh expansion of the work is being issued under the supervision of W. P. Cutter, nephew of the author, but no parts have been published for several years.
238. Library of Congress.—This is the elaborate and detailed scheme applied to the great Library of Congress, and is the work of its classification department. Its outline (1909) is based upon that of the Expansive scheme of Cutter which is shown above, but is varied to meet what are thought to be the special needs of the American national library. Each of the classes has been published separately in convenient form with an index.
The main classes and divisions of the Library of Congress Classification are as follows:
239. Subject Classification.—This, the most recent British scheme, is the work of the author of this manual, James Duff Brown; is a complete, homogeneous, detailed and well-indexed scheme, and is selected for notice as being generally applicable to British libraries of all kinds, although it is not likely to oust the Decimal scheme from its priority of place. It is based on the principle of placing all topics in a logical sequence; of keeping applications of theory as close as possible to the foundation theory; and of providing one place only for each important topic. The complications and intersections of human knowledge prevent anything more than an approximation to this ideal, but it has been found in actual practice to be a classification scheme which works easily and harmoniously.
The following extracts from its valuable introduction will give the best view of the principles on which the system is based:
“The Order of the Main Classes.—The reasons which determined the adoption of a certain sequence of classes in this system may be briefly set forth here, instead of any argument or attempt to justify the order. The battle which has raged, and is still raging, among scientists, as to the best and most desirable order in which to arrange the great branches of human knowledge in order to produce a ‘hierarchy,’ must deter a non-scientific classifier from arguing on such a complicated and difficult topic. It will, therefore, suffice if I briefly describe the main classes in their order and give reasons why they were assigned to the places they occupy.
“A Generalia.—The divisions of this main class comprise most of the rules, methods and factors which are of general application, and which qualify or pervade every branch of science, industry or human study. They are universal and pervasive, and cannot be logically assigned to any other single main class as peculiar or germane to it.
“B, C, D Physical Sciences.—Matter, force, motion and their applications are assumed to precede life and mind, and for that reason the material side of science, with its applications, has been selected as a foundation main class on which to construct the system.
“E, F Biological Science.—Life and its forms, arising out of matter, occupy the second place among the main classes, and here are put general biological theories and facts, followed by plant and animal life, each in an ascending order from low to high forms of organization.
“G, H Ethnological and Medical Science.—Human life, its varieties, physical history, disorders and recreations, follows naturally as a higher development of plant and animal life, and completes the biological chain.
“I Economic Biology and Domestic Arts.—The applications of plant and animal life to human needs, placed midway between the physical and mental attributes of man as indicating the primitive exercise of mind, and to assemble in one sequence the chief biological subjects. As a matter of practical convenience, rather than logical necessity, it was thought better to keep composite subjects like Agriculture, Clothing, Foods, etc.—involving questions of origin, use and manufacture—all in one place, close to the main classes from which they are derived, rather than to distribute them more closely at Botany or Zoology.
“J, K Philosophy and Religion.—Mental attributes, order and beliefs of human life, following naturally from its physical basis, and primitive manifestation in the instinct of procuring food and clothing.
“L Social and Political Science.—Social order and laws of human life. Placed here because, although society or family and other tribal organizations may have preceded religion, mind as embodied in philosophy must have preceded both.
“M Language and Literature.—Communication and recording in human life. The spoken, written and printed word, which grew as a necessity out of the primitive operations of mind.
“N Literary Forms.—The products of communication and recording in human life in their more imaginative forms; placed here on the ground that fable probably preceded more formal history.
“O-X History, Geography, Biography.—The actions, records and descriptions of human life and its dwelling-place. Arranged in this order and at this place because of their intimate connexion. Geography, although logically related to Physiography and Biography to Ethnology, are, nevertheless, as a matter of practical utility, and because of the literature actually existing, more naturally grouped here than separated.
“The order of the classes may, therefore, be briefly described as expressing: