025.431: The Dewey blog

Mesmerized!

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

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

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

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

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

Nicotine

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

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

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

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

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

DDC 23: Expansions in Table 2 notation 3 Ancient world

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

--394 Middle East to 640

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

Ugarit (Extinct city)    T2--39433

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Eponymy and the DDC

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

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

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

Population: Forecasting and Forecasts

Recently Science had a special issue examining many aspects of population: "the opportunities and challenges created by demographic changes around the world." One of the Science articles, "The Outlook for Population Growth" by Ronald Lee, has the abstract:

Projections of population size, growth rates, and age distribution, although extending to distant horizons, shape policies today for the economy, environment, and government programs such as public pensions and health care. The projections can lead to costly policy adjustments, which in turn can cause political and economic turmoil. The United Nations projects global population to grow from about 7 billion today to 9.3 billion in 2050 and 10.1 billion in 2100, while the Old Age Dependency Ratio doubles by 2050 and triples by 2100. How are such population projections made, and how certain can we be about the trends they foresee?

In the article Lee notes that he uses the terms population "projections" or "forecasts" interchangeably.

One of the works Lee cites is Demographic Forecasting. The work emphasizes statistical methods for forecasting population death rates. It has the LCSH Mortality—Forecasting—Methodology, Mortality—Statistical methods, and Demography.  Browsing the Relative Index for "mortality" yields:

Mortality—demography 304.64

Browsing the Relative Index for "forecasting" yields:

Forecasting     003.2
Forecasting     T1—0112

Browsing the Relative Index for "statistical methods" yields:

Statistical methods                             001.422
Statistical methods                             T1—0727
. . . . .
Statistical methods—systems analysis    T1—011

In the table of preference at the beginning of Table 1, T1—07 appears above T1—01.  However, at T1—0727 Statistical methods is the class-elsewhere note "Class statistical methods used in systems analysis in T1—011."  That note is relevant because the interdisciplinary number for forecasting (003.2 Forecasting and forecasts) is a subdivision of 003 Systems, where systems analysis appears in a class-here note.  Since class-here notes have hierarchical force, the note applies as well at 003.2. The work Demographic Forecasting is classed in 304.640112 Forecasting and forecasts of deaths (Forecasting and forecasts of mortality), built with 304.64 Deaths (Mortality) plus T1—011 Systems plus 2 from 003.2 Forecasting and forecasts, following the add instruction at T1—011 Systems. 

Another work cited by Lee is The End of World Population Growth in the 21st Century: New Challenges for Human Capital Formation and Sustainable Development. It has the LCSH Population forecasting, Twenty-first century—Forecasts, and Demographic transition. The work treats forecasts and forecasting of population growth and shrinkage.  Browsing the Relative Index for "population" yields:

Population    304.6

One of the subdivisions of 304.6 Population is 304.62 Growth and decline. Browsing the Relative Index for "twenty-first century" yields:

Twenty-first century     909.83
Twenty-first century     T1—0905

In the table of preference at the beginning of Table 1, T1—01 comes before T1—0901–T1—0905; hence T1—0112 Forecasting and forecasts is generally to be preferred over T1—0905 21st century, 2000-2099. The add instruction at T1—011 Systems describes exceptions to that general preference, but the exceptions are all limited to "short-term forecasts (ten years or less)."  The exceptions do not apply to The End of World Population Growth in the 21st Century, which treats the full century.  Hence that work is classed in 304.620112 Forecasting and forecasts of population growth and decline, built with 304.62 Population growth and decline plus T1—011 Systems plus 2 from 003.2 Forecasting and forecasts, following the add instruction at T1—011 Systems.

One of the starting points for forecasting population is the demographic data from a census (a periodic survey of a population of a specific area). In a previous blog, "United States Census," we described the DDC numbers used for a census.

Wars and Participation of a Specific Ethnic Group in a Specific Country's Forces

Recently we were asked:

For participation of a specific ethnic group in Second World War in one specific country's forces, how do I construct the number? Is it possible to combine ethnic group and country? For example, how should Estonians in Waffen-SS be classified?

