025.431: The Dewey blog

Accidents and Safety in Local Rail Transit Systems

The June 22 accident on the Washington, DC, Metrorail Red Line has been in the news, e.g., “Red Line Train Operator Used Brakes In Failed Bid to Stop Six-Car Train” and “Washington Metro Checking 3,000 Circuits After Crash.”  The accident is of special interest to two DDC assistant editors, Rebecca and Juli, who usually ride the Red Line to and from work—but were still at work when the accident occurred.  Our hearts go out to the people who were involved in the accident and their families.

The interdisciplinary number for works on transportation accidents and transportation safety is 363.12 Transportation hazards, as shown in the unsubdivided Relative Index entries:

Transportation accidents       363.12

Transportation safety           363.12

At 363.12 is the class-here note “Class here accidents.” Because class-here notes have hierarchical force, transportation accidents are also classed in appropriate subdivisions of 363.12.   

The interdisciplinary number for works on railroad accidents and on railroad safety is 363.122 Rail transportation, as shown in the unsubdivided Relative Index entries:

Railroad accidents       363.122

Railroad safety           363.122

Local rail transit systems do not approximate the whole of railroad transportation; consequently, works about accidents and safety in local rail transit are in standing room in 363.122, and nothing further can be added.  Examples of works classed in standing room at 363.122 are The Malbone Street Wreck, about a 1918 accident on the New York subway, and Light Rail Service: Pedestrian and Vehicular Safety.

Hate Crimes and Hate Crime Laws

Hate crimes and hate crime laws in the United States have been in the news recently, e.g., “Holocaust Museum Shooter James von Brunn Had History of Hate,” “Immigration Debate Tied to Rise in Hate Crimes,” and “Holder Tells Congress New Hate Crime Law Needed.”

A check of the Relative Index yields:

Hate crimes           364.15

The interdisciplinary number for hate crimes, as shown by the unsubdivided Relative Index entry, is 364.15 Offenses against the person.  In the schedule at 364.15 is the note: “Class here hate crimes.”  An example of a work classed in 364.15 is Hate Crimes.

Because the class-here note has hierarchical force, murder as a hate crime is classed in 364.1523 Murder.  An example of a work about murder as a hate crime is Hate Crime: The Story of a Dragging in Jasper, Texas. It is classed in 364.152309764159 Murder in Jasper County, Texas, built as shown:

364.1523    Murder
09               Geographic treatment (from Table 1)
764159       Jasper County (from Table 2, following instructions at

T1—093–T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds)

The number for hate crime laws is a built number that appears in the Relative Index:

Hate crimes—law       345.025

The number 345.025 Law of offenses against the person is built with base number 345.02 Crimes (Offenses) plus 5 from 364.15 Offenses against the person, following instructions at 345.023-345.028 Specific crimes and classes of crime.  An example of a work about United States law of hate crimes is Hate Crimes: Legal Issues and Legislation, classed in 345.73025 United States law of offenses against the person, built as shown:

345    Criminal law
73      United States (from Table 2, as instructed at 345.3–345.9

Specific jurisdictions and areas)

02      Crimes (Offenses) (from 345.02, as instructed at

345.3–345.9 Specific jurisdictions and areas)

5        Offenses against the person (from 364.15, as instructed at

 345.023–345.028).

EPC Meeting 131

Giles Martin took the photo of EPC at OCLC on June 12, 2009.  Standing, from left to right: Andrea Kappler (Evansville Vanderburgh [IN] Public Library), Sandra Singh (University of British Columbia), Lyn McKinney (Billings [MT] Senior High School), and Welna van Eeden (University of South Africa); seated, from left to right: Karl Debus-López (Library of Congress, standing in for Beacher Wiggins), David Farris (Library and Archives Canada), EPC Vice-Chair Anne Robertson (Australian Committee on Cataloguing), and Deborah Rose-Lefmann (Northwestern University).

