025.431: The Dewey blog

Symbiosis and Mutualism

In previous blog posts ("Evolution" and "Speciation") we looked at works that mentioned ecology but were classed with evolution or a subtopic of evolution; what about works classed with subtopics of ecology?  For example, consider Symbiosis. It has the LCSH:

Symbiosis—Juvenile literature

Here is the summary:

Discusses the three kinds of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism and describes examples of these relationships.

The examples include microorganisms, plants, and animals.
 
Browsing the Relative Index for "symbiosis" yields:

Symbiosis                             577.85
Symbiosis—animals                 591.785
Symbiosis—factor in evolution   576.85
Symbiosis—plants                   581.785

The schedule entry 577.85 Symbiosis has 577 Ecology in its upward hierarchy.  It has both 577.852 Mutualism (with "commensalism" in the including note) and 577.857 Parasitism in its downward hierarchy.  The entry 577.85 has the class-elsewhere notes "Class symbiosis as a factor affecting evolution in 576.85" and "Class symbiosis in the sense limited to mutually beneficial relationships in 577.852," but neither note is relevant to this work.  The work Symbiosis is classed in 577.85 Symbiosis.

The work Mutualism: Ants and their Insect Partners has the LCSHs:

Mutualism (Biology)
Ants—Ecology
Mutualism (Biology)—Case studies

Browsing the Relative Index for "mutualism" yields:

Mutualism (Biology)         577.852

In the upward hierarchy for 577.852 Mutualism, at 577 Ecology, is the see reference: "For animal ecology, see 591.7."  That see reference has hierarchical force.  In the upward hierarchy for 591.7Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments, at 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals, is the scatter class-elsewhere note: "Class a specific topic in natural history of animals with respect to a specific taxonomic group of animals with the group of animals, plus notation 1 from table under 592–599, e.g., beneficial mammals 599.163."  That class-elsewhere note also has hierarchical force.

Browsing the Relative Index for "ants" yields:

Ants                595.796
. . . . .
Ants—ecology   595.79617

Browsing the Relative Index for "insects" yields:

Insects                595.7
. . . . .
Insects—ecology   595.717

Since the focus of the work is specifically on mutualism relationships of ants with other kinds of insects (rather than on mutualism relationships among all kinds of insects), the correct choice for base number is 595.796 Formicidae (Ants). Mutualism: Ants and their Insect Partners is classed in 595.79617852 Mutualism in ants, built with 595.796 Formicidae (Ants) plus 1 General topics of natural history of animals from add table under 592–599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals, following add instructions at 595.796 and 592–599, plus 7 from 591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments, following add instruction at notation 1 in add table at 592–599, plus 852 from 577.852 Mutualism, following add instruction at 591.71–591.78 Specific topics in animal ecology; specific environments.  There is no way to express in this number the idea that the partners in mutualism are other kinds of insects.

Leotards

(This is the sixth in a series of posts on eponyms.)

Leotards, a tight-fitting one-piece garment, are worn by various types of athletes and performers, for example, acrobats, dancers, figure skaters, and gymnasts.  By the latter part of the 1900s, leotards had also become common attire for exercise.  Other types of garments strongly influenced by leotards include one-piece bathing suits, biketards, and unitards.

The leotard was made popular by Jules Léotard (1838/1842-1870).  To make sense of that statement, we need a little background that relies on his father’s business:

Part of his father’s gymnasium was a swimming pool which had skylights in the roof and young Leotard was tasked with the job of opening and closing them using their long ropes. He began swinging from rope to rope over the pool. He then started practicing on a swinging bar and developed such grace and skill that his antics drew comments of admiration from his father’s customers.

Before long, Léotard was invited to take his flying trapeze act to a circus in Paris, which necessitated that he be properly outfitted.  He insisted on the design of the tight-fitting garment (the original was apparently made of velvet!) that eventually became known by his name, although not until after his death.  (Incidentally, Léotard himself referred to the garment as a “maillot,” a term fashion designers still use in reference to a woman’s one-piece swimsuit.)  For more on Léotard, see the PBS and Victoria and Albert Museum articles.

The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion, 3rd ed., classifies leotards as activewear.   Here’s what the Relative Index gives for activewear:

Activewear                            796
     commercial technology        687.16
     customs                           391.48
     home economics                646.3
     home sewing                     646.47

The interdisciplinary number for activewear is 796 Athletic and outdoor sports and games—the clothing for an activity going with the activity—where a work like The sports bible: encyclopedia for activewear, outerwear, streetwear & sports fashion is classed.  (Notation T1—03 Dictionaries, encyclopedias, concordances is not added, because activewear/clothing does not approximate the whole of 796.)   Works on specific aspects of activewear would be classed in the other numbers; for example, Sewing active wear is classed in 646.47 Construction of garments for special purposes, with its including note, “Including activewear (clothing for athletic and outdoor sports, . . .”

And what about the comprehensive biography number for Léotard?   The ubiquity of leotards aside, Léotard’s most significant contribution—and the basis of his comprehensive biography number—is his creation of the flying trapeze act.  His comprehensive biography number, used for works like La course aux trapèzes volants: l'exploit de Jules Léotard! [The flying trapeze race: the feat of Jules Léotard!] and Pirouettes et collants blancs: mémoires de Jules Léotard, le premier des trapézistes (1860) [Pirouettes and white tights:  memoires of Jules Léotard, the first trapeze artist (1860)] is therefore 791.34092 Acrobatics and trapeze work—Biography, built from 791.34 (Circuses) Acrobatics and trapeze work, plus T1—092 Biography.  By the way, the number for “The Daring Young Man on The Flying Trapeze,” a song written about Léotard, is 782.42164 Western popular songs, built with 782.42 (Secular) Songs, plus 164 from 781.64 Western popular music, following the instructions at 782.1-782.4 Vocal forms.

Maya Calendar

The Maya calendar has been in the news recently, e.g., "Found: The Oldest Maya Calendar (and No, the World's Still Not Ending)" (Time Science) and "Oldest Known Maya Calendar Found; No Signs of 2012 Doomsday" (ABC News). The Maya calendar is also a topic in an exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: Maya 2012: Lords of Time.

