025.431: The Dewey blog

EPC 145A exhibits ready for review

The DDC Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) will hold their next asynchronous meeting from January 6-31. At this meeting, Meeting 145A, they will consider a slate of exhibits with proposed changes to the classification. The following exhibits are available for review at our Google Drive page:

• EPC 145A-S8.1 830-890 Literatures of specific language families and classical literatures
• EPC 145A-S13.1 Natal astrology
• EPC 145A-S39.1 394 General customs
• EPC 145A-S51.1 Calculators
• EPC 145A-S93.1 Geographic treatment of archaeology
• EPC 145A-T1.1 T1--068 Management
• EPC 145A-T2.1 Provinces of Saudi Arabia

As always, I invite any interested users to review and comment on these proposals. You may do so here on the blog, via email, or at the DDC contributors forum at oc.lc/DeweyContributors. You can also share your comments directly with members of EPC.

Happy retirement, Michael!

Guest post by Julianne Beall

Last week we held a virtual retirement celebration for Michael Cantlon, who retired September 30, 2020, after 41 years of service as a Dewey classifier at the Library of Congress. His colleagues in the Dewey Program contributed slides and pictures to a PowerPoint presentation expressing their appreciation and best wishes for a happy retirement. One classifier, Cat Eiche, contributed to the presentation by raiding the Dewey archives for pictures of Dewey staff that included Michael before his hair turned gray—and other items that amused her, like a list of office equipment that included a Zenith 100 microcomputer (on which we first tried editing DDC on a computer) and a Diablo 630 printer.

Michael's primary areas of expertise were DDC 100s and 200s, but he also classified and trained classifiers in the 400s, 700s, 800s, and 900s. His colleagues expressed appreciation for the deep knowledge of the DDC that he shared.

Michael made many contributions to Dewey editorial work over the years, but mostly behind the scenes, making proposals and giving guidance directly to the editors. However, for DDC 20 and 21, he did much editorial work on the 200s and on the separate 200 Religion Class publications reprinted from those editions with expanded indexing. For the latter, see:

• 200 Religion Class (from DDC 20)
• 200 Religion Class (from DDC 21)

And today Michael has an exhibit among the EPC 142C exhibits now available for review at oc.lc/deweyexhibits: EPC 142C-S20.1 Religious conversion.

We all look forward to the day when the Library of Congress is fully open and we can give Michael our best wishes for a happy retirement in person.

Revisions to witchcraft and Wicca

Editorial Policy Committee meeting 142B wrapped up at the end of July, with six proposals considered and approved. One of those proposals was on the topic of witchcraft, a frequently critiqued topic in the DDC, so I wanted to take this opportunity to elaborate on the changes approved, now available in WebDewey.

There are three primary areas where books about modern Western witchcraft are classed:

• 133.43 Magic and witchcraft and 133.44 Spells, curses, charms
• 203.3 Witchcraft
• 299.94 Religions based on modern revivals of witchcraft [caption prior to revision]

The most prominent complaint about the treatment of witchcraft was that most works were ending up in the 133.4 hierarchy, a class focused on occultism. This was especially a problem with works about spells and charms—since the 130s were the only area that had an explicit place for spells, nearly all works about spells were being classed there, even if they had titles naming a religious practice, such as The only book of Wiccan spells you'll ever need. The Manual note 130 vs. 200 directed catalogers to use the 200s for religious works, but then went on to tell catalogers to prefer the 130s if they weren't sure if a work was religious or not; since there is still a significant cultural stigma surrounding witchcraft in many areas, this meant catalogers were not recognizing when these works should be classed in the 200s. How could we revise the DDC to direct attention to the fact that a significant number of these works are religious/spiritually based, and thus should be classed in the 200s?

The proposal text has more information about the multiple approaches I considered, in consultation with people who practice various forms of witchcraft and Paganism (you can view the full 8-page proposal). The final proposal which was approved has a mix of new numbers, new notes, and new manual instructions to help classifiers find the best place for these works.

New numbers include 203.32 Spells, curses, charms for works that are not based in a specific cultural tradition of witchcraft, and 299.942 Wicca. With the add instructions given at 299.942, numbers can now be built for works about Wicca spells (299.942332) and, for example, therapeutic Wicca spells (299.9423326). (This new spells number can also be used with other religions with "Add as instructed under 290" notation, such as Santería.)