It seems like forever since I’ve written something here, and I’m suppressing the urge to report chronologically on my activities since the last time you heard from me (so stay tuned for reports on three very interesting meetings [one in Houston and two in Vienna] in which I participated back in April).  Today, I’m jumping forward to last week with a quick summary of Meeting 131 of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC), which was held June 10-12 at OCLC.  The meeting was chaired by EPC Vice-Chair Anne Robertson (Australian Committee on Cataloguing).  EPC Chair Caroline Kent (British Library) and new EPC member Jonathan Furner (UCLA [and yes, former DDC assistant editor and creator of 025.431: The Dewey blog]) were unable to attend in person, but e-mailed voluminous comments that were considered by the committee during the meeting.

EPC reviewed the full version of Table 1 (Standard Subdivisions).  One provision was postponed for discussion at Meeting 132 in November 2009: the use of T1—0286 Waste technology to represent green technology.  We'll have more to say about that issue once we sort out the ripple effects throughout the schedules.  In Table 2 (Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Persons), EPC looked mostly to the past in reviewing provisions for the ancient world in T2—3.  Some of the ancient world proposals have implications for the modern world versions of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, Asia Minor, and Turkey.  EPC also approved some adjustments to German administrative units proposed by colleagues at Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, plus the placement of the Barents Sea region, North Calotte, and Sápmi (Lapland).  EPC approved the full version of Table 3 (Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms), and an expansion for Hakka (Han Chinese who speak Hakka dialect) in Table 5 (Ethnic and National Groups).

EPC approved updates in the following schedules: 004-006 Computer science, 200 Religion, 300 Social sciences, 301-307 Sociology and anthropology, 320 Political science, 330 Economics, 340 Law, 400 Language, 610 Medicine and health, 780 Music, 800 Literature, and 960 History of Africa.  EPC reviewed preliminary versions of 640 Home and family management, 690 Buildings, 710 Civic and landscape art, and 720 Architecture.  On the recommendation of EPC, we plan to post the sewing and clothing sections of 646 shortly for outside comment.  EPC also reviewed a preliminary proposal for updates to sections of 372.3-372.8 Elementary education in specific subjects.  In addition to comments from members and observers on the private EPC mailing list, EPC’s deliberations were informed by reports from the working groups associated with the European DDC Users’ Group (EDUG) in the areas of law, education, archaeology, and technical issues.

EPC reviewed several research initiatives from the OCLC Office of Research and the Dewey editorial team, plus the latest draft specification for Dewey Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).  We’ll be back with more information on these initiatives later.

EPC scheduled a follow-up electronic Meeting 131A (to be held August 3-28, 2009), during which the committee will address use of the term “encompassing” in the DDC, plus minor issues in 400, 710, and 780.  Meeting 132 will be held November 16-17, 2009, at the Library of Congress.

One other major Dewey event took place last week—June 12 was the last day for updating Dewey data in the current Editorial Support System (ESS).  The new ESS, along with new data formats based on the MARC classification and authority formats, is scheduled to be launched on July 5 (another reason for our recent periods of silence on this blog).  Rebecca wrote a bit about the new ESS last month—watch for more reports shortly.

Endangered Languages

Endangered languages have been in the news since the “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) . . . launched an interactive electronic version of its atlas cataloguing some 2,500 endangered languages worldwide” (UNESCO press release), e.g., the Washington Post article “Preserving Languages Is About More Than Words.”

Interdisciplinary works on endangered languages are classed in 408.9 Treatment of language with respect to ethnic and national groups (built with 4 from 400 Language plus T1—089 Ethnic and national groups).  The interdisciplinary number for language and languages is 400 Language; it has unsubdivided Relative Index entries “Language” and “Languages” and the class-here note “Class here interdisciplinary works on language and literature.”  Standard subdivision T1—089 Ethnic and national groups has the note “Class here ethnic and national minorities.”  It is especially the languages spoken by minority groups that are endangered.  An example of a work classed in 408.9 is Endangered Languages: What Role for the Specialist?