Searching in WebDewey for "maya calendar" (or browsing for it in the WebDewey Relative Index) yields the built number entry:

529.32978427 Maya calendar

The number is built with 529.32 Calendars of specific religions and traditions plus 978 from 299.78 Religions of specific groups and peoples, following the add instruction at 529.32, plus 427 from T5—97427 Peoples who speak, or whose ancestors spoke, Yucatecan languages, following the add instruction at 299.78.  The entry for T5—97427 has the class-here note: "Class here Yucatecan Maya." An example of a work classed in 529.32978427 is Maya Calendar Origins: Monuments, Mythistory, and the Materialization of Time. It has the following LCSHs:

Maya calendar
Maya astronomy
Maya cosmology

Works that emphasize controversial knowledge about the end of the world—whether arguing for or against the idea—are classed in 001.9 Controversial knowledge, which has the including note:  "Including . . . . the end of the world."  That number can be found in WebDewey by browsing the Relative Index for "end of the world" or by searching for it. Because the topic is in an including note, no further addition is possible.  An example of a work classed in 001.9 Controversial knowledge is The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012. It has the LCSHs:

End of the world (Astronomy)
Maya calendar
Two thousand twelve, A.D.

Updates: Selected Topics in 297.1-.8 Islam

297.122    Koran
297.14      Religious and ceremonial laws and decisions
297.352    Mecca
297.81      Sunnites
297.82      Shiites

Updates for selected topics in 297.1-.8 Islam have been published in 200 Religion Class and in WebDewey.  The new provisions can be found by clicking "Updates" on the login page or other pages in WebDewey; the file is named 297_20120501_DDC23.  Most of the provisions were made available for review in an earlier version announced in a previous blog. The exception is an expansion to provide for two groups of Shiites:

297.8251 'Alawīs (Alawites)
297.8252 Alevis

Most of the new numbers will be used primarily by libraries with large collections on Islam.  That is probably true of the largest area of expansion and revision, for 297.122 Koran.  That is probably also true of the expansion at 297.14 Religious and ceremonial laws and decisions for schools of Islamic law.  The expansion, which can now be used for fiqh al-'ibādāt (rituals law), will also provide notation that can be used to facilitate work that is underway to make 340 Law more hospitable for Islamic law. The main change to 297.81 Sunnites is relocation of four groups that the Arabic translation team recommended be treated as schools of law rather than as Islamic sects; Hanafites, Shafiites, Malikites, and Hanbalites are now all classed in subdivisions of 297.14018 Schools of law.

The update includes a small expansion that may be more widely used, at 297.352 Mecca:

297.3524 Hajj
297.3525 Umrah (Lesser pilgrimage to Mecca)

Hajj Stories is an example of a work that can be classed in 297.3524 Hajj (or, since it is a juvenile work, it could be classed in the unchanged abridged number: 297.3 Islamic worship.)  The Ultimate Guide to Umrah: Based on the Famous Book Getting the Best Out of Hajj: With Special Chapters on Umrah in Ramadaan and Visiting Madinah is an example of a work that can be classed in the new number 297.3525 Umrah (Lesser pilgrimage to Mecca). 

200 Religion Class

200 Religion Class, the last publication in the Dewey print-edition trilogy that began in 2011 (the other two are DDC 23 and Abridged Edition 15), is now available.  200 Religion Class includes an updated version of the 200 Religion schedule and the Manual notes for 200 Religion, an updated and extended index to 200 Religion, and the 170 Ethics schedule. The updates are also available in WebDewey.  Ordering information for the three print editions plus WebDewey is available here.

In DDC 23, we updated the provisions for the Orthodox Church, initiated updates for Islam, and introduced several changes elsewhere in 200 Religion.  200 Religion Class contains those changes, plus additional updates for Islam and a number of minor updates elsewhere in 200 that were not ready for publication in the print DDC 23. (My colleague Juli Beall will describe the changes to Islam in detail in an upcoming blog entry.)

Another exciting feature of 200 Religion Class is an optional arrangement for the Bible and specific religions based on a chronological/regional view.  For some time now, we have been exploring the development of an alternative view of 200 Religion to reduce Christian bias in the standard notational sequence for the Bible and specific religions.  In cooperation with Ia C. McIlwaine (University College London, and the former editor in chief of the Universal Decimal Classification [UDC]) we have prepared a chronological/regional view of the Bible and specific religions based on a similar development introduced in the UDC in 2000.  The new optional arrangement appears in appendix A of the print version of 200 Religion Class, and in a new Manual note at 220-290 Optional arrangement for the Bible and specific religions in WebDewey.  A virtual browser based on the new optional arrangement and linked to Dewey-classified resources in WorldCat.org will be available on the Dewey web site in mid-2012.

Mesmerized!

(This is the fifth in a series of posts on eponyms.)

These days when we speak of being mesmerized by something, we may not realize we are referencing the theories and practices of Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), a German physician.  (While being mesmerized is eponymous, most of its synonyms are metaphorical:   if we are captivated or enthralled by something, we are a slave to it; if we are spellbound by it, it has cast a spell over us.)  Believing that illness was the result of a misalignment of magnetic forces in the human body, Mesmer initially engaged in curing his patients by giving them high doses of iron and then passing magnets over their bodies.   When Mesmer came to realize that the success of his treatments arose from his own magnetic force, the magnets were discarded, with treatment involving Mesmer’s passing his empty hands above a patient’s body.   Mesmer must have been a very convincing physician with malleable patients; apparently he managed to put his patients into a trance-like state, from which they emerged improved—at least often enough.   Although Mesmer was discredited by the medical communities of Vienna and Paris, mesmerism and/or “animal magnetism” (the term used by Mesmer) gained in popularity in Germany, Russia, England, America, and elsewhere.   (For greater detail / some of “the rest of the story,” see these accounts:  [1] [2] [3].)

Over time, mesmerism has lost some of the strength of its connection with Mesmer and animal magnetism.  The word is now roughly synonymous with hypnosis, as reflected in Mesmerism being given as a Relative Index term at 154.7 Hypnotism.   (DDC 20 included a discontinuation of works on mesmerism from 154.72 Animal magnetism to 154.7 Hypnotism.)   When classifying works that use the term mesmerism, one should be careful to discern whether it is meant in its historical sense, specific to Franz Anton Mesmer and animal magnetism, or in its more contemporaneous and general sense.

