025.431: The Dewey blog

EPC Meeting 129

The Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC)* met at OCLC May 7-9, 2008. EPC approved several adjustments to the proposed overhaul of the treatment of groups of people (including a separate number for intersex people based on feedback from users) plus the implementation plan for the changes. The current plan is to post draft versions of Table 1 and 305-306 on the Dewey web site in August 2008 (with links from the Dewey blog). We will request comments on the content and implementation plan by October 30, 2008—this will permit discussion of user comments at EPC Meeting 130 in November 2008. It is our intention to introduce the changes to the treatment of groups of people throughout the DDC by second quarter calendar year 2009 in WebDewey and Abridged WebDewey. We plan to make final PDFs of Table 1 and 305-306 available on the Dewey web site at the same time the changes are implemented in the web versions of the DDC. The changes introduced in the web versions of the DDC will also appear in the print version of DDC 23 (scheduled to be published in late calendar year 2010).

In addition to the changes to groups of people in Table 1, EPC approved two changes to T1—079 Competition, awards, financial support: clarification of the add instruction from Table 2, and the relocation of festivals from T1—079 to T1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits. Watch this space for more information on these changes. EPC also approved several changes in Table 2 (Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Persons) for Belgium, South Africa, Sweden, and Clifton Forge, Va. (the last reflects a rare change within administrative units in the U.S.).  In Table 3 (Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms), EPC approved new provisions for autobiographical fiction, biographical fiction, and alternative histories.  In Table 6 (Languages), EPC approved updates to Indonesian languages and Galician, plus several miscellaneous updates. Similar changes were made to parallel notation in Table 5 (Ethnic and National Groups).

In the schedules, EPC approved updates in the following areas: 004-006 Computer science, 025.4 Subject analysis and control, 160 Logic, 320 Political science, 364.16 Offenses against property, 398.2 Folk literature, 400 Language, 510 Mathematics, 560-590 Life sciences, 610 Medicine and health, 700 The arts, 800 Literature, and 900 History, geography, and auxiliary disciplines. EPC also reviewed reports on work under way in 200 Religion, 340 Law, and 370 Education. The changes in 364.16, along with other updates to the treatment of criminal offenses, will be the focus of the June New and Changed Entries. We will discuss the proposed updates and open issues in several of the aforementioned schedules in the coming weeks in the Dewey blog—stay tuned.

EPC reviewed several research initiatives from the OCLC Office of Research and the Dewey editorial team. Diane Vizine-Goetz presented current work on a prototype classification web service and pilot terminology services. Dewey editorial team members presented progress reports on several current research projects: machine-assisted derivation of the abridged edition, mixed translation models, identification of the relationship of Relative Index terms to Dewey classes, and improvements to Dewey captions. The team also briefed EPC on our new editorial support system, recent changes to the representation of the DDC in MARC21 formats, and a proposed new approach to the display of relocations and discontinuations in DDC class records. Further, the team gave EPC a progress report on the development of DDC training materials being posted online. There was also a lively discussion on how we might facilitate development and sharing of “Dewey neighborhoods” by Dewey users (see the innovative presentation by the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library at the March 2008 Public Library Association (PLA) Conference).

EPC will hold a follow-up electronic meeting (Meeting 129A) during June 2008 to resolve some minor open issues from Meeting 129. The group will meet next in person at the Library of Congress in November 2008.

*Photo at top of EPC at OCLC on May 8, 2008—standing from left to right: Lyn McKinney (Billings [MT] Senior High School), Sandra Singh (Vancouver [BC] Public Library), David Farris (Library and Archives Canada), Welna van Eeden (University of South Africa), Andrea Kappler (Evansville Vanderburgh [IN] Public Library) and EPC Chair Caroline Kent (British Library). Seated from left to right: Arlene Taylor (University of Pittsburgh SIS, retired), Vice Chair Anne Robertson (Australian Committee on Cataloguing), and Deborah Rose-Lefmann (Northwestern University).

Oil Prices

High prices for crude oil have been in the news recently, e.g., “Supply Fears Push Oil beyond $126” and “Oil Price Resumes Its Record Run.” 

Among the Relative Index entries for prices are:
Prices   338.52   
Prices—economics   338.52 
Prices—mineral industries   338.23 

The comprehensive economics number (also the interdisciplinary number) for prices is 338.52 Prices.  The class-elsewhere note under 338.5 General production economics, “Class production economics of specific kinds of industries in 338.1-338.4,” has hierarchical force; consequently, the price of crude oil is classed in the appropriate subdivision of 338.1-338.4 Specific kinds of industries, specifically under 338.2 Extraction of minerals.  The scatter note under 338.52 Prices, “For a specific aspect of prices not provided for here, see the aspect, e.g., effects of prices on the whole economy 339.42,” also indicates that oil prices will not be classed in 338.52 Prices. 