By the rule of zero, works on a specific endangered language are classed with the language in 420-490 Specific languages.  For example, A Tarifit Berber-English Dictionary: Documenting an Endangered Language is classed in 493.3 Berber languages (built with 493 Non-Semitic Afro-Asiatic languages plus 3 from T6—933 Berber languages, as instructed at 493).  Tarifit Berber is also known as Rif language, and Rif is in the including note at T6—933 Berber languages; hence no further addition is possible. 

Sociological and anthropological works on endangered languages are classed in 306.44 Language, which has the note “Class here anthropological linguistics, ethnolinguistics, sociolinguistics.”  The number 306.44 is subordinate to 302–307 Specific topics in sociology and anthropology. An example of a work classed in 306.44 is Discourses of Endangerment: Ideology and Interest in the Defence of Languages.

In WebDewey the LCSH “Endangered languages” has been editorially mapped to both 408.9 Treatment of language with respect to ethnic and national groups and 306.44 Language.

Ponzi Schemes

Ponzi schemes have been in the news because of the Madoff investment scandal and similar scandals.  For example, the main report page of the National Public Radio series begins: “Revelations that Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff allegedly bilked investors in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme reverberated through the world of high finance and charitable foundations in the U.S. and abroad.” According to a Forbes article, “Everything's Coming Up Ponzi”:

Ponzi schemes, named after 1920s American swindler Charles Ponzi, generate returns for older investors by acquiring new investors. They can actually yield the promised returns to those earlier investors as long as there are more new investors, which are easier to find in boom times than bust.

These schemes are not novel. . . . But it is the current economic downturn that is bringing them to light, seemingly every other day, explained Michael I. Goldberg, a lawyer at Fort Lauderdale-based Akerman Senterfitt who has made a 20-year career out of unraveling such schemes.

The current dismal economic situation is the reason these frauds are now being exposed, Goldberg said. Ponzi schemes thrive on a continuous supply of cash to continue running and prevent collapse. But with the economic meltdown over the last year, the money that fuels these operations has been drying up in financial portfolios, and people are not investing as freely as they had been. People no longer have money to invest because their other investments have turned south. Many who have lost substantial portions of their nest eggs are trying to cash out of holdings that still look good, and that's when Ponzi victims find their money is gone.

Works on the crime of running a Ponzi scheme are classed in 364.163 Fraud, where the LC subject heading “Ponzi schemes” has been mapped. An example of a work classed in 364.163 is a biography of Charles Ponzi, Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend. Notation T1—092 Persons cannot be added to indicate biography because Ponzi schemes are classed in a general number for fraud; they do not approximate the whole of 364.163.

Piracy

Piracy has been in the news recently, e.g., “Greek Ship Released by Pirates,” “Somalia Pirates May Reduce Ransom Demand for [Saudi] Tanker (Update2),” “Pirates Who’s Who,” and “A Somali Pirate with Historical Leanings Might Scoff at the Outrage: The Lovable Rogue Beloved of Literature and Hollywood Was More Often a Thieving Thug.”

Works on piracy as a crime and pirates as criminals are classed in 364.164 Violent offenses against property, which has the note “Including piracy. . . .”  Examples are Pirates Aboard!: Forty Cases of Piracy Today and What Bluewater Cruisers Can Do about It and Pirates in Paradise: A Modern History of Southeast Asia’s Maritime Marauders.  Because piracy is in an including note and thus in standing room, no further addition is possible. 

Works that treat pirates’ expeditions as seafaring adventure are classed in 910.45 Ocean travel and seafaring adventures, which has the note “Including pirates' expeditions.” An example is Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life among the Pirates.

EPC Meeting 130

The Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC)* held Meeting 130 at the Library of Congress November 18-19.  The meeting was chaired by Caroline Kent (British Library); Anne Robertson (Australian Committee on Cataloguing) was re-elected vice-chair for another two-year term. 

Prior to Meeting 130, EPC held an electronic pre-meeting, and approved updates to historical periods; modernization of the treatment of radio programs, motion pictures, and television programs regardless of method of distribution; and updates to 510 Mathematics.  All but the last will be distributed to users in early 2009.  EPC also approved, with minor modification, the long-planned updates to groups of people in Table 1 and 305-306—we plan to release the updates in mid-2009.

