INFS 602: CLASSIFICATION
DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS TOOLS AND AIDS USED BY THE CLASSIFIER TO DO EFFICIENT
WORK. WHAT ARE THEIR LIMITATIONS?
Classification is the act of arranging things according to their likeness and
unlikeness. A library classification is a system of coding, assorting and organizing
documents, library materials or any information (books, serials, audio-visual
materials, computer files, maps, manuscripts) according to their subject and
allocating a call number to that information resource. A Classifier is a person who
classifies or organises information resources or documents or a librarian who assigns
information resources to their proper places in a scheme of classification. There are
various tools and aids which assist the classifier to be able to undertake his work. A
few of these tools and aids are discussed below.
SUBJECT HEADINGS LIST
The American Library Association defines subject heading as “a standard list of
terms to be used as subject headings, either for the whole field of knowledge or
for a limited subject area, including references made to and from each term,
notes explaining the scope and usage of certain headings, and occasionally
corresponding
class
numbers” (p 220). They facilitate access to resources by
subject, as they define a set of additional topics included in an item. Subject
headings act as aids in achieving uniformity through the selection of appropriate
subject headings for information resources. Two major subject headings list are The
Library of Congress Subject Headings, and Sears List of Subject Headings. Subject
heading list are used by classifiers as a tool to know under which subject to place
information resources.
LIMITATIONS

Subject heading list are not timely updated

Subject heading list are complicated and difficult to understand
CLASSFIICATION SCHEME
The classification scheme is an orderly arrangement of terms or classes with assigned
notations. These notations are made up of alphabets, numbers and punctuation
marks which groups information resources based on its subject to enable the
information resources be placed together on the library’s shelves. Classification
schemes map out fields of knowledge in ways that are suitable for library use. A
classification scheme has a number of objectives: provide a shelf address, collate
items, link items and enable browsing facilities. Examples include Dewey Decimal
Classification,
Universal
Decimal
Classification. Classification
classification
schemes
basically
and
fall
Library
into
two
of
Congress
categories
–
enumerative and faceted.
LIMITATIONS

Classification schemes are voluminous and bulky as they attempts to list all
possible subjects, both simple and complex, within the defined subject field
or fields.

Classification schemes may lead to cross classification. Cross classification
occurs when a library material may be possible placed under two different
class numbers. Example a book titled Economics of Agricultural Development
in Tropical Africa may be classified under economics, agriculture or Africa.

New subjects cannot be accommodated and regular revision may be required.
New
subjects
that
are
interdisciplinary
in
nature
are not often
accommodated by classification schemes because of their rigid structure. Due
to that classification schemes are published regularly which may entail
reclassification of parts of the library collection.
SUBJECT DICTIONARIES
Each subject has words which are either used specifically in that subject area (and
not in general English), or common words which are used with special meaning in
that subject area. Such words are known as technical, domain-specific or subjectspecific words. Subject dictionaries explain terms associated with specialized
subject fields, occupations, or professions. They define unique terms and words not
usually found in general dictionaries. There are law dictionaries, mathematics
dictionaries, music dictionaries, and genealogical dictionaries. Specialized
dictionaries can be found in most library reference collections and should not be
overlooked by family historians. These dictionaries help the catalogue in his work as
it gives the catalogue a means of understanding subject areas the catalogue may not
be familiar with.
LIMITATIONS

Subject dictionaries are specific to one subject or an aspect of the subject.
Thus they are not comprehensive.
REFERENCES
American Library Association (1983).
ALA Glossary of Library and Information
Science. Chicago: ALA.
Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Manual. In dictionary.cambridge.org.
Retrieved
May
10,
2021,
from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/manual
Chan, L. M. (2007) Cataloguing and classification: an introduction, 3rd ed., Lanham:
Scarecrow.
Williamson, N. J. and Beghol, C. (eds) (2003) Knowledge organization and
classification in international information retrieval. Binghampton: the Haworth
Press.