Two see references at 154.7 are also relevant to us:  one tells us that psychic aspects of hypnotism are classed in 133.89 [Psychic phenomena] Animal magnetism, hypnosis, extrasensory perception of animals, aura; the other tells us that medical applications of hypnotism are classed in 615.8512 [Psychological and activity therapies] Hypnotherapy.  Consequently, Manuel de magnétisme: petit manuel de magnétisme et médecine homéopathique [Handbook of magnetism: small handbook of magnetism and homeopathic medicine] is classed in 615.8512.

And what about the comprehensive biography number for Mesmer?   It is easy to read about Mesmer’s theories and consider him a bit of a charlatan, but this is unfair.  Even if his explanations now strike us as misguided, his curative successes were apparently real.  That is, as a theorist, we might consider his most noted contributions to be a better fit in 133.89 than in 615.8512, but as a practitioner, he’s a good fit in 615.8512.  The Manual at T1—092 Biography instructs us:  “If the person made approximately equal contributions to a number of fields, use the number for the subject that provides the best common denominator, giving some extra consideration to the person’s occupation.”  Giving extra consideration to Mesmer’s occupation as a physician, the comprehensive biography for him is 615.8512092 Hypnotherapy—Biography, where a work like Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815): kwakzalver of ontdekker van 'het onbewuste'?  [quack or discoverer of the unconscious] should be classed.

Dewey in Dotland

Pictured, left to right: Debra Halabis, Joan S. Mitchell, Michelle Rosen

I had the pleasure of visiting the Durham Academy Lower School Library on Friday, and was immediately swept away by a Dewey fantasy land in the form of blue decimal "dots" everywhere I turned.  Two blue "dot" staff members greeted me, a blue "dot" clock hung on the wall, a round blue "dot" rolling bookmobile was loaded with books, and a blue "dot" dressed as a forest ranger sat perched atop a range of shelves (outfits on the last apparently change with the research project at hand).  There was even a wonderful library-instruction book ("Trouble in the Library: The Adventures of Dewey Decimal") written by staff members Michelle Rosen (Librarian) and Debra Halabis (Library Assistant).  Michelle and Debra, thanks again for your hospitality, and for demonstrating how useful (and fun) the Dewey Decimal Classification system can be for researchers of all ages!

 

Speciation

A previous blog on evolution mentioned in passing the topic of speciation.  This time let's focus on speciation as we explore more places where aspects of evolution may be classed.  Browsing the Dewey Relative Index for "speciation" yields:

Speciation (Biology)    576.86
Species                    578.012
Species—evolution     576.86

In the upward hierarchy for speciation at 576.86 is 576.8 Evolution.  An example of a general work on speciation is Speciation.  Here is an excerpt from the publisher's description plus the table of contents:

Aimed at professional biologists, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates, Speciation covers both plants and animals . . . , and deals with all relevant areas of research, including biogeography, field work, systematics, theory, and genetic and molecular studies. It gives special emphasis to topics that are either controversial or the subject of active research, including sympatric speciation, reinforcement, the role of hybridization in speciation, the search for genes causing reproductive isolation, and mounting evidence for the role of natural and sexual selection in the origin of species.

Contents:

1. Species: reality and concepts
2. Studying speciation
3. Allopatric and parapatric speciation
4. Sympatric speciation
5. Ecological isolation
6. Behavioral and nonecological isolation
7. Postzygotic isolation
8. The genetics of postzygotic isolation
9. Polyploidy and hybrid speciation
10. Reinforcement
11. Selection versus drift
12. Speciation and macroevolution

(Incidentally, if your biology is a bit rusty, the University of California site Evolution 101 might help, e.g., its section on speciation.)

Speciation has the LCSH:

Species

In LCSH, "Speciation (Biology)," is a non-preferred term pointing to the preferred term "Species."  The Dewey entry 578.012 Classification has "species" in its including note, but it also has a class-elsewhere note: "Class speciation in 576.86."  The work Speciation is classed in 576.86 Speciation.

What about works on speciation that don't cover both plants and animals?  For example, Speciation in Birds.  Here are excerpts from a reviewer's description plus the book's table of contents:

In this book, Trevor Price aims for a highly challenging task, namely to synthesize the roles of ecology, behavior, and genetics in bird speciation. . . . .

The book opens with two introductory chapters, where main concepts are defined and some of the main themes of the book are introduced. One of the main themes, the ecology of speciation, is treated thoroughly in the next five chapters. . . . .

The second main section of the book, chapters 8 to 12, covers nonecological speciation. Many avian allospecies do not appear to differ much ecologically but differ in traits that are used in species recognition, such as plumage color and song. Such traits are thought to evolve mainly through sexual and other forms of social selection, suggesting that social selection is important in bird speciation. Price also discusses how ecological factors may contribute to shaping such socially selected traits.

The last major section of the book, chapters 13 to 16, is mainly devoted to the final stages of speciation, and evolutionary processes operating in differentiated populations that experience secondary contact. . . . .

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Geography and Ecology
3. Geographical variation
4. Parapatric Speciation
5. Ecological speciation
6. Ecological controls and speciation on continents
7. Behavior and ecology
8. Geographical isolation and the causes of island endemism
9. Social Selection
10. Social selection and the evolution of song
11. Divergence in response to increased sexual selection
12. Social selection and ecology
13. Species recognition
14. Mate choice at the end of speciation
15. Hybrid zones
16. Genetic incompatibility
17. Conclusions

Speciation in Birds has the LCSH:

Birds—Speciation

Browsing the Relative Index for "birds" yields:

Birds                     598
. . . .
Birds—evolution       598.138

Also, in the schedule record for 576.8 Evolution is the see reference: "For evolution of animals, see 591.38."  The see reference has hierarchical force and carries subordinate topics of evolution like speciation at 576.86 with it.