EPC discussed two sets of updates to Table 2 (Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Persons)—the conversion of the relocation information and corresponding changes in the reorganization of Scotland, England, and Wales presented in DDC 22; and further updates to the area table for Indonesia.  Both sets of changes require additional consultation with in-country groups.   EPC approved a final round of updates to Table 4 (Subdivisions of Individual Languages and Language Families, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms), Table 5 (Ethnic and National Groups), and Table 6 (Languages)—most of the updates will be distributed to users in mid-2009.

In the schedules, EPC approved updates in the following areas: 001 Knowledge; 002 The book; 150 Psychology; 330 Economics; 390 Customs, etiquette, folklore; 400 Language (including the relocation of computational linguistics); 610 Medicine and health; 640 Home and family management; 650 Management and auxiliary services; 660 Chemical engineering & related technologies; 730 Sculpture and related arts; 740 Graphic arts and decorative arts; 750 Painting and paintings; 760 Printmaking and prints; 770.23 Photography as a profession, occupation, hobby; and 790 Recreational and performing arts. EPC also approved updates to the current historical periods in 947 Russia and 968 South Africa. Updates in many of these areas will be released during 2009.  EPC reviewed reports on work under way in 340 Law, and discussion papers on 370 Education and 780 Music. We will be seeking advice from users on a number of topics discussed at Meeting 130, including subjects in primary school curricula, language variations, meals, clothing, musical styles, and literary periods for Galician.

EPC reviewed several research initiatives from the OCLC Office of Research and the Dewey editorial team, plus draft guidelines for classifying photographs for the World Digital Library project—we’ll blog about these activities separately in the coming weeks.

On November 18, EPC held a special dinner in honor of assistant editor Winton Matthews and outgoing member Arlene Taylor.  Winton has indicated that he plans to retire in early 2009—we’ll share the resolution passed by EPC in his honor later on the occasion of his retirement.  Arlene Taylor served on EPC 2000–2008.  The committee's resolution honoring Arlene reads in part:

Whereas Arlene Taylor . . . participated in the development and review of Edition 22 (2003) and Abridged Edition 14 (2004) of the Dewey Decimal Classification, and in the publication of ongoing updates in WebDewey and Abridged WebDewey; . . . focused in particular on the needs of students and teachers of the DDC in her comments; . . . contributed “Teaching the Dewey Decimal Classification System” to a special issue of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly devoted to the DDC; . . . presented “Research in Knowledge Organization” at Meeting 116; . . . participated in the EPC planning retreat, “The Future of the Dewey Decimal Classification,” March 15-18, 2004, at OCLC;  . . . paid special attention to the treatment of groups of people, and in particular prompted improvements to the caption for people in early adulthood and the terminology for children of unmarried parents (the latter formerly “children born out of wedlock”);  . . . Be it resolved that the members of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee here assembled at the One Hundred Thirtieth Meeting of said committee, the DDC editors, and staff at the Library of Congress Dewey Section and OCLC express to Arlene Taylor their deep gratitude and appreciation for her service and commitment to the Committee and the Classification, their regret that she will no longer be one of their number, and their wishes for her continued success and happiness now that she has retired from the Committee.

*Photo at top of EPC at LC on November 18, 2008—from left to right: Beacher Wiggins (Library of Congress), Vice Chair Anne Robertson (Australian Committee on Cataloguing), Welna van Eeden (University of South Africa), Sandra Singh (University of British Columbia), Lyn McKinney (Billings [MT] Senior High School), EPC Chair Caroline Kent (British Library), Andrea Kappler (Evansville Vanderburgh [IN] Public Library), Arlene Taylor (University of Pittsburgh SIS, retired), David Farris (Library and Archives Canada), and Deborah Rose-Lefmann (Northwestern University).

