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).

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.”

 

 

Second Life

A recent blog entry on foreign exchange rates elicited the comment/question, “Where would you class the Linden dollar?”  (For those who are not in the know, the Linden dollar is the currency used in Linden Lab’s Second Life, a virtual world; the Linden dollar is exchangeable for real-world currencies.)   The answer is that the Linden dollar is classed in 332.4 Money, given its including note for "other mediums of exchange."

Even before we answered the question that was posed, we were asking among ourselves, “But where would you class Second Life?”  Does it qualify as a computer game (that is, as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game [MMORPG])?  If so, the appropriate class would appear to be 793.932 Computer fantasy games, which inherits the “Class here . . . role-playing games” instruction from 793.93 Fantasy games.  Or does Second Life lack the essential qualities of a game and belong in standing room at 793.9 Other indoor diversions?  What indeed are the essential qualities of a game?

Consider the following observations:

While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, this description does not fit the standard definition. It does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games, though it can be thought of as a game on a more basic level because it is “played for fun.” (From “Second Life” in Wikipedia)

Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interactivity. Games generally involve mental or physical stimulation, and often both. Many games help develop practical skills, serve as a form of exercise, or otherwise perform an educational, simulational or psychological role.  (From “Game” in Wikipedia)

MMORPGs are massively multiplayer games in that they take place in a perpetual online world with hundreds or thousands of other players. They are role-playing games in that each player controls an avatar which interacts with other players, completes tasks to gain experience and acquires items. (From “List of MMORPGs” in Wikipedia)

Second Life is a 3D online digital world imagined and created by its residents.  (From Second Life home page)

Is Second Life a MMORPG?  (From Second Life FAQ)
Yes and no. While the Second Life interface and display are similar to most popular massively multiplayer online role playing games (or MMORPGs), there are two key, unique differences: 
    Creativity . . .
    Ownership . . .

(Please excuse me for considering this Q&A from the FAQ more marketing copy than a reasoned answer to the question.  But it is perhaps informative that the creators of Second Life feel the need to pose the question at all.)

Phenomena that are part of the MMORPG category generally have character progression goals, in which the player gains skills and resources to deal with the challenges of the game.  Everyday, non-virtual games (e.g., board games, sports games) involve something very much like character progression in the gaining of points, traversing a path, etc., while dealing with the challenges of the game.  Thus, the typical MMORPG really does seem like a game.  But does Second Life include the basic sense of progressing against challenges set forth by the game?  According to the explanation given on its website, the Second Life world consists of creating an avatar, exploring the Second Life world, meeting and interacting with people (i.e., other avatars), having fun (by engaging with the phenomena created by the various residents of the Second Life world), and building a presence in this world (by buying land, creating games, opening a business, whatever you want to do).  Thus, while there are many games that can be played as part of the Second Life world, Second Life itself seems more an alternative reality, an online digital world, a virtual reality, than a game.  This line of reasoning leads to Second Life’s being classed in standing room at 793.9 Other indoor diversions.  As we have seen, specific aspects of Second Life are still classed with the aspect in question.  Real estate speculation in Second Life is classed at 332.63 Specific forms of investment; social interaction in Second Life would go into 302.231 Communication via digital media. 

Were it not that Second Life and its aspects are in standing room in the classes we have cited, we would be inclined to reflect the virtual nature of Second Life by adding —028568 Virtual reality (built with T1—0285 Computer applications plus 68 from 006.8 Virtual reality, following the add instructions under T1—0285).

We are virtually sure this is the right approach to classifying Second Life.  Please let us hear from you, dear readers, whether the distinctions we are making—games vs. other diversions; the real world vs. the virtual world—strike you as appropriate distinctions for the bibliographic world.  Comment on!

Computers and music, part 3

This is the third and last part of a three-part series of postings on computers and music in DDC 22. Part 1 examined explicit provisions in the schedules for treating this topic area. Part 2 looked at where the processes of creation, recording, and performance of music should be classed if done by a computer. This part discusses the classification of a representative sample of specific computer technologies and products, as used with music. Specifically, it examines music notation software, digital music players, digital jukebox software, digital audio editors, digital audio workstations, music sequencers, and the musical instrument digital interface (MIDI).