A new note at 203.3 Witchcraft helps clarify what should not be classed in that number. This note, what we call a scatter class-elsewhere, now reads "Class specific cultural traditions of witchcraft with the tradition, e.g., witchcraft as practiced in African religions in 299.6133, religions based on modern revivals of witchcraft in the Western world in 299.94". So what should be classed at 203.3? A new class-here note reads "Class here interdisciplinary works on witchcraft". Works about comparative studies of witchcraft should be classed in 203.3 when they don't focus on a specific cultural tradition.

Finally, what I consider the most significant change: instead of a manual note that directs catalogers to place works in the 130s if in doubt, the manual note, now renamed 200 vs. 130, directs catalogers who are not sure if a work is religious/spiritual to prefer a number in the 200s. This helps ensure that even when catalogers are not as familiar with witchcraft as they are more widely practiced religions, they should take time to discern where a specific work should be classed and not default to the 130s. My hope is these changes, taken together, result in more appropriate placement of works about witchcraft, and more of those works being classed in the 200s.

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on this proposal, including Jane Cothron (Lincoln County Library District), Helen Imre (Franklin Township Public Library), and Rebecca DeLio (Denver Public Library), as well as others, including both witchcraft practitioners and library workers. Their feedback was incredibly helpful in making these revisions happen.

EPC Meeting 140

On June 12–13, Meeting 140 of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) was held at the Library of Congress (LC) in Washington, DC. When we meet at LC, Dewey classifiers at the Library have the opportunity to attend and to observe EPC deliberations. But this year’s meeting was also marked by the number of persons we usually expect to see, but who were unable to attend, which included EPC members Gert de Jager and Paula van Strien, OCLC Research Scientist Diane Vizine-Goetz, and Karl E. Debus-López, Chief of the U.S. Programs, Law, and Literature Division in which the CIP and Dewey Section at the Library of Congress resides. And while on the subject of who was there and who wasn’t, we note with regret that this was the last face-to-face EPC meeting for Andrea Kappler, who will be completing 12 years of service on EPC at the end of this year. Thank you, Andrea!

The EPC Regulations for the Conduct of Committee Business (a.k.a. the bylaws) have been updated; the biggest change is that the bylaws now call for EPC to include a representative from the European Dewey Users Group (EDUG). (Update: Elise Conradi, Dewey Project Manager at the National Library of Norway, was elected to represent EDUG on EPC, beginning in January 2018.) In other business, Michele Zwierski was elected as EPC Vice-Chair for 2018–19.

We are making a change in our terminology to distinguish between the provision and elimination of numbers, on the one hand, and the movement of topics between numbers, on the other hand. Going forward, we will use "authorization" for the approval of a new number and "deprecation" for the withdrawal of approval from an existing number. When speaking of the movement of topics, we will use "relocation" and "discontinuation" in their current senses, but will introduce a new term, "continuation." Thus, we will use "discontinuation" and "continuation" for the movement of topics to a new location in the upward or downward hierarchy, respectively, of the old location, and will use "relocation" for the movement of topics that end up outside the hierarchy of the old location. This change in terminology will go into effect as we enter approved changes from EPC 140. We will soon be posting relevant changes to the Glossary and Introduction.

The main business of EPC is the review of proposals for changes to the tables and schedules of the DDC. EPC 140 exhibits included proposals that will result in the following:

• T1—0286 Green technology (Environmental technology) can appropriately be used for sustainability if the focus is on technology. Many works about sustainability, however, emphasize social aspects; 304.2 Human ecology Is being designated as the interdisciplinary number for sustainability.
• Revisions under 323.3 Civil and political rights of other social groups and 649.1 Child rearing will be done as a part of a continuing project to regularize use of T1—08 Groups of people.
• To match geographic reality, both Gaza Strip and West Bank are being relocated to subdivisions of T2—5694 Palestine; Israel.
• Subdivisions are being authorized under T6—965 Nilo-Saharan languages, the last major group of African languages not previously subdivided in DDC. Since subdivisions of T5—965 Peoples who speak, or whose ancestors spoke, Nilo-Saharan languages are defined by instructions to add notation from T6—965 Nilo-Saharan languages, the development in Table 6 will be mirrored in Table 5.
• Within 004–006 Computer science, clarifying notes are being added to several classes under 005.7. Literary warrant justifies expansions for a variety of topics under 004.6 and under 006.3.
• Several subdivisions of 158.1 Personal improvement and analysis (all methods of personal improvement) were approved.
• A vague caption, U.S.-centric bias, and a desire to eliminate an anomaly in how controversies on a topic are treated motivated a proposal to remove the development at 363.4 Controversies related to public morals and customs. Most of the topics have interdisciplinary numbers elsewhere, but relocations are required for topics where the number for interdisciplinary works have been at 363.4 numbers.
• EPC approved an expansion under 364.67 Corporal punishment for torture, along with provisions for the topic in other disciplines, such as military intelligence and police services.
• A new span is being developed at 613.71481-613.71486 for fitness exercises derived from specific combat sports, with an add instruction for the specific sport.
• Because the number-building engine cannot interpret instructions under 930-990:01-09 to add appropriate historical period numbers, entries for localities of many countries will be added, each with an internal add table specifying where the appropriate historical period numbers are found. These developments also permit simplifying the add instructions under 324.91–324.99 and 330.93–330.99 so they can take advantage of the new entries.
• Provision is being made for early history time periods (the Hallstatt and La Tène periods) for countries in central and western Europe.