Winton Matthews, retired DDC assistant editor and currently a consultant, gave an answer that is adapted here:

An ethnic group associated with a specific aspect of a war (not just World War II) is classed with that aspect.  If that aspect has its own number or is given in a class-here note, the ethnic group is shown by adding standard subdivision T1—089 Ethnic and national groups to the number for the aspect.  The military units, air operations, and naval operations of a specific country in World War II have their own numbers at 940.5412 Military units of Allies, 940.5413 Military units of Axis Powers, 940.5449 Air operations of specific countries, and 940.5459 Naval operations of specific countries.  Thus, standard subdivision T1—089 can be added.  The number for Estonians in Waffen-SS is 940.54134308994545 Estonian participation in World War II army of Germany (940.5413 Military units of Axis Powers plus T2—43 Germany plus T1—089 Ethnic and national groups plus T5—94545 Estonians).

The add instructions for that last example are found at 940.54134-940.54139 Specific continents, countries, localities in modern world and T1—0891–0899 Specific ethnic and national groups. An example of a work classed in 940.54134308994545 is Estonian Vikings: Estnisches SS-Freiwilligen Bataillon Narwa and subsequent units, Eastern Front, 1943–1944.

Another example of a work treating participation of a specific ethnic group in one specific country's World War II forces is The Jewish Brigade: An Army with Two Masters, 1944–1945. That work is classed in 940.541241089924 Jewish participation in World War II army of Great Britain (940.5412 Military units of Allies plus T2—41 British Isles—"Class here Great Britain, United Kingdom"—plus T1—089 Ethnic and national groups plus T5—924 Jews).

Electronica festivals

A recent USA Today article, entitled “Raves give rise to electronica fests,” gives us the quick opportunity to highlight two changes in DDC 23:  the first, an expansion, and the second, a relocation.

In a previous post on contemporary styles of music, we noted our intention of developing a new class, 781.648 Electronica, which is now present in DDC 23.  The close association of electronica and dancing makes 781.6481554 (built with 781.648 plus 1 General principles from the table under 781.63-78.69 plus 554 Dance music from 781.554 Dance music) redundant; a do-not-use note indicates that that number is not valid.  A work like All music guide to electronica would now be classed in 781.648.

In Table 1, festivals have been relocated from 1—079 Competitions, awards, financial support to 1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits, where festivals are now listed in the class-here note.  A work on the subject of the USA Today article, electronica fests, would thus be classified in 781.648074 Electronica festivals.

DDC 23: Table 3 Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms

In the blog "DDC 23: 800 Literature (Belles-lettres) and rhetoric" we promised to discuss what's new in Table 3.

Two new paragraphs in the "Literary periods" section of the main Manual entry for Table 3A Subdivisions for Works by or about Individual Author have already appeared in WebDewey.  That change was described in a previous blog: "Choice of Literary Period: Individual Authors Who Publish under Pseudonyms or Who Write in More Than One Language."

A short new Manual note gives advice on choosing between Table 3B and Table 3A:

T3B vs. T3A
Table 3B. Subdivisions for Works by or about More than One Author vs. Table 3A. Subdivisions for Works by or about Individual Authors

Use Table 3B for an individual work by more than one author if the work is a collection where clearly defined parts are contributed by different authors.

Use Table 3A for an individual work by more than one author where the authors have collaborated so as to create a single whole and it is not easy (or at least not intended to be easy) to tell where the contribution of one author begins and the other ends. For example, use Table 3A for a play written in collaboration between Sir Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.

If in doubt, prefer Table 3B.

For example, Renaissance Drama: An Anthology of Plays and Entertainments is classed in 822.308 English drama of Elizabethan period, 1558–1625—collections (built with 82 base number for English literature as specified at 821–828 Subdivisions for specific forms of English literature plus T3B—2 Drama plus 3 Elizabethan period, 1558–1625 from literary period table at 821–828 plus 08 from T3B—1008 Collections of literary texts, following instructions at 821–828 and at T3B—21–29 Drama of specific periods). 

By contrast, A King and No King by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher is classed in 822.3 English drama of Elizabethan period, 1558–1625, with no notation 08 for collections of literary texts.  The number 822.3 for the Beaumont and Fletcher play is built with 82 base number for English literature as specified at 821–828 Subdivisions for specific forms of English literature plus T3A—2 Drama plus 3 Elizabethan period, 1558–1625 from literary period table at 821–828, following instructions at 821–828 and at T3A—21–29 Specific periods). 