As noted in previous posts, much of digital music technology (both hardware and software) is multifunctional. Consistent with the principle of classing a work on two subjects with the subject receiving fuller treatment—see section 5.7(B) of the DDC Introduction—our policy is to class multifunctional technologies with the predominant technology. Statements in this posting about where to class a given technology may need to be modified in specific situations, for example, if the work emphasizes a different aspect of the technology than is assumed to be the default here. Where it is stated below that a topic classes in, for example, both a computer science number and a music number, the classifier must decide the disciplinary focus of the specific work when assigning it a class number.

Music notation software (a.k.a. scorewriters), while often including both recording and playback functions, focuses on producing printed music. Examples of scorewriters include Finale® and Sibelius®. Software for producing notated music classes in 780.1480285 Musical notation—Computer applications (built with 780.148 Musical notation plus notation T1–0285 Computer applications). This may appear to contravene the principle of not adding multiple standard subdivisions to the same number. However, as section 8.6 of the DDC Introduction explains, standard subdivisions can be added to notation for standard subdivisions with changed or extended meanings (or as the schedules describe it, notation from Table 1 that has been modified).

Digital music players (a.k.a. digital audio players)—for example, MP3 players, iPods®—class in 621.38933 Sound reproducers (Communications engineering). (The engineering aspects of sound recording and reproducing systems class together at 621.3893, with the recording aspects in 621.38932 and the reproducing aspects in 621.38933.) The iTunes® application, commonly marketed as a means of organizing the digital media played on an iPod, can also be used to manage the playing of those media. However, iTunes does not class with the iPod in 621.38933. Where the iPod is hardware, iTunes is software. Thus, even though iTunes is the preeminent example of “digital jukebox software” and jukeboxes class in 621.38933, iTunes belongs in computer science, not engineering, where it classes in 006.5 Digital audio (Computer science). We have also mapped digital jukebox software to 780.28565 Digital audio (Music) (built with 780 Music plus notation T1–0285 Computer applications plus 65 Digital audio from 006.5, following the add instructions at T1–0285).  

Another major digital music technology is the editing of digital audio. Not surprisingly, the software products that perform this function are known as digital audio editors and include, for example, Sound Forge® and Audacity®. Digital audio editors have been mapped to 006.5 Digital audio and also to 781.34536 Microcomputer programs for computer composition (built with 781.34 Computer composition plus 536, from 005.36 Microcomputer programs, following the add instructions under 781.344–781.346 Computer science aspects of computer composition).

Digital audio workstations and music sequencers, terms now often used interchangeably, incorporate digital audio software into a system that can record, edit, and play back digital audio, with editing as the predominant function. Examples of digital audio workstations include Cubase® and Pro Tools®. Consistent with the treatment of digital audio editors, digital audio workstations class in 006.5 Digital audio and 781.34416 Microcomputer systems for computer composition (built with 781.34 Computer composition plus 416, from 004.16 Microcomputers, following the add instructions under 781.344–781.346 Computer science aspects of computer composition); both computer systems and comprehensive works on hardware and programs in electronic data processing are in the class-here note at 004 Data processing Computer science.

The protocol that permits digital devices (e.g., computers, electronic musical instruments) to communicate with one another is called MIDI, Musical Instrument Digital Interface. As a communications protocol, MIDI classes in 784.19028546 Computer interfacing and communications for musical instruments (built with 784.19 Musical instruments, plus notation T1–0285 Computer applications plus 46 Computer interfacing and communications from 004.6, following the add instructions at T1–0285).

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.

No more Major League Baseball until spring

It seems that before I had the chance to blog the annual fall World Series ritual, it was over: four games, clean sweep. Having been a Boston Red Sox fan for as long as I can remember, I’m delighted by the outcome.   

As a ball game, where the ball is hit by a bat (as opposed to 796.352 Golf where the ball is hit by a club, or 796.354 Croquet, where the ball is hit by a mallet), the sport sometimes dubbed “America’s pastime” is classed in 796.357 Baseball. Championship games (as a group) have sufficient literary warrant to justify their own classes; thus, the World Series is classed in 796.357646 World series games.