At 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals is a scatter note: "Class a specific topic in natural history of animals with respect to a specific taxonomic group of animals with the group of animals, plus notation 1 from table under 592–599, e.g., beneficial mammals 599.163."  Hence the base number for the work will be 598 Aves (Birds).   The footnote add instruction at 598 leads to 592–599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals.  At that span is an add table with the following:

1 General topics of natural history of animals

Add to base number 1 the numbers following 591 in 591.3-591.7, e.g., beneficial animals 163, marine animals 177

At 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals is a table of preference that places behavior, evolution, and ecology in the following order:

Behavior                                                                         591.5

Genetics, evolution, young animals                                      591.3

Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments 591.7

Both behavior (e.g., social selection) and ecology are discussed in Speciation in Birds, but both are discussed as causes of speciation, a subordinate topic of evolution.  Although the table of preference might suggest that the work should be classed with behavior, the rule of application overrides the table of preference, and the work is classed with evolution.

Speciation in Birds is classed in 598.138 Evolution of birds (built with 598 Aves [Birds] plus 1 from the add table under 592–599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals plus 38 from 591.38 Evolution).  The built number appears in the Relative Index, as noted above.

Graham flour, graham bread, graham crackers

(This is the fourth in a series of posts on eponyms.)

Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) is best known today for his eponymous bread and crackers, although he would not recognize (or approve of) some of the products now known by his name.  For example, chocolate graham crackers or graham crackers with a cinnamon-and-sugar topping are substantially different from the graham crackers originally created by Graham.  Indeed, we should probably use the terms “graham bread” and “graham crackers” only in conjunction with the use of graham flour, also created by and named after Sylvester Graham, and in which the components of the wheat kernel are ground separately (the endosperm finely; the bran and germ coarsely) and then combined.  (See the description of graham flour given on the Home Cooking channel on About.com.) 

Graham flour is classed in 641.3311 Food from wheat (built with 641.3 Food plus 311 from 633.11 Wheat, following the add instructions at 641.33–.35 Specific food from plant crops.  Graham bread is classed in 641.815 Bread and bread-like foods (a see reference at 641.3 Food indicates that interdisciplinary works on specific dishes are classed in 641.8 Cooking specific kinds of dishes and preparing beverages). 

And then we come to graham crackers.   Are they really crackers?  (Sylvester Graham must have thought so.)  If so, they should be classed in the same number as graham bread (crackers are mentioned in the including note at 641.815 Bread and bread-like foods).  Or, given that modern graham crackers are often located alongside cookies on grocery store shelves, should they be classed in 641.8654 Cookies?  (A see reference at 641.815 draws off pastries to 641.865, of which 641.8654 is a subdivision.)  We could pursue these questions by exploring the relationship between graham crackers and digestive biscuits, as well as the relationship between English biscuits and American cookies.  We could look at definitions of crackers, biscuits, and cookies.  In the end, perhaps the clearest thing we could say is that graham crackers are neither the prototypical cracker nor the prototypical cookie, but the original graham cracker was more cracker-like and modern graham crackers tend to be more cookie-like.  In reality, the question is somewhat moot, because the literature on graham crackers is almost always on some aspect of graham crackers (e.g., nutrition education; the graham cracker market) that takes it outside of 641 altogether.

Sylvester Graham’s creation of graham flour, graham bread, and graham crackers was a part of the Graham Diet, which eschewed white bread, meat, and spices (as well as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea), espousing instead a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  A leading advocate of the healthy food movement in the 19^th century, Graham helped to establish the American Vegetarian Society.  To round out the story, early in his adult life, Sylvester Graham was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and was also associated with the Pennsylvania Temperance Society, serving as a traveling speaker.   In sum, Graham was a social reformer.

“Social reform movements” appear in the class-here note at 303.484 Purposefully induced change, where the scatter class-elsewhere note, “Class innovation and reform directed to a specific end with the end, e.g., reform of banking 332.1” also appears.   Consequently, health reform should be classed in 613 Personal health and safety, while diet reform should be classed in 613.2 Dietetics; health reformers and diet reformers would be classed in 613.092 and 613.2092, respectively.  A biography emphasizing his contributions to vegetarianism would be classed more specifically in 613.262092 Vegetarianism—biography.   A biography on Graham emphasizing that his dietary reforms were aimed at curbing alcoholism or curbing sexual urges might be classed in 613.81092 Alcohol abuse—biography or 613.95092 Sex hygiene--biography, respectively.  (Although Sylvester Graham was not formally educated in medicine, the title of Martha H. Verbrugge’s “Healthy Animals and Civic Life: Sylvester Graham's Physiology of Subsistence” [Reviews in American History 9:3 (September 1981), 359-364] is not meant ironically.  Numbers in 610 Medicine and health therefore are not inappropriate.)   

But what would the comprehensive biography number for Sylvester Graham be?  The Manual note at T1—092 Biography instructs us, “If the person made approximately equal contributions to a number of fields”—which seems to be the case here—“use the number for the subject that provides the best common denominator.”   For this reason, we should choose a general number.  A comprehensive biography for Sylvester Graham should therefore be classed in 613.092 Personal health—biography.

Evolution

A recent article in Science ("Founder Effects Persist Despite Adaptive Differentiation: A Field Experiment with Lizards") got me thinking about how to classify works on evolution. Different aspects of evolution are classed in different numbers.  A work that emphasizes evolution commonly also considers the interrelated topics ecology and adaptation.

One of the works cited in the article may serve as an example: The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation. The publisher's description and the table of contents help clarify the scope and focus of the work:

Adaptive radiation is the evolution of diversity within a rapidly multiplying lineage. It can cause a single ancestral species to differentiate into an impressively vast array of species inhabiting a variety of environments. Much of life's diversity has arisen during adaptive radiations. Some of the most famous recent examples include the East African cichilid fishes, the Hawaiian silverswords, and Darwin's Galapagos finches. This book evaluates the causes of adaptive radiation. It focuses on the 'ecological' theory of adaptive radiation, a body of ideas that began with Darwin and were developed through the early part of the 20th century. This theory proposes that phenotypic divergence and speciation in adaptive radiation are caused ultimately by divergent natural selection arising from differences in environment and competition between species. The text re-evaluates the ecological theory, along with its most significant extensions and challenges, in the light of all the recent evidence.

