Classification Terms

As with other areas of cataloging, there are many specific terms that are used to describe the various processes needed for assigning classification numbers. Here is a list of terminology that will be helpful to know:

Non-fiction.  This refers to library items that contain primarily factual information. The non-fiction  collection is the part of the library collection that classification systems are designed to organize.

Fiction.  This refers to library materials that deal with imaginary characters and events. Fiction collections are not usually organized with a classification system. An exception to this might be classic literature, which is sometimes included in the non-fiction section.

Schedules.  These are the part of a classification system that lists known topics and assign basic numbers or alphanumerical combinations to them. The schedules are where catalogers look when creating a classification number for any library item.

Tables.  The DDC contains four tables of information that can be used in creating numbers from the schedules. These tables are needed to modify numbers from the schedules, creating more specific, topical numbers.

Summaries.  In the DDC, everything is organized in groups of 10. DDC has included in its classification book three summaries that show how information is organized in this classification system. The first summary lists the ten main classes of information, the second summary lists the one hundred divisions of those classes, and the third summary lists the one thousand sections of those classes.

Notation.  The number, or letter and number combination, that is developed using the information given in a classification system (i.e. the schedules and tables of the DDC).

Book Number.  This refers to the combination of letters or letters and numbers that are used to indicate an individual work in the library. The book number may consist of several parts: an indicator for the author (i.e. author’s last name); an indicator for the title (when an author has published more than one work in the same subject area); the date of publication (i.e. 1999); a copy number if there is more than one copy of this particular work in the collection (i.e. copy 2). While the use of the term ‘book’ seems to indicate that this can only be used on print materials, it is a carryover from days when library collections consisted solely of  print items, and book numbers can be developed for any type of library materials.

Call Number.  This is the location or address of an item on the library shelves. The call number is made up of the notation (the number indicating the subject of the book) and the book number (indicating the author and information about that particular copy). There should be a unique call number for each individual item in a library collection. This can be done through the use of indicators for the title, date and copy number in the book number.

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