Like some, but not all, other sports—let the classifier beware!—baseball uses a modified set of standard subdivisions given under 796.332 American football (at 796.35701-796.35709 Standard subdivisions of baseball is the note: “Notation from Table 1 as modified under 796.3320202-796.332077”). There are three important differences. The first involves 796.3320202.  Synopses and outlines, which would normally class here, have been discontinued to 796.33202 Miscellany; in their stead Handbooks and guides find a home in 796.3320202, under which we also find 796.33202022 Official rules and 796.33202024 Spectators’ guides. The second involves the relocation of Management from 796.332068 to 796.332069, while Grounds and their layout reside in 796.332068. The third involves the relocation of teaching from 796.332071 to 796.332077 Coaching. Other sports-centric interpretations of the standard subdivisions include clubs and leagues in standing room at 796.33206 Organizations, facilities, management and collectibles as a topic approximating the whole of 796.332075 Museum activities and services Collecting.

Since baseball clubs are in standing room at 796.35706, both the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies class in 796.35706 Baseball clubs, without geographic subdivision (built with 796.357 Baseball plus T1—06 Organizations, as modified under 796.332 American football). Fenway Park, where games 1 and 2 were played, is classed in 796.3570687447 Baseball grounds in Norfolk County, Mass. (built with 796.357 Baseball plus T1—068 Grounds and their layout, as modified under 796.332 American football, plus T2—7447 Norfolk County, Mass.); Coors Field, where games 3 and 4 were played, is classed in 796.35706878883 Baseball grounds in Denver (built with 796.357 Baseball plus T1—068 Grounds and their layout, as modified under 796.332 American football, plus T2—78883 Denver).

Computers and music, part 2

This is the second in a three-part series of postings on computers and music in DDC 22.   Part 1 examined explicit provisions in the schedules for treating this topic area. In this part, I look at various processes applied to music and indicate where each process should be classed if performed by a computer. Part 3 will discuss the classification of a representative sample of specific computer technologies and products, as used with music.

The major processes applied to music that we will consider are creation, performance, and recording.  Although there are other musical processes (e.g., conducting, music appreciation), these are the ones we are most likely to find computers involved in.

By the creation of music I refer not only to composition (781.3), but also to improvisation (781.36), arrangement (781.37), and orchestration (781.374). As noted in the previous posting, a note at 781.30285 Music composition—Computer applications instructs the classifier not to use that number for computer composition, but to class works on the topic at 781.34. However, 781.30285 has not been bracketed, which implies the existence of computer applications applied to composition—perhaps that aid composition—that do not qualify outright as computer composition. A software application that analyzes compositions for part-writing errors would class in 781.30285, as would an application that analyzes compositions for orchestration possibilities. A further question arises, whether, for example, computer improvisation should be classed at 781.34, given that improvisation is a subclass of composition, or whether it should be classed at 781.360285 Music improvisation—Computer applications. A note that disallows the use of a standard subdivision does not have hierarchical force; therefore, computer improvisation classes under 781.36, not under 781.34.  However, a work such as Computer improvisation of blues melodies should class in 781.6431360285 Blues—Computer improvisation, built with 781.643 Blues plus facet indicator 1 plus notation 36 (from 781.36 Improvisation), as instructed at the add table at 781.63–781.69 Other traditions of music, plus notation T1—0285 Computer applications.  (A note at 780 instructs us to “class a subject with aspects in two or more subdivisions of 780 in the number coming last.” Thus, music tradition ranks higher in the citation order than composition.)

The relationship between the performance and the recording of music is complex. On the one hand, music is often recorded in some way (e.g., using print notation, on a piano role) before being performed. On the other hand, performances are recorded so they can be played back.  One is tempted to differentiate between non-sound recording that enables performance and sound recording of performance, but reality is rarely so clear-cut. For example, I once had the privilege of working with a visually impaired choir accompanist. She learned her part from a tape recording of the accompaniment, played just slowly enough that she could hear the music and immediately play it. In her case, it was the sound recording that enabled performance.

