A Library Primer (1899)/Chapter XXII

by John Cotton Dana

The classification

Those who have used it call it common-sense and up-to-date. They say that it is clear and easy to apply, and that it gives a suitable place for many classes of books for which other systems make no provision, or provide badly. It has been maturing for 20 years. Before it was printed it was applied (with a different notation) to the arrangement of a library of over 150,000 v. The experience thus gained has been supplemented as each part was prepared for the press by searching catalogs, bibliographies, and treatises on the subject classified. This ensured fullness. Overclassification, on the other hand, has been guarded against in four ways: 1) By not introducing at all distinctions that are purely theoretical or very difficult to apply; 2) by printing in small type those divisions which are worth making only when a large number of books calls for much subdivision; 3) by warning classifiers in the notes that certain divisions are needed only in large libraries; 4) by printing separately seven classifications of progressive fullness, the first having only 11 classes, which would be enough for a very small library; the second having 15 classes and 16 geographical divisions, suiting the small library when it has grown a little larger; the third having 30 classes and 29 geographical divisions; and so on, till the seventh would suffice for the very largest library. The same notation is used throughout, so that a library can adopt the fuller classification with the least possible change of mark.

It often suggests alternative places for a subject, stating the reasons for and against each, so that classifiers have a liberty of choice according to the character of their libraries, or of their clientage, or their own preferences.

The notation

The original feature of this notation is the use of letters to mark non-local subjects and figures for places. This makes it possible to express the local relations of a subject in a perfectly unmistakable way, the letters never being used to signify countries, and the figures never being used for any other subjects but countries. Thus 45 is England wherever it occurs; e.g. F being history and G geography, F45 is the history of England, G45 the geography of England. This local notation can be used not merely with the main classes, but in every subdivision, no matter how minute, which is worth dividing by countries. Whenever one wishes to separate what relates to England from other works on any subject one has only to add the two figures 45. Whenever one sees 45 in the mark of a book one knows that the book so marked treats its subject with special reference to England. This "local list" by the figures from 11 to 99 gives marks to the 88 most important countries. The addition of a third and sometimes of a fourth figure gives marks for all the independent countries in the world. Parts of and places in countries are arranged alphabetically under each, and are marked either by the usual Cutter order-table, which has initial letters followed by figures, or by a special Cutter order-table composed of figures alone.

Non-local subjects are marked with letters, first, to distinguish them from local subjects; and, second, because of the greater capacity. There are 26 main classes, A to Z. By adding a second letter these are divided into 676 parts, and these, by adding a third letter, into 17,576 parts, making 18,278 in all, so that as one uses successively three, four, or five characters, one gets respectively 18 times, 46 times, and 118 times the capacity of a decimal notation. The result is, short marks, numerous subdivisions, much greater elasticity, much greater power to properly express the relations of subjects to one another, and their relations to subordinate subjects, and much more opportunity of making the different portions of the classification correspond to each other.

The first part of the classification, as published, contains the first six classifications and a combined index to them all. The seventh, the fullest classification, will have 10 sections. Five of them are published, each with its own index. Of two (Social sciences and Language and literature) about half is published. When these and the other three (Natural sciences, Industrial arts, Recreative and fine arts) are printed, a full index to the whole will be made.

Expansive classification. Outline

A Generalia.
A General works.
Ae General encyclopedias.
Ap General periodicals.
Ar Reference works.
As General societies.

B-D Spiritual sciences.
B Philosophy.
Ba-Bf National Philosophies and Systems of philosophy.
Bg Metaphysics.
Bh Logic.
Bi Psychology.
Bm Moral Philosophy.
Br Religion, Natural theology.
Bt Religions
Bu Folk-lore.
Ca Judaism.
Cb Bible.
Cc Christianity.
Cce Patristics.
Ce Apologetics, Evidences.
Cf Doctrinal theology.
Ck Ethical theology.
Cp Ritual theology and church Polity.
Cx Pastoral theology.
Cz Sermons.
D Ecclesiastical history.
Dk Particular churches and sects.

E-G Historical sciences.
E Biography and Portraits.
F-Fz History.
F Universal history.
F02 Ancient history.
F03 Modern history.
F04 Medieval history.
F11-F99 History of single countries (using local list).
Fa-Fw Allied studies, as Chronology, Philosophy of history, History of Civilization, Antiquities, Numismatics, Chivalry, Heraldry.

G Geography, Travels.
G11-G99 Single countries (using local list).
Ga Ancient geography.
Gf Surveying and Map-making.
Gz Maps.

H Social sciences.
Hb Statistics.
Hc Economics.
He Production.
Hf Labor.
Hi Slavery.
Hj Transportation.
Hk Commerce.
Hm Money.
Hn Banking.
Hr Private finance.
Ht Taxation and Public finance.
Hu Tariff.
Hw Property, Capital.
Hz Consumption.

I Demotics, Sociology.
Ic Crime.
Ig Charity.
Ih Providence.
Ik Education.

J Civics, Government, Political science.
Ju Constitutions and Politics.

K Law and Legislation.
Kd Public documents.

L-Q Natural sciences.
L General works, Metrics.

L Number and space.

Lb Mathematics.

Lh-Lr Matter and force.

Lh Physics.
Lo Chemistry.
Lr Astronomy.

M-Q Matter and life

M Natural history.
Mg Geology, incl. Mineralogy, Crystallography, Physical geography, Meteorology, Paleontology.
My Biology.
N Botany.

Cryptogams.

Phanerogams.

O Zoology.

Invertebrates.

P Vertebrates.
Pg Mammals.
Pw Anthropology, Ethnology, Ethnography.
Q Medicine.

Q-Z Arts.
R General works, Exhibitions, Patents.
Rd-Rg Extractive arts.
Rd Mining.
Re Metallurgy.
Rf Agriculture.
Rh Horticulture.
Ri Silviculture.
Rj Animaliculture.
Rq Chemic arts.
Rt Electric arts.
Ry Domestic arts.
Rz Food and Cookery.
S Constructive arts, Engineering.
Sg Building.
Sj Sanitary engineering.
Sl Hydraulic engineering.
St Transportation and Communication.

T Fabricative arts, Machinery, Manufactures, and Handicrafts.

U Protective arts, i.e., Military and Naval arts, Life-preserving, Fire fighting.

V Athletic and Recreative arts, Sports and Games.
Vs Gymnastics.
Vt Theater.
Vv Music.

W Fine arts, plastic and graphic.
We Landscape gardening.
Wf Architecture.
Wj Sculpture.
Wk Casting, Baking, Firing.
Wm Drawing.
Wp Painting.
Wq Engraving.
Wr Photography.
Ws Decorative arts, including Costume.

X-Yf Communicative arts (by language).
X Philology.
X Inscriptions.
X Language.
Y Literature.
Yf English Fiction.

Z Book arts (making and use of books).
Za-Zk Production.
Za Authorship.
Zb Rhetoric.
Zd Writing.
Zh Printing.
Zk Binding.
Zl Distribution (Publishing and Bookselling).
Zp Storage and Use (Libraries). Zt Description (Zt Bibliography; Zx Selection of reading; Zy Literary history; Zz National bibliography.)