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).

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

Planets and other objects

Virgin and Google may have been planning a permanent settlement on Mars with their Project Virgle, but we on planet Dewey moved further out in the solar system on April 1.

But (unlike Project Virgle) this is not an April Fool's Day joke.  We told you in January that we were proposing a new development for Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs),  including a relocation of Pluto from 523.482 to 523.4922, and new numbers for Kuiper Belt objects, Scattered Disc objects and the Oort Cloud.  This development has now been published as the new and changed entries for April 2008.

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.”

 

 

Color in Animals

“Conspicuousness, Not Eye Mimicry, Makes ‘Eyespots’ Effective Antipredator Signals” is the title of an article in Behavioral Ecology, reported in National Geographic News:

The eyespots on the wings of butterflies and moths are intended to be conspicuous to predators, not to resemble the eyes of larger animals, a new study found. . . .

The authors concluded that the visual “loudness” of the markings startle or frighten the predator into avoiding spotted prey.

A study by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies is described in an article entitled “The Secret Language of Fish” in Telegraph.co.uk:

The vivid colours of coral reef fishes represent a ‘language’ that dates back at least 50 million years but is still baffling to humans in many respects, a leading fish expert concedes today. . . .

Fossil specimens of reef fish from Monte Bolca, Italy, studied by Prof. Bellwood reveal that even as far back as 50 million years ago fish were spotted, striped and probably highly coloured also.

Fish colour appears to communicate both information - useful for finding mates and advertising status in the pecking order - and disinformation, intended to mislead predators and competitors.  But there is no easy explanation for the rainbow displays of the most spectacularly brilliant reef fish, he says.

Comprehensive works on color in animals are classed in 591.472 Camouflage and color, e.g., Amazing Animal Colors and Animal Dazzlers: The Role of Brilliant Colors in Nature.

Works on color in moths are classed in 595.781472 Camouflage and color in Lepidoptera (built with 595.78 Lepidoptera, which has the note “Class here moths,” plus 1 General topics of natural history of animals from the add table under 592-599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals, following the add footnote at 595.78: “Add as instructed under 592-599,” plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color, as instructed at 1 in the add table under 592-599).  Works on color in butterflies are classed in 595.7891472 Camouflage and color in Papilionoidea (Butterflies) (built with 595.789 Butterflies plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color).    

The ARC Centre study appears not to focus on one taxonomic group of fishes.  If that is correct,  we can begin with 597 Cold-blooded vertebrates    Pisces (Fishes), which has the footnote to add as instructed under 592-599.  Since 597 has a dual heading, we can focus henceforth on the second and narrower part of the heading:  Pisces (Fishes).  WebDewey has a built number 597.17789 Coral fishes (built with 597 plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 7 from  591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments plus 789 from 577.789 Reef ecology, which has the note: “Class here coral reef ecology”).  In the table of preference under 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals, however, 591.4 Physical adaptation appears above 591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments.  Consequently, for color in coral reef fishes we must begin with 597.1472 Camouflage and color in Pisces (Fishes) (built with 597 plus 1 from the add table under 592-599 plus 472 from 591.472 Camouflage and color). The 591.472 entry has the note “Subdivisions are added for either or both topics in heading” and the footnote “Add standard subdivisions as instructed under 591.”  The add table under 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals indicates that Table 1 notation 09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment is regular, with one zero.  The final number is 597.147209142 Camouflage and color in coral reef fishes (built with 597.1472 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—142 Islands, which has the note: “Including atolls, coral reefs”).

A work about color in one of the specific coral reef fishes mentioned in the ARC Centre study would be classed with the specific fish, e.g., gobies or parrotfishes in 597.7 Perciformes, where they are mentioned in the including note, and marine butterfly fishes or damselfishes in 597.72 Percoidea, where they are mentioned in the including note. Because these specific kinds of fishes are mentioned in including notes, no further addition is possible.

Mardi Gras

Today is the last day before Lent starts in the Western Church.  (The Orthodox Church waits a few weeks to start Lent in most years, including this one).  So it's Mardi Gras, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, depending on where you live.

My first experience of Carnival was back on February 14th, 1961, in Florence (Firenze in Italian), where my family was on holiday for a couple of days.  For an Australian teenager, it was an amazing experience to be surrounded by those crazy-for-one-day Italians.  And the next day we saw TV cameras being set up on the Ponte Vecchio, and wondered why, until we found out that there was a total solar eclipse in that part of Italy on that day  The two events made our visit to Italy even more memorable than we had expected.

Mardi Gras is classed at 394.25 Carnival in Dewey; Lent is classed at 263.92 Lent; pancakes (for Pancake Tuesday) are classed at 641.815 Bread and bread-like foods; Florence is classed at T2--45511 Florence; and total solar eclipses are classed at 523.78 [Solar] Eclipses.

Trans-Neptunian Objects

We are planning an update to 523.4 Planets of the solar system and would like feedback on the proposed new development. Because of the recent reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet by astronomers and the discovery of other Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), the following development in Edition 22 is out of date:
        523.48    Trans-Uranian planets
        523.481        *Neptune
        523.482        *Pluto
*Add as instructed under 523.4

We propose to modify the schedule as follows:
        523.48  *Neptune
        523.49    Trans-Neptunian objects
        523.492        Kuiper belt objects
        523.4922            *Pluto
        523.494        Scattered disk objects
        523.497        Oort cloud objects
*Add as instructed under 523.4

The Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) has approved the new development in principle, but requested that we seek user feedback before implementing the change.  Please either post your comments directly to this blog entry or direct your comments to dewey@loc.gov by February 15, 2008.