Among the Relative Index entries for oil are:
Oil (Petroleum)       553.282
Oil (Petroleum)—economic geology       553.282
Oil (Petroleum)—extractive economics       338.27282

At 338.27 Products is the add note that explains how to build 338.27282 Extractive economics of oil (338.27 Products plus 282 from 553.282 Oil). There are also two class-elsewhere notes that should be considered: “Class supply in storage, shortages, surpluses, demand, and projections of these in 333.8; class specific elements of production applied to specific products in 338.23-338.26.”  The first class-elsewhere note would be relevant for a work about the effect of oil prices on supply in storage, shortages, surpluses, and demand; by the rule of application, works about the influence of the price of crude oil on something else are classed with the thing influenced.  The first note is not, however, relevant for comprehensive works on oil prices.  The second class-elsewhere note leads to 338.23 Financial aspects of extraction of minerals, which has the note, “Class here . . .  prices.”

Comprehensive works on prices of crude oil are classed in 338.23282 Financial aspects of extraction of oil (built with 338.23 Financial aspects of extraction of minerals plus 282 from 553.282 Oil, following instructions at 338.23), e.g., Oil Markets and Prices:  The Brent Market and the Formation of World Oil Prices. 

Food Crisis

“The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that high food prices are creating the biggest challenge that WFP has faced in its 45-year history, a silent tsunami threatening to plunge  more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger” (April 22 press release). The Washington Post has recently run a five-part series entitled “Global Food Crisis: The New World of Soaring Food Prices” “exploring causes and effects of the world's worst food crisis since the 1970s.  A complex combination of poor harvests, competition with biofuels, higher energy prices, surging demand in China and India, and a blockage in global trade is driving food prices up worldwide. Some countries, especially in Africa, are facing an increasingly dire situation while even consumers in wealthy nations are being forced to adjust.”

The comprehensive number for economics of food supply is 338.19 Food supply, which has the note: “Class here economic causes and effects of, economic remedies for maladjustments in food supply; measures for attaining and maintaining adequate amounts of food; food requirements (demand); reserves (stocks, supply) of food; prices of food to the consumer; comprehensive works on the economics of production, storage, distribution of food.”  An example of a work classed in 338.19 Food supply is The World Food Economy.

Regular standard subdivisions for geographic treatment are bracketed under 338.19 Food supply, with do-not-use notes pointing to the special notation (displaced standard subdivision) that is to be used instead; for example, 338[.19091] Treatment by areas, regions, places in general has the note “Do not use; class in 338.191.”  Food Security: Indicators, Measurement, and the Impact of Trade Openness, which has “Food supply—Developing countries” as the first subject heading, is classed in 338.191724 Food supply in developing countries (built with 338.191 Food supply in areas, regions, places in general plus 724 from T2—1724 Developing regions, following instructions at 338.191). 

The interdisciplinary number for food supply is also the number for works that emphasize social causes and solutions for food supply problems, 363.8 *Food supply, which has the note: “Class here famine, hunger; interdisciplinary works on food supply, on nutrition.” World Hunger is an example of a work classed in 363.8.  Starvation in Africa is classed in 363.8096 Food supply in Africa (built with 363.8 *Food supply plus T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment plus T2—6 Africa, following instructions at T1—093-T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds.  To be sure of building the number correctly, one must follow the footnote at 363.8 *Food supply, “*Add as instructed under 362-363,” to the add table under 362-363 Specific social problems and services, where 09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment indicates that T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment is applied as a regular standard subdivision.)

The Manual note 363.5, 363.6, 363.8 vs. 338 Housing, public utilities, and food supply vs. Production offers guidance in choosing between 363.8 and 338.19.

FrogWatch in North America

FrogWatch USA invites Americans to celebrate “FrogWatch 2008: Record the Ribbit” Saturday, May 3rd.  FrogWatch USA and FrogWatch Canada are volunteer citizen programs monitoring frogs and toads.  They are intended to increase awareness of amphibian decline and to gather information needed by scientists who are trying to determine causes of the decline and develop practical ways to stop it. 