Table 3B has two new fiction genre numbers that have been implemented in WebDewey but little used thus far.  The first is:

T3B—3082     Autobiographical and biographical fiction

An example of a work for which the new number could be used is Autobiographie & Avant-garde: Alain Robbe-Grillet, Serge Doubrovsky, Rachid Boudjedra, Maxine Hong Kingston, Raymond Federman, Ronald Sukenick.  It has the first LCSH "Autobiographical fiction—History and criticism—Congresses." It could be classed in 809.382 Autobiographical fiction—history and criticism (built with 809 History, description, critical appraisal of more than two literatures plus 3 Fiction from 808.83 Collections of fiction plus 82 from T3B—3082 Autobiographical and biographical fiction, following instructions at 809.1–809.7 Literature in specific forms other than miscellaneous writings and at 808.831–808.838 Specific scope and types of fiction).

The second new fiction genre number is:

T3B—308768     Alternative histories

An example of a work for which the number for alternative histories could be used is Alternate Generals II. It could be classed in 813.0876808 American alternative histories—collections (built with base number for American literature in English 81 as specified at 811–818 Subdivisions for specific forms of American literature in English plus T3B—308768 Alternative histories plus 08 Collections of literary texts from add table under T3B—102–T3B—107 Specific kinds of poetry, following instructions at 811–818 and at T3B—102–T3B—107 and the footnote add instruction at T3B—308768).

The many changes in Table 3C—3 Arts and literature dealing with specific themes and subjects have already been implemented in WebDewey and explained in a previous blog.  The "Table of Mappings: DDC 000–990 to Table 3C—3 Arts and literature dealing with specific themes and subjects" described in that blog can still be useful as a guide.  An example of a work for which one of the new Table 3C—3 provisions has been used is After Representation? The Holocaust, Literature, and Culture, which has for its first LCSH "Holocaust, Jewish (1939–1945), in literature."  It is classed in 809.93358405318 Holocaust, 1933–1945—literature—history and criticism (built with 809.933 Literature dealing with specific themes and subjects plus 58 from T3C—358 Historical, political, military themes, as instructed at 809.933 plus 405318 from 940.5318 Holocaust as instructed at T3C—3583–T3C—3589 Historical themes of ancient world; of specific continents, countries, localities; of extraterrestrial worlds).

Part-Time or Potentially Part-Time Businesses: Management

Library Journal's "Collection Development: Part-Time Businesses, March 1, 2011" discusses works helpful for people who want to start or run a part-time business.  Some of those works that emphasize management are mentioned here.

Few works are actually limited in scope to part-time businesses.  Most of the works in the Library Journal article focus on the kind of businesses that can be part-time or full-time—perhaps beginning part-time.  Nevertheless, browsing the Relative Index for "part-time" yields useful results:

Part-time enterprises—management                658.041
Part-time enterprises—management—initiation  658.1141

The entry for 658.041 Individual proprietorships has the notes:

Including part-time enterprises
Class here one-person enterprises, self-employment enterprises
Class executive management by entrepreneurs in 658.421
For one-person corporations, see 658.045

In the upward hierarchy for 658.041 is 658.04 Management of enterprises of specific forms, which has the see reference: "For initiation of specific forms of ownership organization, management of new enterprises of specific forms, see 658.114."  See references have hierarchical force.  The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion into Profit: How to Find and Grow Your Side Hustle in Any Economy is classed in 658.1141 Initiation of individual proprietorships (built with 658.114 Initiation of business enterprises by form of ownership organization plus 1 from 658.041 Individual proprietorships, following instruction at 658.114). 
 
Many of the works in the Library Journal article emphasize home-based businesses.  Browsing the Relative Index for "home-based" yields:

Home-based enterprises—management                658.0412
Home-based enterprises—management—initiation  658.11412

Works that focus on managing—or starting up and then managing—home-based businesses are classed in 658.0412 Home-based businesses, e.g., Ultimate Homebased Business Handbook: How to Start, Run and Grow Your Own Profitable Business and Start & Run a Real Home-Based Business. 

Works on starting up and then managing a specific form of business enterprise are classed with managing in 658.04+ rather than with starting up in 658.114+ because the comprehensive number is 658.04+.  How does one know that?  The see reference quoted above leads from 658.04 Management of enterprises of specific forms to 658.114 Initiation of business enterprises by form of ownership organization.  By definition, a see reference "leads from the stated or implied comprehensive or interdisciplinary number for a subject to component parts of the subject in numbers other than direct subdivisions of the original number or span."