In any case, we have three major performance-and-recording processes with possible computer involvement. The first process (the non-sound recording) involves the notation of music at 780.148 Musical notation, abbreviations, symbols.  Software that automatically produces notated music from sound would then class in 780.1480285 Musical notation—Computer applications. This may appear to contravene the principle of not adding multiple standard subdivisions to the same number. However, as section 8.6 of the DDC Introduction explains, standard subdivisions can be added to notation for standard subdivisions with changed or extended meanings (or as the schedules describe it, notation from Table 1 that has been modified).  The second process (the sound recording) classes at 781.49 Recording of music if the focus is on musical techniques; however, if the focus is on engineering techniques, the appropriate class is 621.3893 Sound recording and reproducing systems; if the focus is on the signals by which the sound is recorded, the appropriate class is 006.5 Digital audio. Since 006.7 is part of the computer science schedule, the addition of T1–0285 would be redundant. In contrast, although 621.3893 need not involve a computer, the note at 006.5 (“Class digital audio engineering in 621.3893”) suggests that we should not add T1–0285 at 621.3893 either. However, the addition of T1–0285 to 781.49, yielding 781.490285 Recording of music—Computer applications, is altogether appropriate.  The third process (performance) typically classes with the instrument or instruments involved in the performance. As discussed in the previous posting, DDC has a dedicated class number for the computer as a musical instrument, 786.76. 

Computers and music, part 1

A question was posed recently on Autocat about the treatment of computers and music in DDC 22. As with many topics, several locations for the intersection of computers and music exist in the scheme: there are a handful of relevant numbers in the 780s, one in 006, and another one in the 620s. (Actually, there is the potential for many relevant numbers in the 780s, since T1—0285 Computer applications and its various subdivisions can be appropriately added fairly freely.) Unfortunately, scanning major catalogs to see how the numbers have been assigned doesn’t easily clarify their intended meaning, suggesting that confusion over which numbers to use in which circumstances is wide-ranging and of long standing.

I propose to take a 3-pronged approach to exploring computers and music in DDC 22. In this first posting, I will set forth and try to clarify the explicit provisions for computers and music in the 780s. (Consideration of notation from other portions of the schedule, e.g., 006.5 Digital audio and 621.3893 Sound recording and reproducing systems, will be taken up in postings 2 and 3.)  In a second posting, I will look at the various processes that can be executed on music (e.g., music can be composed, recorded, performed) and indicate where each process should be classed. In the final posting—and this will be the trickiest one—I will discuss the classification of a sample of specific technologies, types of products, etc.; these get hairy because, as the inquiry to Autocat noted, it is not uncommon for music software to address more than one process. 

The comprehensive number for computer applications in music is 780.285, built with 78 Music plus notation T1—0285 Computer applications. We should also note that T1—0285 can be extended by notation from 004-006, if the addition is not redundant conceptually. So, for example, we could have 780.285536 Microcomputer programs for music, built by adding the numbers following 00 in 005.36 Programs for microcomputers, following the instructions at T1—0285.

Although 780.285 represents a regular use of the standard subdivision, it is listed explicitly in the schedules so that two see references can be given. The first topic drawn off from 780.285 is computer composition at 781.34, a subdivision under 781.3 Music composition. (It may be useful to note that the standard subdivision T1—0285 under 781.3 has not been bracketed. The instruction there to class computer composition in 781.34 leaves any other computer application involving composition at 781.30285.)

The second topic drawn off from 780.285 is the computer as a musical instrument at 786.76, under 786.7 Electronic instruments (Electrophones). Here it is useful to note the classes that are coordinate with 786.76, since together they make the scope of 786.76 narrower. (I would also like to be able to say that the coordinate classes make the scope of 786.76 clearer, but there appears to be considerable misclassification at this number.)  Currently, synthesizers are by far the most common electronic instrument under 786.7 (note that the presence of a microprocessor does not a computer make!).

786.73   Monophonic electrophones (electronic sound producers capable of producing only one pitch at a time); ondes martenot, theremins

786.74   Synthesizers

786.75   Tapes; music concrète