The implementation of these changes in WebDewey will generally be accompanied by blog posts. Keep your eyes open!

Other EPC exhibits take the form of discussion papers; rather than requesting EPC approval for specific changes, such exhibits explore options for future proposals. EPC 140 included discussion papers on the following topics:

• Adopting a narrower sense of "computer programming" and then replacing the current distinction at 005.1 and 005.3 between programming and programs with a distinction between software development and software.
• Developing a notation to accompany the optional alternative arrangement in the 200s; this notation would be in a one-to-one relationship with the notation of the standard arrangement.
• Providing Table 2 notation for indigenous nations by adding Table 5 notation for the indigenous people to Table 2 notation for the continent plus T1—04. Other features explored in the discussion paper are options under both (a) 305.81–305.89 Specific ethnic and national groups and (b) 930–990:00404 Indigenous nations to add notation 001–999, so that all literature about a specific indigenous group can be collocated.

Hoodoo is not Vodou, and Vice-Versa

In October 2012 the LCSH "Voodooism" gave way to "Vodou," the spelling most commonly used by Haitians for the traditional religion of their country.   The DDC has likewise adopted this spelling.  At the same time, we are making clearer the split between vodou, the Haitian traditional religion, and hoodoo, an occult practice found primarily in the southern United States.  Vodou belongs in 299.675 Vodou; hoodoo belongs in 133.4 Demonology and witchcraft.

Example 1. Sticks, stones, roots & bones: hoodoo, mojo & conjuring with herbs, to which the Library of Congress subject headings, "African American magic" and "Hoodoo (Cult)" have been assigned, is about hoodoo and should be classed in 133.4.

Example 2. Haitian vodou: an introduction to Haiti's indigenous spiritual traditions, to which the Library of Congress subject headings, "Vodou—Haiti," "Haiti--Religious life and customs," and “Haiti--Religion” have been assigned, is about Vodou and should be classed in 299.675097294 Vodou in Haiti (built from 299.675 Vodou, plus T1—09, plus T2—7294 Haiti, following the instructions at T1—093-099 Specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds).

Unfortunately, our "clear split" isn't always clear in the literature, as many people have used the term "voodoo" when they are referring to hoodoo.  This is why we have added an example to the Manual note at 130 vs. 200, part of which now reads, "Use 130 for parapsychological and occult phenomena if they are not presented as religious, or if there is doubt as to whether they have been so presented, e.g., works on hoodoo in 133.4 even if the term "voodoo" has been applied (not 299.675 Vodou)."

An example of this type of literature is Voodoo sorcery grimoire.  Although it uses "voodoo" in the title, the work is about hoodoo and should be classed in 133.4.  (It doesn’t help the classifier that both the old "Voodooism" and "Hoodoo (Cult)" were assigned as LCSHs to the work.) 

How can the classifier make the correct choice?  Often there will be clues in the bibliographic record.  On the one hand, the presence of "Haiti" and "religion" should move the classifier toward 299.675, as should "Bondye" and "loa," deities in Vodou.  On the other hand, presence of the following terms should move the classifier toward 133.4:  "conjure," "grimoire," "magic," "mojo," "rootwork," "sorcery," "spells," and  "witchcraft."

The Rule of Application

Section 5.7 of the DDC Introduction addresses how to classify a work that includes more than one subject in the same discipline:

5.7   A work may include multiple subjects treated separately or in relation to one another from the viewpoint of a single discipline. Use the following guidelines in determining the best placement for the work:

(A)    Class a work dealing with interrelated subjects with the subject that is being acted upon. This is called the rule of application, and takes precedence over any other rule. For instance, class an analytical work dealing with Shakespeare's influence on Keats with Keats. Similarly, class a work on the influence of the Great Depression on 20th century American art with American art.