Although the programs are called FrogWatch, they cover both frogs and toads.  In the Dewey biology schedule, 597.86-597.89 Anura (Salentia) has the note, “Class here frogs and toads” and “Class comprehensive works in 597.8.”  At 597.8 Amphibians is the note “Class here Anura (Salentia)”; because of that note, comprehensive works on frogs and toads approximate the whole of 597.8 Amphibians.   The work Frogs and Toads is classed in 597.8 Amphibians, and the work Frogs and Toads of Big Bend National Park is classed in 597.809764932 Amphibians of Brewster County, Texas (built with 597.8 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—764932 Brewster County, which has the note “Including Big Bend National Park,” following instructions at T1—093-099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds). 

Programs to monitor amphibian populations with an eye toward conserving biological resources are classed in 333.957811 Supply (Quantity) of amphibians (built with 333.957 Reptiles and amphibians plus 8 from 597.8 Amphibians plus 11 Reserves from the add table under 333.7-333.9 Natural resources and energy, following instructions at 333.7-333.9 and at 333.9578-333.9579 Amphibians, specific reptiles). 

The LCSH “Amphibian declines” has been mapped to 333.957811 Supply (Quantity) of amphibians (described above) and to 597.81788 Amphibians—population biology (built with 597.8 Amphibians plus 1 General topics of natural history of animals from add table under 592-599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals, following instructions at 592-599,  plus 7 from 591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments, following instructions at 1 General topics of natural history of animals in add table under  592-599, plus 88 from 577.88 Population biology, following instructions at 591.71-591.78 Specific topics in animal ecology; specific environments).  The Manual entry 333.7-333.9 vs. 363.1, 363.73, 577 Social aspects of ecology offers guidance in choosing between numbers that emphasize public programs with an eye toward conserving biological resources (like 333.957811 Supply of amphibians) and numbers that are limited strictly to biology (like 597.81788 Amphibians—population biology).

Dewey Crossword Puzzle #1—Answers

A blog entry posted last week gave clues for a crossword puzzle composed of DDC numbers (but minus decimal points).  Did anyone actually do the puzzle? Too hard? Too easy? Want more? Let us hear from you.

The clues are repeated below, with the intended DDC notation for each clue given in square brackets; the relationship between the clue and the notation is also given. Built numbers are explained further below.

ACROSS
1 Superconductivity [621.35; caption]
2 General classification schemes [025.43; caption: General classification systems]
3 Sami [494.55; Relative Index: Sami language; built number]
4 Initiation of business enterprises devoted to literature [806.81; built number]
5 Crossword puzzles (abridged) [793.73; Including . . . crossword puzzles . . .]

DOWN
1 People with physical disabilities in technology [604.87; built number]
2 Geography, history, chronology, persons in the Apocrypha [229.09; built number]
3 Dreams [154.63; caption]
4 Criminal law of  Venezuela [345.87; built number]
5 Mechanical wave theory [535.13; caption]

494.55 Sami is built from 494 Uralic languages plus 55 from T6—9455 Sami, following the instructions at 494. 

806.81 Initiation of business enterprises devoted to literature is built from 8 Literature (i.e., 800, minus its final placeholder zeros, which disappear when further notation is added) plus T1—0681 Organization and financial management (“including . . . initiation of business enterprises”).

604.87 People with physical disabilities in technology is built from 604.8 History and description with respect to kinds of persons, a displaced standard subdivision T1—08 (displaced from 608, as indicated by the note “Do not use for history and description of technology with respect to kinds of persons; class in 604.8”), plus 7 from T1—087 Persons with disabilities and illnesses (“Class here persons with physical disabilities”), following the instructions at 604.8.

229.09 Geography, history, chronology, persons in the Apocrypha is built from 229 Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, intertestamental works plus 09 Geography, history, chronology, persons from the add table under 221-229 Specific parts of Bible, Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, intertestamental works, as instructed at 229, where the instruction is given that subdivisions can be added for Apocrypha alone.    

345.87 Criminal law of Venezuela  is built from 345 Criminal law plus T2—87 Venezuela, following the instructions at 345.3–345.9 Specific jurisdictions and areas.

 

What would Freud think?, or, For the puzzle junkies among you

The night life of a Dewey editor has its moments. From time to time I have awakened to the realization that I had been dreaming a blog, or Weekly List (LCSH-to-DDC) mappings, or an expansion.  (In my first week or two here, I dreamed I had been asked to work on developing a standard subdivision for things! Joan’s comment, after a pause that perhaps masked concern that I might actually think that possible, was simply, “Massive dual provision.”  Duh.) A few days ago I awakened and realized I had been dreaming Dewey in the context of doing a crossword puzzle. After a few seconds’ amusement, I thought, “Why not?” So, draw yourself a five-by-five grid, and have fun!    Answers and explanations will be posted next week.