Contents:

1. The origins of ecological diversity
2. Detecting adaptive radiation
3. The progress of adaptive radiation
4. The ecological theory of adaptive radiation
5. Divergent natural selection between environments
6. Divergence and species interactions
7. Ecological opportunity
8. The ecological basis of speciation
9. Divergence along genetic lines of least resistance
10. The ecology of adaptive radiation

As the examples in the description suggest, The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation covers a range of plants and animals.  The work has the LCSH:

Evolution (Biology)
Adaptive radiation (Evolution)
Ecology
Adaptation (Biology)

Browsing the Relative Index for "evolution" yields:

Evolution 576.8

Searching or browsing for "adaptive radiation" yields no hits, but browsing the Relative Index for "radiation" yields one relevant entry:

Radiation (Biological evolution) 576.84

The schedule record 576.84 Evolutionary cycles has the class-here note: "Class here catastrophes, extinction, radiation."

Browsing the Relative Index for "ecology" yields:

Ecology 577

By the rule of application, since ecology is discussed as a cause of adaptive radiation, the work is classed with adaptive radiation in 576.84 rather than ecology.

Browsing the Relative Index for "adaptation" yields:

Adaptation (Biology) 578.4

The entry 578 Natural history of organisms and related subjects, which is part of the upward hierarchy of 578.4 Adaptation, has the see reference: "For genetics and evolution, see 576."  That reference has hierarchical force.

Various aspects of evolution are discussed in the work.  Natural selection (named in a class-here note at 576.82 Theories of evolution) is discussed as a cause of adaptive radiation. Speciation (named at 576.86 Speciation) is discussed only in the context of adaptive radiation.  The emphasis is on adaptive radiation. The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation is classed in 576.84 Evolutionary cycles.

 

Nicotine

(This is the third in a series of posts on eponyms.)

Within the nightshade family of plants is the genus Nicotiana, including more than 70 species of tobacco.  Both the genus name Nicotiana and nicotine, the alkaloid that is the principal constituent of the tobacco leaf, are derived from the name of Jean Nicot de Villemain (1530–1600), a French diplomat and scholar.   As France’s ambassador to Portugal, Nicot sent tobacco seeds that had originated in the New World to Paris in 1560; he also recommended tobacco to the queen, Catherine de Medici, for migraine headches, thus introducing medicinal use of tobacco to the French court. 

The literature on nicotine is inseparable from the literature on tobacco and has many aspects.   For example, from a social welfare perspective, tobacco abuse is classed in 362.296 Tobacco as a subdivision of 362.29 Substance abuse  (for example, Smoking.drugabuse.gov:  Nicotine addiction ... and other dangers of tobacco use); from a human toxicology persective, tobacco is classed in 615.9523952 (built with 615.952 Plant poisons, plus 3952 from 583.952 Solanaceae [the scientific name for the nightshade family], following the add instruction at 615.9523–615.9528 Specific plant poisons; for example, Toxicology:  Tobacco-specific n-nitrosamines:  Recent advances); from an agricultural perspective, tobacco is classed in 633.71 Tobacco as an alkaloidal field crop (for example, The culture of tobacco).  Other appropriate numbers can be seen by browsing the Relative Index under Tobacco, Tobacco abuse, Tobacco industry, etc.  No interdisciplinary number for nicotine or tobacco is given.

Works on Jean Nicot de Villemain as a French diplomat should be classed in 327.440092 Foreign relations of France—biography (built with 327 International relations, plus T2—44 France, plus T1—0092 Biography [the use of 00 for standard subdivisions is given in a footnote], following the add instructions at 327.3–327.9 Foreign relations of specific continents, countries, localities).  (The Manual note at T1—092 Biography indicates that for public figures, greatest weight should be given to the highest office reached, after which it specifies that 327.3–.9 should be used for ambassadors.)  While Nicot may be best known for introducing the use of tobacco to France, his most significant work was the compilation of Thresor de la langue françoyse, tant ancienne que moderne, perhaps the first modern dictionary of the French language.   Works on Jean Nicot as a French lexicographer should be classed in 443.092 French lexicographers (built with 44(0) French, plus T4—3 Dictionaries, plus T1—092 Biography).   Although lexicography is in the class-here note at T4—3028 Auxiliary techniques and procedures; apparatus, equipment, materials, in the preference table for Table 1, T1—092 Biography is higher than T1—028 Auxiliary techniques and procedures; apparatus, equipment, materials.

But what about a comprehensive biography of Jean Nicot?  The Manual note at T1—092 Biography gives the following instructions:   “Use the number for the subject of the person’s most noted contribution for the comprehensive biography of the person.   If the person made approximately equal contributions to a number of fields, use the number for the subject that provides the best common denominator, giving some extra consideration to the person’s occupation.”   The introduction of tobacco to the French court, from which the use of tobacco was further disseminated throughout Europe, was a “contribution” of significant effect, marked by the eponymous use of his surname for tobacco’s scientific name and for its chief chemical compound.  But however significant the effects of his actions with respect to tobacco, his ambassadorship was of only 2-3 years’ duration.  The remaining 40 years of his life were spent as a man of learning.  No number would seem to provide a best common denominator across the range of his contributions.  The Manual note subsequently instructs:  “Class an individual biography in the number most nearly covering the history and civilization of the place and time of the activity emphasized when a work is not clearly associated with any subject but is clearly associated with a place, even in cases when a person’s activity may not approximate the whole of the most specific period.”  Consequently, a comprehensive work on Jean Nicot is best classed in 944.029092 (built with 944.029 Historical periods of France—reigns of Francis II, Charles IX, Henry III, 1559–1589, plus T1—092 Biography).

Tuesday Afternoon

Well, that's what it is right now for the Dewey editorial team (save consulting assistant editor Giles Martin in Australia, who is probably already into Wednesday morning).  But it's also the title of the sixth song in the set that the Moody Blues played last night in Pittsburgh.  Listening to them, I couldn’t help but muse about how useful it is to have the note "Class here specific rock styles" under 781.66 Rock (Rock 'n' roll).  In a show that ranged from pure rock ("I'm Just a Singer [in a Rock and Roll Band]") to spoken word ("Late Lament") to the something-for-everyone-in-one-song ("Question"), I thought about how hard it is to describe the Moody Blues beyond rock.  The Manual note at 781.62 vs. 781.63-.66 Folk and popular music instructs one to use allmusic.com or a similar online source for help determining the style of music.  Allmusic.com lists the Moody Blues in the Pop/Rock genre, with the styles of Prog-Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Album Rock, Art Rock, British Invasion, Psychedelic, British Psychedelia, and AM Pop.  I think this gives you an idea of why we decided not to subdivide 781.66 by specific rock styles!