Here is introduced the rule of application, a rule that guides the classifier in classifying a work on interrelated subjects in which one subject can be said to act upon the other.  The rule states that such a work should be classed with the subject acted upon.  (The characterization of the rule of application in the Glossary—"The rule instructing that works about the application of one subject to a second subject or the influence of one subject on another subject are classified with the second subject"—indicates that the single discipline context in which the rule of application is presented in the Introduction is not defining/restrictive.)  The Introduction also makes clear that, if multiple rules apply to the classification of a work and one of those rules is the rule of application, it "trumps" (takes precedence over) all other rules.  (In fact, the pre-eminence of the rule of application is the motivation for starting our review of the rules here.)

The rule of application is also mentioned in section 8.12 of the Introduction, where we learn that the table of preference at the beginning of Table 1 is overruled by ("yields to") the rule of application. For example, "by the rule of application, teaching financial management in hospital administration is classed in 362.110681, not 362.11071, even though notation 07 is above notation 068 in the table of preference."  We have three subjects here:  hospitals, financial management, and teaching.  Teaching is applied to financial management, while financial management is applied to hospitals, financial management constituting one aspect of hospital administration.  Since hospitals are the core subject acted upon, we start with 362.11 Hospitals and related institutions.  We then add standard subdivision T1—0681 Organization and financial management because this is the subject element that acts upon hospitals.

Perhaps the most common applications of the rule of application concern the philosophy of a subject or the history of a subject.  Such works are classed in the subject, with standard subdivisions T1—01 Philosophy and theory or T1—09 History, geographic treatment, biography added to express philosophy or history, respectively.  Thus we have 109 for the history of philosophy and 901 for the philosophy of history.  (Imagine if the rule of application were reversed and the philosophy of all subjects was to be classed in the 100s and the history of all subjects in the 900s!) 

Given the rule of application:

• Works on Shakespeare's influence on Keats are classed in the number for Keats (821.7 English poetry—1800–1837) rather than in the number for Shakespeare (822.33 William Shakespeare under 822.3 Drama of Elizabethan period, 1558–1625).
• Works on the use of data mining to support business decisions are classed within business, in a subdivision of 658.4038 Information management ("Class here gathering of information by management or use in managerial decision making; information resources, knowledge management") rather than in 006.312 Data mining, its interdisciplinary home within computer science.  The specific number for data mining to support business decisions is 658.403802856312, built with the base number 658.4038, plus T1—0285 Computer applications, plus the numbers following 00 in 006.312, following the add instruction at T1—0285.
• Works on the chemistry of hydrocarbon combustion are classed in the number for hydrocarbons (547.01 Hydrocarbons) rather than in the number for combustion (541.361 Combustion).  Numbers for specific kinds of compounds identified by component elements allow for addition from the internal add table under 547, where we find 0453–0458 Specific topics of physical chemistry and the add instruction to add to 045 the numbers following 541.3 in 541.33–541.38.  The specific number for the chemistry of hydrocarbon combustion therefore is 547.0104561.
• Works on the fractography of glass are classed in the materials science number for glass (620.144 Glass) rather than in the number for fractography (620.1126 Resistance to fracture (Fracture mechanics)).  Numbers for specific kinds of materials allow for addition from the internal add table under 620.16–620.19, where we find 1–9 Specific properties and nondestructive testing and the add instruction to add the numbers following 620.112 in 620.1121–620.1129.  The specific number for fractography of glass therefore is 620.1446.
• Works on obedience training for retrievers are classed in the number for retrievers (636.7527 Retrievers) rather than in the number for obedience training (636.0887 Pets ["Class here obedience training").  Numbers for specific breeds of dogs allow for addition of notation from the internal add table under 636.1–636.8, where we find 35 Training.  The specific number for obedience training for retrievers therefore is 636.752735.  (The decision to class obedience training for retrievers with retrievers rather than with obedience training is reinforced by the rule of zero, which we will look at later.)

It is not by accident or mere coincidence in the final three examples that provision has been made for building numbers that express the complex subject we were interested in representing.  These reflect a pattern common throughout the DDC in which the rule of application has, in effect, been built into the DDC.  A follow-up post will give further examples of where the rule of application is woven into the schedules.

200 Religion Class

200 Religion Class, the last publication in the Dewey print-edition trilogy that began in 2011 (the other two are DDC 23 and Abridged Edition 15), is now available.  200 Religion Class includes an updated version of the 200 Religion schedule and the Manual notes for 200 Religion, an updated and extended index to 200 Religion, and the 170 Ethics schedule. The updates are also available in WebDewey.  Ordering information for the three print editions plus WebDewey is available here.