Unless indicated otherwise, numbers come from DDC 22. Decimal points are omitted from all numbers; all numbers are five digits. And just to keep things a little more interesting, one number is drawn from each of the main classes, except one (since 1 down and 1 across necessarily come from the same main class).

ACROSS
1 Superconductivity
2 General classification schemes
3 Sami
4 Initiation of business enterprises devoted to literature
5 Crossword puzzles (abridged)

DOWN
1 People with physical disabilities in technology
2 Geography, history, chronology, persons in the Apocrypha
3 Dreams
4 Criminal law of Venezuela
5 Mechanical wave theory

Seasons

To everything there is a season. The spring season officially commenced in the northern hemisphere this past week, the fall season in the southern hemisphere. Parts of the world experience fewer than four seasons a year and may speak instead of a rainy season (or monsoon season), a dry season, a hot season, a cool season. Other kinds of seasons exist in nature: breeding season, mating season, lambing season. There are also human-made seasons: hunting season, basketball season, holiday season, tourist season, an orchestra’s season, and so forth.

Works on seasons (e.g., The changing seasons) are classed in 508.2 Seasons, a subdivision of natural history. There we find a note, “For a specific aspect of seasons, see the aspect.” Thus we find works on Seasons—influence on crime (e.g., The seasonality of crime victimization) classed in 364.22 Influence of physical environment on crime and delinquency, while works on Seasonal affective disorder (e.g., Winter blues: Seasonal affective disorder: What it is and how to overcome it) are classed in 616.8527 Depressive disorder.

While the explicit intent of the note at 508.2 is limited to meteorological seasons, other kinds of seasons function similarly.  For example, works on breeding seasons of specific animals are classed with the animals; thus, works on breeding seasons of owls, e.g., The breeding season of the American barn owl (Strix pratincola) in South Carolina, class in 598.97 Owls (because the American barn owl does not approximate the whole of 598.97, we do not add for South Carolina). Works on hunting seasons are classed in 799.2 Hunting, e.g., All-season hunting: A guide to early season, late season and winter hunting in America 799.2973 (built with 799.29 Geographic treatment plus T2—73 United States, following instruction at 799.29). And works on holiday seasons are classed in 394.26 Holidays—indeed, a note here explicitly instructs us, “Class a season associated with a holiday with the holiday, e.g., the Christmas season 394.2663.” For example, Christmas in America: A photographic celebration of the holiday season is classed in 394.26630973 (built with 394.2663 Christmas plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—73).

On a musical note, Antonio Vivaldi’s The four seasons (Le quattro stagioni), a set of four violin concertos (for solo violin, string quartet, and basso continuo) that capture the character of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are classed in 787.2186 Violin concertos (built from 787.2 Violin music plus 186 Concerto form from 784.186 as instructed under 784-788). There are other plausible numbers that need to be rejected: The four seasons are not classed in 784.272 Music for solo violin with orchestra (built with 784.2 Full orchestra plus 72 from 787.2 Violin music, as instructed under 784.26–784.28), because the accompanying instruments do not constitute a full orchestra; the work is not classed under 785 Ensembles with only one instrument per part, because of the class-elsewhere note there that reads, “Class works for solo melody instrument with keyboard or other accompaniment in 786–788.”

 

 

Water and Sanitation

Sanitation was the theme for World Water Day 2008, celebrated March 22.  “Today some 1.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion lack proper sanitation (adequate sewage disposal)” (Christian Science Monitor).

Works that focus on water supply technology are classed in 628.1 Water supply, a subdivision of 628 Sanitary and municipal engineering    Environmental protection engineering.  Works that emphasize processing water to make it safe for drinking are classed in 628.162 Treatment, which has the notes: “Class here treatment of sewage effluent for reuse; comprehensive engineering works on treatment of water supply and sewage” and “For sewage treatment, see 628.3.”  Examples of works classed in 628.162 are Advances in Water and Wastewater Treatment and Introduction to Potable Water Treatment Processes.

Works that focus on technology of sewage treatment are classed in 628.3 Sewage treatment and disposal. For example, Acclimation of Nitrifiers for Activated Sludge Treatment: A Bench-scale Evaluation is classed in 628.354 Activated sludge process.

Interdisciplinary works on supply of safe drinking water, including public utility aspects, are classed in 363.61 Water supply, a subdivision of 363.6 Public utilities and related services.  An example of a work classed in 363.61 is Social policies and Private Sector Participation in Water Supply: Beyond Regulation.