The biography number for the Moody Blues is 782.421660922 (built with 782.42 Songs plus 1 General principles [from the add table under 782.1-782.4 Vocal forms] plus 66 Rock music [from 781.66, following the instructions in the aforementioned add table] plus T1—0922 Collected biography).  For that last element, if you were tempted to add collected biography by geographic area and slip in T1—092242 (T1—0922 plus T2—42 England) or T1—092242496 (T1—0922 plus T2—42496 Birmingham), please don't do so.  The Manual note at  T1—0922 Collected biography instructs:  "Do not use area subdivisions for collected biography of groups that have a strong collective personal identity, even though all the members are known to have come from one particular area, e.g., the Beatles 782.421660922 (not 782.42166092242 or 782.42166092242753)."

And yes, they did play "Nights in White Satin."

 

"Abridged" View of WebDewey

An "Abridged" View of WebDewey, the presentation from the 19 March 2012 invitational webinar with current Abridged WebDewey users, is now available. The presentation outlines the approaches we propose to implement in WebDewey to accommodate current Abridged WebDewey users (see here for background information on why we have decided not to continue with a separate version of WebDewey based on Abridged Edition 15). We welcome your questions, comments, and ideas. 

 

Dewey at PLA

Libbie Crawford and I enjoyed sharing some of our ongoing developments—progress never stands still at Dewey!—at the Dewey Breakfast/Update at PLA 2012 in Philadelphia earlier this month.  Libbie gave a presentation on Dewey Products and Services in which she addressed the availability status of the latest set of print products (DDC 23—available, Abridged Edition 15 [A15]—available, 200 Religion Class—coming soon); in addition she summarized the set of enhancements that have recently been incorporated into WebDewey (e.g., icons for Manual notes and built numbers; history of numbers) or that will appear in WebDewey in the foreseeable future (e.g., user contribution / number building assistant).  Her presentation was sandwiched between presentations on A15 (Abridged Edition 15:  It’s Here!) and DDC 23 (DDC 23:  What’s New + Helpful Hints [not from Heloise]).  The former touched on some of the changes incorporated into A15, both those ranging across the system and those limited to specific subject areas; the presentation also explained the development process for generating A15.  The latter presentation addressed classifying works on evolving technologies, giving specific examples in the areas of digital photography and multifunctional digital devices; it also addressed how to classify works involving groups of people that are defined by more than a single attribute, with particular emphasis on the preference tables at 302-307, 362, and 362.74-.78. 

We invite everyone to take advantage of the availability of the presentations by using them for both review and learning.

Boycotts

(This is the second in a series of posts on eponyms.)

(Warning:  There’s rather more to this story than I’m going to try to relate.)  In the fall of 1880 in County Mayo, Ireland, Lord Erne granted his tenant farmers a ten percent reduction in their rents because of the poor harvest that had occurred that year.  Many of the farmers demanded a higher reduction—25 percent—in their rents, which Lord Erne refused to grant.  It was then left to his land agent, Captain Charles Boycott, to evict the farmers who refused (or were unable) to pay the higher amount.   In addressing the issue of someone’s coming in to work the land after the former farmer had been evicted, Charles Stewart Panell, an influential member of the Irish Land League, urged the use of “social ostracism,” by shunning the person under all circumstances.  This counsel was first applied to the land agent Charles Boycott:  none of the local farmers would harvest the crops on Lord Erne’s lands, while local merchants refused to render services to Boycott.  Within only days, the verb to boycott was being used locally in relation to ostracizing landlords or land agents.  By the end of the decade, it had entered A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (later known as the Oxford English Dictionary).  According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word today has gained the following broader meaning:   “To abstain from or act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion.”  The word has been adopted (and adapted) by many other languages, such as Finnish, French, Dutch, German, Greek, Indonesian, Korean, Polish, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish, Russian, and related languages.  (Check it out.)

The Relative Index does not designate an interdisciplinary number for boycotts, but gives instead the following entries (it should be noted that boycotts do not approximate the whole of any of these classes; if mentioned at all, they are in the including note):

Relative Index heading	DDC number	Captions
Boycott—Holocaust, 1933–1945	940.5318132	Holocaust  /  Economic actions against business and property
Boycott—international politics	327.117	Foreign policy and specific topics in international relations / Use of force and threats of force
Boycott—international politics—law of nations	341.582	Law of nations / Disputes and conflicts between states / Coercive methods of settlement short of war / Sanctions
Boycott—labor economics	331.893	Labor-management bargaining and disputes / Other labor measures (i.e., other than contracts, strikes)
Boycott—labor economics—law	344.01893	Labor law / Labor-management bargaining and disputes / Other labor measures (i.e., other than contracts, strikes)
Boycott—restraint of trade	338.6048	Organization of production / Competition and restraint
Boycott—restraint of trade—law	343.0723	[Economic law] / Regulation of economic activity / Unfair practices / Restraint of trade

Examples of works on boycotts include: 

• International boycotts: Canadian responses, classed in 327.117 Foreign policy and specific topics in international relations / Use of force and threats of force;
• The boycott in American trade unions, classed in 331.893 Labor-management bargaining and disputes / Other labor measures (i.e., other than contracts, strikes);
• The NLRB [National Labor Relations Board] and secondary boycotts,  classed in 344.7301893 (built with 344 Labor law, etc., plus T2—73 United States, plus 01 from 344.011–.018 Specific aspects of labor, following instructions at 01–09 Topics of labor law, etc., in the add table under 344.3–.9 Specific jurisdictions and areas, plus 893 from 331.893 Labor-management bargaining and disputes / Other labor measures (i.e., other than contracts, strikes, following instructions at 344.011–.018 Specific aspects of labor); and
• Refusing to cooperate with competitors:  A theory of horizontal boycotts, classed in 343.730723 (built with 343 Industry, trade law, etc., plus T2—73 United States, plus 0723 from 343.0723 Restraint of trade, following instructions at 01–09 Topics of industry, trade law, etc., in the add table under 343.3–.9 Specific jurisdictions and areas). 