The Manual note 658.04 vs. 658.114, 658.402 Management of enterprises of specific forms vs. Initiation of business enterprises by form of ownership organization vs. Internal organization can help in deciding between 658.04+ and 658.114+:

Use 658.04 for comprehensive works on management of enterprises of specific legal or ownership forms (e.g., corporations, partnerships). Use 658.114 for works that focus on initiating enterprises of specific legal or ownership forms—either starting a new business or converting an existing business to a new form, e.g., starting up a new individual proprietorship 658.1141, converting an individual proprietorship to a corporation 658.1145.

. . . . .

If in doubt, prefer in the following order: 658.04, 658.114, 658.402.

Some of the works in the Library Journal article focus on businesses in specific fields.  In the upward hierarchy for all the numbers mentioned thus far, at 658 General management, is the scatter see reference: "For management of enterprises engaged in a specific field of activity, see the field, plus notation T1—068 from Table 1, e.g., management of commercial banks 332.12068, management of automobile manufacturing 629.222068." The Handmade Marketplace, for example, is classed in 745.50688 Marketing management of handicrafts, built with 745.5 Handicrafts plus T1—0688 Management of distribution (Marketing).  Browsing the Relative Index for "marketing management" yields:

Marketing management    658.8
Marketing management    T1—0688

 

 

 

Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

The ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been in the news, e.g., “2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill” (Times-Picayune), “Oil Spill” (USA Today), and “Disaster in the Gulf” (CBS News).  

As noted in a previous blog (“Oil Spills”), the interdisciplinary number for oil spills is 363.7382 Oil as an environmental pollutant. 

What Table 2 Geographic Areas notation should be added for a work on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?  That depends on the scope and focus of the work.  A work that focuses on the impact of the spill on the Mississippi Delta region of Louisiana would be classed in 363.7382097633 Oil as an environmental pollutant in Southeastern parishes of Louisiana (built with 363.7382 plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—7633 Southeastern parishes of Louisiana, which has the class-here note “Class here Mississippi Delta,” following instructions at T1—093–T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds).  A work that focuses on the impact of the spill on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico would be classed in 363.73820916364 Oil as an environmental pollutant in the Gulf of Mexico (built with 363.7382 plus T1—091 Treatment by areas, regions, places in general plus 6364 from T2—16364 Gulf of Mexico, following instructions at T1—091).  Works on oil spills that treat the impact on both the water and the coast usually give fuller treatment to the effects on the shorelands (shorelands include coastal wetlands and intertidal zones).  The “Introduction to the DDC,” section 5.7 (B), says: “Class a work on two subjects with the subject receiving fuller treatment.” Thus a work on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that treats the impact on both the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast—with fuller treatment of the coast—would be classed with the land in 363.73820976 Oil as an environmental pollutant in Gulf Coast states (built with 363.7382 plus T1—09 plus T2—76 Gulf Coast states, following instructions at T1—093–T1—099).  If the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico are given equal treatment, then the first-of-two rule would apply, and T2—16364 Gulf of Mexico would be used instead of T2—76 Gulf Coast states. See the “Introduction to the DDC,” section 5.7 (C).

Works that focus on the effect of an oil spill on a specific subject (e.g., a specific animal) are classed with the subject according to the rule of application.  An example from studies of the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill may illustrate.  Population, Reproduction, and Foraging of Pigeon Guillemots at Naked Island, Alaska, before and after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill is classed in 598.33 Charadriiformes.  Since pigeon guillemots do not approximate the whole of 598.33, no further addition is allowed.  

How does a classifier know which subdivision of 598 Aves (Birds) to choose, given that pigeon guillemots are not mentioned in the DDC?  In its introduction, the work being classified identifies the pigeon guillemot as being in the family Alcidae, and “Alcidae” is in the Relative Index linked to 598.33 and in the including note at 598.33.   Also, the LCSH for “Pigeon guillemot” has “Cepphus” as broader term, and the LCSH “Cepphus” has “Alcidae” as broader term.  Similar information is available in many reference sources, e.g., the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Guide at “Pigeon Guillemot.”

The potential effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the brown pelican has been in the news, e.g., “Oil Threatens Brown Pelican Off of Louisiana Coast” (NPR) and “La.'s [Louisiana’s] State Bird, Brown Pelican, Imperiled by Oil” (AP).  Works on the effect of the oil spill on the brown pelican will be classed with other works on the brown pelican in 598.43 Pelecaniformes, which has an including note that begins: “Including Pelecanidae (pelicans). . . . .”  An example of a work classed in 598.43 is Brown Pelican: Pelecanus Occidentalis.