Marine Biodiversity and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area

In 2006 the Republic of Kiribati, a Pacific island nation located near the intersection of the equator and the international date line,

announced the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area at the 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), being held in Curitiba, Brazil. . . . In creating the protected area, the Republic of Kiribati took a significant step toward meeting protected area commitments for 2010/12 under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Island Biodiversity Program of Work. From Underwatertimes.com.

Recently Kiribati announced that it is greatly enlarging the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), creating “the world's largest protected marine reserve, a California-sized wilderness brimming with reefs, fish and birds” (Reuters).  Three research expeditions to PIPA “found great marine biodiversity, including more than 120 species of coral and 520 species of fish, some new to science. . . . Protecting the Phoenix Islands means restricting commercial fishing in the area, resulting in a loss of revenue that the Kiribati government would normally receive from issuing foreign commercial fishing licenses” (Science Daily).

Browsing the Relative Index for “biodiversity” in WebDewey yields these results:

Biodiversity   333.95
Biodiversity
      see Manual at  333.7-333.9 vs. 363.1, 363.73, 577         
Biodiversity--biology   578.7
Biodiversity--conservation   333.9516
Biodiversity--conservation--awards   333.9516079
Biodiversity--conservation--United States   333.95160973
Biodiversity--ecology   577
Biodiversity--resource economics   333.95

In the Manual note at 333.7-333.9 vs. 363.1, 363.73, 577 Social aspects of ecology, we find:

Use numbers in 300 rather than 577 for works on ecology and specific natural environments that discuss public policy and resource economics rather than biology. Class . . . as follows:
. . . .

6. Biodiversity: Use 333.95 (especially for works emphasizing its value or importance).

If in doubt, prefer in the following order: 333.7-333.9, 363.1, 363.73, 577.

In the schedule at 333.95 Biological resources is the note: “Class here biodiversity.” Since class-here notes have hierarchical force, biodiversity is also classed in the subdivision 333.956 Fishes, which has the notes: “Class here marine biological resources, comprehensive works on finfish and shellfish. For shellfish, see 333.955.  For a specific kind of marine biological resource not provided for below, see the kind, e.g., marine algae 333.9538, marine mammals 333.9595.”

Works on conservation and protection of marine biodiversity are classed in 333.95616 Conservation and protection of marine biological resources (built with 333.956 Fishes plus 16 Conservation and protection from the add table at 333.7-333.9 Natural resources and energy, following the footnote at 333.956: “Add as instructed under 333.7-333.9”).  Examples are Marine Reserves: A Guide to Science, Design, and Use and Marine Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation: The Application and Future Development of the IMO’s [International Marine Organization’s] Particularly Sensitive Sea Area Concept.  A work on conservation and protection of marine biodiversity in Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands would be classed in 333.95616099681 (333.95616 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—9681 Kiribati).

Works on conservation and protection of specific kinds of marine resources are classed with the kind, e.g., works on conservation and protection of coral reefs 333.955316 (built with  333.9553 Coral reefs plus 16 Conservation and protection from the add table at 333.7-333.9 Natural resources and energy), e.g., Coral Reef Conservation.

eLearning and Dewey training modules

We would like to say that the new Dewey training modules, available online, are a brand‑new, cutting-edge idea. But the truth of the matter is that eLearning—electronic learning—has been around in some form for at least two decades. Many aspects of the learning process can be electronically enhanced. Two properties that qualify the Dewey training modules as eLearning are: (1) the availability of the teaching materials on the web and (2) the use of WebDewey as part of the training program.

As a general educational activity, eLearning is classed in 371.334 Computer science methods of instruction and study, a displacement of standard subdivision T1—0285 Computer applications under 371.3 Methods of instruction and study. Web-based instruction is classed more specifically in 371.3344678 Internet-based methods of instruction (built with 371.334, plus 4678 from 004.678 Internet, following the add instruction under 371.334). 

But 371.3344678  is not the correct number for classing the Dewey training modules, given the instruction under 371.3 to “class methods of instruction in a specific subject at secondary and higher levels with the subject in 001–999, plus notation 071 from Table 1.”   This note leads to the question, Which subdivision of T1—071 Education should be used, T1—0711 Higher education or T1—0715 Adult education and on-the-job training? Based on advice received at ALA Midwinter 2007, the Dewey training modules are specifically oriented toward library professionals, rather than being specifically oriented toward students in library and information studies. The Dewey training modules provide continuing education, a class-here concept under T1—0715. Thus, the correct number for the Dewey training modules is 025.4310715 Adult education in the Dewey Decimal Classification (built with 025.431 Dewey Decimal Classification, plus notation T1—0715 Adult education).