And where should a comprehensive biography on Captain Charles Boycott be classed?  The Manual note at T1—092 Biography instructs us to “use the number for the subject of the person’s most noted contribution for the comprehensive biography of the person.”  However, it goes on to say, “Class an individual biography in the number most nearly covering the history and civilization of the place and time of the activity emphasized when a work is not clearly associated with any subject but is clearly associated with a place, even in cases when a person’s activity may not approximate the whole of the most specific period.”   Captain Boycott is not known for a contribution within a subject area, but is known as a part of the history of Ireland in the late 19^th century.  The best number for his comprehensive biography therefore is 941.5081092 (built with 941.5081 Ireland, 1800–1899, plus T1–092 Biography).  An example of such a biography is Boycott:  The life behind the word; the life and times in England and in Ireland and the unusual family background of Charles Cunningham Boycott.

 

What does "below" mean in WebDewey?

DDC 23 contains a new type of note in class records for standard subdivisions that introduce special expansions not found in Table 1: "Notation X from Table 1 as modified below." For example, the note "Notation 01 from Table 1 as modified below" is included in the record for 370.1 Philosophy and theory, education for specific objectives, educational psychology; there are several expansions under 370.1 that are not part of T1—01 Philosophy and theory.

Yesterday, we received an interesting question about the use of the term "below" in the note in the WebDewey version of class 370.1: "What does 'below' mean if I don’t see something directly below the note?" In the note under 370.1, "below" is shorthand for "in the subdivisions of this class." The direct subdivisions of 370.1 appear in the hierarchical display in WebDewey:

In some cases, "below" may refer to content in the class record itself plus subdivisions of the class. For example, the note "Only those peoples provided for below" under T5—9489 Peoples who speak, or whose ancestors spoke, miscellaneous languages of south Asia refers to the peoples named in the including note in the record for T5—9489 plus the caption and class-here note in T5—94892. There are over two hundred instances of the term "below" in the schedules, tables, and Manual notes in DDC 23. In each case, one needs to consult what follows.

WebDewey and Library of Congress Subject Headings

Among the Library of Congress Subject Headings mapped to Dewey numbers in earlier versions of WebDewey were some labeled "PPT" because they came from the 2001 publication People, Places & Things: A List of Popular Library of Congress Subject Headings with Dewey Numbers. Those headings were not included in WebDewey 2.0 because the mappings needed to be updated. 

The process of updating has begun.  Thus far, PPT headings mapped to 500–599 have been updated and restored to WebDewey.  The headings are no longer labeled "PPT" because they are now like other editorially mapped headings; there is no longer a need to warn users that they may be out of date.  A few examples may illustrate.

The LCSH "Polynomials" is now mapped to 512.9422 Polynomial equations.  The history box for that number has this information:

expanded from 512.942
2003, Edition 22

In PPT, the LCSH "Polynomials" was mapped to the old number, 512.942.  An example of a work with the LCSH "Polynomials" classed in 512.9422 Polynomial equations is Polynomials.

(To learn more about the history box now available in WebDewey, see the previous blogs "WebDewey 2.0 Enhancements" and "Expansions from DDC 22 to DDC 23.")

The LCSH "Algorithms" is now mapped to 518.1 Algorithms.  The history box for that number has this information:

formerly located in 511.8
2003, Edition 22

In PPT, the LCSH "Algorithms" was mapped to the old number, 511.8.  An example of a work classed in 518.1 Algorithms is Algorithms.  The work has both the LCSH "Algorithms—Textbooks" and "Computer algorithms—Textbooks," but it emphasizes the mathematical ideas behind algorithms.

The LCSH "Pacific Ocean" is now mapped to the built number 551.4614 Pacific Ocean (built with 551.461 Specific oceans and seas, coastal saltwater bodies plus 4 from T2—164 Pacific Ocean, following instructions at 551.4613–551.4617 Specific oceans and seas). The history box for 551.4614 Pacific Ocean has this information:

formerly located in 551.465
2003, Edition 22

In PPT, the LCSH "Pacific Ocean" was mapped to the old number, 551.465.  An example of a work with the LCSH "Pacific Ocean" classed in 551.4614 Pacific Ocean is Pacific Ocean. The work is interdisciplinary, and 551.4614 is the interdisciplinary number for the Pacific Ocean.  In the upward hierarchy, at 551.46 Oceanography and submarine geology, is the class-here note: "Class here . . . interdisciplinary works on marine science, on oceans and seas."  That note has hierarchical force.

DDC 23: Expansions in Table 2 notation 3 Ancient world

Among the expansions in DDC 23 summarized in "New Features in Edition 23" are many for geographic areas in T2--3 Ancient world, e.g.:

--394 Middle East to 640

An example of a work for which one of the new subdivisions can be used is The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra.  The work has the LCSH Ugarit (Extinct city) and the LCSH Excavations (Archaeology)--Syria.  Browsing the Relative Index for "Ugarit" yields:

Ugarit (Extinct city)    T2--39433

The record for T2--39433 Northwest provinces of modern Syria to 640 has an including note naming Ugarit:  "Including Ebla, Ugarit."  This new number is an expansion of the number T2--3943 Syria to 640. At 930.1 Archaeology is the see reference: "For archaeology of continents, countries, localities provided for in notation T2--3 from Table 2, see 931-939."  The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra is classed in 939.433 History of northwest provinces of modern Syria to 640 (built with 9 History plus T2--39433 Northwest provinces of modern Syria to 640, following instructions under 930-990 History of specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds).