EPC Meeting 128

A few weeks ago, we shared a brief report on Meeting 128 of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) with a promise of more information to come on committee actions and departing members.

Among key actions at Meeting 128, the committee approved a complete overhaul of the treatment of groups of people in Dewey—a project that has been under discussion since late 2005.  We’ve blogged about some of these changes earlier (see here for transgendered people, and here and here for groups of people in general).  Comments received from outside reviewers spurred us to make some adjustments to our proposed development for transgendered and intersex people—we expect to post a revised version for comment in the next few weeks (watch this space). 

In addition to the updates discussed in our earlier report on Meeting 128, EPC approved updates to 004–006 Computer science; 010–090 Information and general works; 100 Philosophy, parapsychology and occultism, psychology; 320 Political science; 380 Commerce, communications, transportation; 390 Customs and etiquette (except folklore); 500–509 Natural sciences; 520–550 Astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth sciences; 600–609 Technology (Applied sciences); 610 Medicine and health; 630 Agriculture and related technologies; 780 Music; 790 Recreational and performing arts; and 800 Literature and rhetoric.  EPC suggested that we seek user feedback on the proposed new expansion for Trans-Neptunian objects (and relocation of Pluto)—we plan to post the proposed development for comment next week (again, watch this space).  Dewey users can expect to see many of the updates approved for immediate release by EPC included in WebDewey over the next year (and selected updates highlighted on the New and Changed Entries page on the Dewey web site).

EPC also feted four members leaving the committee at the end of 2007 (pictured from left to right): Migell Acosta (County of Los Angeles Public Library); Andrea Stamm (Northwestern University), Chew Chiat Naun (University of Minnesota, and formerly of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), and Deane Zeeman (Library and Archives Canada).

Migell Acosta ably served as the official ALA representative to EPC during 2007.  The committee’s resolution honoring Migell reads in part:

Whereas, Migell Acosta . . . offered sound advice on emerging technical issues; . . . asked probing questions and contributed to discussions in matters as diverse as political parties, use of the UDC as a possible source of vocabulary, DDC licensing, DDC training, and the treatment of murder; . . . drafted the Committee’s response on the representation of evolving trends in marriage and family; . . .

Andrea Stamm served on EPC 1993–2007, including multiple terms as vice-chair (1996–1999) and chair (2000–2005).  The committee’s resolution honoring Andrea (excerpted in part here) notes some of the many contributions she made to EPC and the DDC during her long tenure (fittingly, it ends with Andrea’s constant focus on users):

Whereas, Andrea Stamm . . . is the only current member of EPC to have participated in two retreats on the future of the DDC in 1997 and 2004, respectively; . . . presented the response paper to “Future of the Relative Index” . . . at the EPC Retreat in Saratoga Springs, April 30 – May 4, 1997; . . . served on the planning committee for the March 15–18, 2004, EPC Retreat, . . . and presented “Editions and Translations in the DDC”; . . . presented “How Users Contribute to the Classification” at the DDC 22 Preconference in Toronto in June 2003, and teamed up with the Dewey editors to present hands on training at said meeting; . . . challenged the editors to make the Manual notes telegraphic to support classifier efficiency; . . . steered the revision of the EPC bylaws through the committee; . . . developed the EPC ground rules for teleconferences (and chaired a record five teleconferences in 2003!); . . . pioneered New Member Training as a way to introduce new members to the committee in advance of voting at an actual meeting; . . . recommended the addition of translators to EPC-L [the private EPC listserve]; . . . always focused on the users of the DDC in her comments . . .

Chew Chiat Naun served on EPC 2004–2007.  The committee's resolution honoring Naun reads in part:

Whereas, Chew Chiat Naun . . . raised key questions about testing schedules at Meeting 122: “What do we mean by testing? . . . Is it easy to apply? or, Does it give a good arrangement?”; . . . gave key advice on the split of materials in the development for graphic novels at Meeting 124: “Just because it’s hard to make the decision doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make the decision that every bookshop seems to do”; . . . while Naun's membership on the committee was as an American Library Association nominee, his leaving has also had the unexpected effect of reducing the Australian influence on the committee's work, since he is indeed one of the many Australians to be found quietly living and working in unexpected places far from home . . .

Deane Zeeman also served on EPC 2004–2007, and succeeded Andrea Stamm as chair 2006–2007.  The committee’s resolution honoring Deane reads in part:

Whereas, Deane Zeeman . . . perfected the art of conducting electronic meetings over EPC-L; . . . asked at regular intervals at meetings . . . “What principle is being followed here?”; . . . though not the first Canadian chair, was the first chair to share leadership with a fellow member of the Commonwealth . . .

All four resolutions end with the following sentiment:

Be it resolved that the members of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee, the DDC editors, and staff at the Library of Congress Decimal Classification Division and OCLC express to [outgoing member] their deep gratitude and appreciation for [her/his] service and commitment to the Committee and the Classification, their regret that [she/he] will no longer be one of their number, and their wishes for [her/his] continued success and happiness now that [she/he] has retired from the Committee.