Unemployment

Unemployment has been in the news recently, e.g., “Unemployment Rate in US Surging,” “Unemployment Up, Even as Economy Sprouts New Jobs,” and “Unemployment Likely to Keep on Rising.”  General works on unemployment are classed in 331.137 Unemployment, e.g., Economics of Unemployment. 

Works with geographic treatment of unemployment are classed in subdivisions of 331.1379 Historical, geographic, persons treatment.  For example, The Rise of Unemployment in Europe: A Keynesian Approach is classed in 331.13794 Unemployment in Europe (built with 331.1379 plus T2—4 Europe as instructed under 331.1379).  Unemployment in Asia is classed in 331.13795 Unemployment in Asia (built with 331.1379 plus T2—5 Asia).  Reconciling Workless Measures at the Individual and Household Level:  Theory and Evidence from the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain and Australia, which treats unemployment in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, is classed in 331.1379177 Unemployment in nations belonging to specific international organizations (built with 331.1379 plus T2—177  Nations belonging to specific international organizations).

The number 331.1379 is a displaced standard subdivision, a displaced version of the standard subdivision T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment; it allows area notation to be added directly to the schedule number.  The bracketed entry 331[.13709] Historical, geographic, persons treatment, with its do-not-use note, indicates where the displaced standard subdivision is located: “Do not use; class in 331.1379.” 

The Manual note T1—093–T1—099 and T2—3–T2—9 Geographic treatment points out: “When area notation from Table 2 is added directly in the schedules, standard subdivisions T1—01–T1—091 can be added without restrictions, e.g., use 365.94405 for periodicals about penal institutions in France.”  Out of Work: Unemployment and Government in Twentieth-Century America is classed in 331.1379730904 Unemployment in 20th century United States (built with 331.1379 plus T2—73 United States plus T1—0904 20th century, 1900–1999).  

Groups of People: Last call for comments

On August 1, we asked for comments on the draft schedules and implementation plan for updates to groups of people in Table 1 and 305-306 (see here for the discussion plus links to the draft schedules). Today is the announced final day for comments—we’ll accept comments from stragglers through November 2. Next week, we will send the comments received to date plus our recommendations to the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) for consideration at EPC Meeting 130, November 18-19, 2008.

2008 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

The 2008 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Paul Krugman “for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity.”  Here is an excerpt from the press release:

Traditional trade theory assumes that countries are different and explains why some countries export agricultural products whereas others export industrial goods. The new theory clarifies why worldwide trade is in fact dominated by countries which not only have similar conditions, but also trade in similar products – for instance, a country such as Sweden that both exports and imports cars. This kind of trade enables specialization and large-scale production, which result in lower prices and a greater diversity of commodities.

Economies of scale combined with reduced transport costs also help to explain why an increasingly larger share of the world population lives in cities and why similar economic activities are concentrated in the same locations. Lower transport costs can trigger a self-reinforcing process whereby a growing metropolitan population gives rise to increased large-scale production, higher real wages and a more diversified supply of goods. This, in turn, stimulates further migration to cities. Krugman's theories have shown that the outcome of these processes can well be that regions become divided into a high-technology urbanized core and a less developed “periphery.”

Works on theories of international trade are classed in 382.104 Theories (a subdivision of 382.1 General topics of international commerce), e.g., Theories of International Trade and International Trade Theory: A Critical Review. Works on a specific theory of international trade that does not have its own number, such as Krugman's theory, are also classed in 382.104 Theories.

The broadest works on economic geography are classed in 330.9 Economic situation and conditions, which has the note “Class here economic geography.” Examples are The Oxford Handbook of Economic Geography and The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade.

Works that focus on specific topics of economic geography are classed with the topic.  For example, works that focus on location of production with an emphasis on the rationale for its location are classed in 338.6042 Location, a subdivision of 338.604 Special topics of organization of production.  At 338.6042 is the note: “Class here proximity to sources of power, raw materials, labor supply, transportation, markets.”  Examples of works classed in 338.6042 are Geography of Production and Economic Integration and Industrial Location Economics.