Another example of a work for which a new subdivision of T2--3943 Syria to 640 can be used is A History of Antioch in Syria: From Seleucus to the Arab Conquest.  The work has the LCSH Antioch (Turkey)--History.  Browsing the Relative Index for "Antioch" yields:

Antioch (Turkey)                   T2--5648
Antioch (Turkey)--ancient       939.431
Antioch (Turkey)--ancient       T2--39431

Here is the new Table 2 entry, with an option note that links to the Table 2 number for Hatay Province of modern Turkey (T2--5648):

T2--39431 Hatay Province of modern Turkey to 640
                    Class here Antioch to 640
                    (Option: Class in T2--5648)

Syria is named in the upward hierarchy for T2--39431, and the option note has a link to the Table 2 number for modern Syria (T2--5691):

T2--3943  Syria to 640
                        For Phoenicia, see T2--3944
                    (Option: Class in T2--5691)

The information in the captions and notes helps the classifier cope with the differences between the ancient world, when Antioch was part of Syria, and the current period, when Antioch is part of Turkey.  A History of Antioch in Syria: From Seleucus to the Arab Conquest is classed in 939.431 History of Hatay Province of modern Turkey to 640 (built with 9 History plus T2--39431 Hatay Province of modern Turkey to 640, following instructions under 930-990 History of specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds).

Incidentally, here is a link to Google Maps for Antioch where it is today, in modern Turkey (T2--5648).

 

 

Eponymy and the DDC

I’m taking advantage of a minor relocation in DDC 23—the relocation of dictionaries of eponyms from 413.1 Specialized dictionaries to 412.03 Etymological dictionaries—to start a series of blog posts on eponymous subjects.   But first, please remind me (you might be saying), what’s an eponym?  And while you’re at it, why would dictionaries of eponyms be relocated out of 413.1?  (They sound pretty specialized, don’t they?)  And what do eponyms have to do with etymology?

An eponym is a word/phrase that is derived from the name of a person.  For instance, the Dewey Decimal Classification is an eponym, derived from the name of Melvil Dewey, the person who devised the system.  Thus eponymy is one of the types of word sources studied in etymology.  Yes, dictionaries of eponyms are specialized dictionaries, but classing them with other works on etymology makes for a better fit than classing them with other specialized dictionaries. 

The number for the DDC is, as the blog itself broadcasts, 025.431 Dewey Decimal Classification.  What then is the class number for comprehensive works on Melvil Dewey?   The Manual note at T1—092 Biography instructs us to “use the number for the subject of the person’s most noted contribution for the comprehensive biography of the person.”  It might seem obvious then that comprehensive works on Melvil Dewey should be classed in 025.431092.  But what of his other noted contributions, among which are his (co-)founding of The Library Journal, the American Library Association, and the Library Bureau, as well as the world’s first library school?   We are helped out again by the Manual note, which goes on to say, “If in doubt between a number for a discipline and a number for a specific subject within the discipline, prefer the number for the discipline.”  The most appropriate number for comprehensive works on Melvil Dewey therefore is 020.92 (built with 020 Library and information sciences, plus T1—092 Biography).  A good example of such a work is Wayne Wiegand’s Irrepressible reformer:  A biography of Melvil Dewey.

Add Table Notation in WebDewey (or, DDC Has Not Become Colon Classification)

We were asked, "Why are there colons in some numbers in WebDewey?  Is that a glitch?"  No, those numbers represent add table notation; the part before the colon gives the DDC number or number span where the add table is located, and the part following the colon represents the notation in the add table. For example, a search in All Fields for "drug therapy" will produce a long list of search results that includes:

616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy

If you click that entry in the search results, you will see the add table under 616.1-616.9
Specific diseases displayed as a complete table, much as in the printed book.  Because it is a large add table, you will need to scroll down to see the specific add table entry in that print-like display:

061    Drug therapy

Because you have already seen the entry 616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy in your search results, you know where to look as you scroll down in the add table. 

Alternatively, since you already know what add table entry you seek, you could use the hierarchy display at the left of the screen to drill down to 616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy.  Or if you have scrolled down in the display of the full add table and find the full add table with all its entries and notes a bit overwhelming, you could use the hierarchy display to focus on the entries in the upward hierarchy that are relevant to drug therapy.  If you click the 061 link in the add table display in WebDewey, you can see 616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy displayed as a separate record, with its own upward and downward hierarchy, including broader or narrower add table entries.  Here are the add table entries in the hierarchy for 616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy:

616.1-616.9:05-09 Preventive measures, therapy, pathology, psychosomatic medicine, case histories
616.1-616.9:06 Therapy
616.1-616.9:061-069 Specific therapies
616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy
616.1-616.9:0610724 Experimental research

If you click the entries in the upward hierarchy, you will find notes with hierarchical force in each one.  Those same notes appear also in the print-like display of the full add table; you can choose which way seems most convenient to find them.

For browsing DDC numbers, you also have a choice: show the add table notation as separate entries in the browse results, or hide the add table notation and show only the DDC number or number span where the add table is located. To hide the add table notation, click Preferences, then under Add Table Notation Options click Hide.  Then if you browse for 616.1 the entire add table will be represented by one line:

616.1-616.9 Specific diseases

If you click Show, then browse for 616.1, the add table notation will be represented by many separate lines, beginning with standard subdivisions:

616.1-616.9:001 Philosophy and theory
 
616.1-616.9:002 Miscellany
 
616.1-616.9:[0023] The subject as a profession, occupation, hobby
 
616.1-616.9:0028 Auxiliary techniques and procedures; apparatus, equipment, materials
 
616.1-616.9:00284 Apparatus, equipment, materials
 
616.1-616.9:[00287] Testing and measurement
 
616.1-616.9:003-006 Standard subdivisions

If you frequently use a particular add table and know approximately what add table notation you seek, you can use the form of notation with the colon as a search or browse term.  For example, you can search the Dewey Numbers index with 616.1-616.9:06* (the asterisk is a truncation symbol) and get six add table entries all relating to therapy.  Similarly, you can browse in Dewey Numbers (with Captions) for 616.1-616.9:06 (no truncation symbol needed for browsing) and see a display that begins:

616.1-616.9:05 Preventive measures
 
616.1-616.9:06 Therapy
 
616.1-616.9:060724 Experimental research
 
616.1-616.9:061-069 Specific therapies
 
616.1-616.9:061 Drug therapy

616.1-616.9:0610724 Experimental research
 
616.1-616.9:062-069 Other therapies