Library lecture 5

• Classification schemes


  • Numerous books acquired in the library must be arranged to increase their utility to the optimum level
  • Users will find it difficult to locate a document, if there is no arrangement of any sort
  • The library user lacks time and would not be patient to go through all the library resources because he needs just one document
  • Even for the librarian, it will be difficult to search through all documents to get a required one
  • Due to the varying forms and purpose of documents, it becomes essential to arrange them systematically on shelves
  • A user would be in a better position to help himself if shelves are provided with an adequate number of shelf guides
  • He would thereby require less assistance from the reference staff
  • In a situation where the library collection is unclassified, library guides will be useless to users and users will feel lost
  • In order to provide an effective reference service, it is essential that the documents are arranged systematically
  • This would also help save the time of the reference staff and as well as that of the readers themselves
• Purpose of library classification

  • To create a system out of disorder and provide a comprehensive view of the documents on a given subject
  • This leads to maximum use of a collection, thus satisfying the law of library science as formulated by SR Ranganathan
• Laws of library science (Ranganathan)


  • Books are for use (First law)
  • Every reader his book (second law)
  • Every book its reader (third law)
  • Save the time of the reader (forth law)
  • Library is a growing organization (fifth law)
• Basic aim of librarianship

  • To bring the user in contact with a specific document or information
  • Library classification is one of the techniques that a librarian may adopt to achieve this
  • It helps to organize documents and information so that users can use sources of information effectively
• Library of Congress Classification Scheme (LC)

  Most academic libraries use this classification scheme
• Nile University of Nigeria Library uses the Library of Congress Classification Scheme
• Library of Congress Classification Scheme

  • Consists of 21 classes (A-Z)
  • Uses mixed notation (letters and numbers)
  • Uses cutter numbers to further specify a document
• Cutter numbers


  Special numbers given to individual authors
• Class mark or call number


  The notations and cutter numbers together form the class mark or call number of a book
• Classes in the Library of Congress Classification Scheme

  • A General works
  • B Philosophy and Religion
  • C Auxiliary Sciences of History
  • D History: General and Old World (Eastern Hemisphere)
  • E-F History: America (Western Hemisphere)
  • G Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
  • H Social Sciences
  • J Political Science
  • K Law
  • L Education
  • M Music
  • N Fine Arts
  • P Literature
  • Q Science
  • R Medicine
  • S Agriculture
  • T Technology
  • U Military Science
  • V Naval Science
  • Z Library Science
• The class mark is found at the spine of every book in the library or at the left upper side of a book
• Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)


  Among the modern classification schemes, it is the oldest and widely used especially in school libraries
• Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)


  • It is pure and not mixed, uses only numbers, employs decimals for further specificity of subject terms
• Main Classes of Dewey Decimal Classification

  • 000 Generalities
  • 100 Philosophy and Psychology
  • 200 Religion
  • 300 Social Sciences
  • 400 Language
  • 500 Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • 600 Technology (Applied Sciences)
  • 700 The Arts Fine and Decorative Arts
  • 800 Literature and Rhetoric
  • 900 Geography and History
• Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)

  Based on the 5th edition of Dewey Decimal Classification, widely used in French speaking countries of North Africa, in Spain and Latin America and throughout Eastern Europe, used by special libraries and most especially in those with strong emphasis on technological interests
• Similarities between DDC and UDC

  The ten (10) main classes of DDC are retained in UDC, but class 4 (language class) was merged with class 8 (Literature class) in UDC
• Bliss Classification


  Also called Bibliographic Classification (BC), devised by Henry Evelyn Bliss in 1935, utilized most extensively in British libraries
• Bliss Classification


  • Consists of 35 main classes, 9 numerical and 26 alphabetical classes, notation system utilizes upper case and lowercase Roman letters with Arabic numerals for common subdivisions, each main class and each subclass is fully faceted
• Colon Classification (CC)


  Has a set of main classes that are divided into facets
• Fundamental categories in Colon Classification

  • Space
  • Energy
  • Matter
  • Personality
• Moys Classification Scheme


  • Used by most academic libraries to classify their law materials
  • Helps to remove the shortcomings observed in class K-Law, the library of congress classification scheme
• Main Classes of Moy's Classification Scheme

  • K. Journal and Reference Books
  • KA Jurisprudence
  • KB General and Comparative Law
  • KC International Law
  • KD Religious Legal System
  • KE Ancient and Medical Law
  • KF-KN Common Law
  • KP Nigerian Legal System
  • KR Africa
  • KS Latin America
  • KT Asia and Pacific
  • KV Europe
  • KW European Community Law
  • KZ Non-Legal Subjects
• The essence of properly classifying library information materials is to make retrieval easy and to save the users the stress of having to go through the entire library shelves when looking for a book