In DDC 23, we updated the provisions for the Orthodox Church, initiated updates for Islam, and introduced several changes elsewhere in 200 Religion.  200 Religion Class contains those changes, plus additional updates for Islam and a number of minor updates elsewhere in 200 that were not ready for publication in the print DDC 23. (My colleague Juli Beall will describe the changes to Islam in detail in an upcoming blog entry.)

Another exciting feature of 200 Religion Class is an optional arrangement for the Bible and specific religions based on a chronological/regional view.  For some time now, we have been exploring the development of an alternative view of 200 Religion to reduce Christian bias in the standard notational sequence for the Bible and specific religions.  In cooperation with Ia C. McIlwaine (University College London, and the former editor in chief of the Universal Decimal Classification [UDC]) we have prepared a chronological/regional view of the Bible and specific religions based on a similar development introduced in the UDC in 2000.  The new optional arrangement appears in appendix A of the print version of 200 Religion Class, and in a new Manual note at 220-290 Optional arrangement for the Bible and specific religions in WebDewey.  A virtual browser based on the new optional arrangement and linked to Dewey-classified resources in WorldCat.org will be available on the Dewey web site in mid-2012.

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.

New Add Table at 155 Differential and developmental psychology

In DDC 23 there is a new add table at 155 Differential and developmental psychology; it is applied to numbers for groups of people (e.g., people of specific ages) and allows expression of topics of psychology in connection with those groups.  In some cases the resulting built numbers were available previously by means of different add instructions (e.g., emotions in children), but in many cases the add table provisions are expansions (e.g., applied psychology and teenagers).

Here is an outline of the add table:

155     Differential and developmental psychology

   
2    Sensory perception, movement, emotions, psychological drives
. . .
3     Conscious mental processes and intelligence
. . .
8    Individual, evolutionary, environmental psychology
. . .
9    Applied psychology
. . .

The table of preference at 150 Psychology limits what topics can be provided in the add table at 155 Differential and developmental psychology; for topics outside of 155, only topics from the numbers below 155 in the table of preference are provided in the add table.  Here is part of the table of preference at 150 Psychology:

Aptitude tests                                                                 153.94
. . .
Differential and developmental psychology                             155

Sensory perception, movement, emotions, physiological drives  152

Conscious mental processes and intelligence                          153 (except 153.94)

Applied psychology                                                            158

The table of preference at 155 (which appears immediately after the add table) limits application of add table notation for topics in 155 with respect to groups low in the table of preference.  Here is the table of preference at 155 Differential and developmental psychology:

Influence of specific situations                                   155.93

Psychology of specific ages                                       155.4–155.6

Ethnopsychology and national psychology                    155.8

Evolutionary psychology                                            155.7

Environmental psychology                                          155.9 (except 155.93)

Sex psychology; psychology of people by gender or sex,
by sexual orientation                                                 155.3

Individual psychology                                                 155.2

Because 155.4–155.6 Psychology of specific ages is very high in the table of preference, all the provisions in the add table at 155 can be used where appropriate for works about people of specific ages.  Because 155.3 Sex psychology; psychology of people by gender or sex, by sexual orientation is low in the table of preference at 155, the add notes for numbers beginning with 155.3 come with limitations: “Add as instructed under 155, except class evolutionary psychology in 155.7, ethnopsychology and national psychology in 155.8, environmental psychology in 155.9.”

An example of a work for which the new add table at 155 can be used is Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-Kept Thinking, Learning & Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers.  The work has the LCSH Success in adolescence, Teenagers—Conduct of life, Teenagers—Life skills guides, and Self-realization.   Browsing the Relative Index for "success" yields:

Success                                             650.1
Success—applied psychology                 158
Success—applied psychology—children    155.419
. . .
Success—business                               650.1

Top 20 Teens treats success in the context of applied psychology, not business.  In DDC 23 the work is classed in 155.519 Applied psychology for young people twelve to twenty, built with 155.51 General topics of psychology of young people twelve to twenty plus 9 Applied psychology from the add table at 155, following add instructions at 155.512–155.519 Sensory perception, movement, emotions, physiological drives; conscious mental processes and intelligence; individual, evolutionary, environmental, applied psychology. 

Another example of a work for which the new add table at 155 can be used is Living Your Unlived Life: Coping with Unrealized Dreams and Fulfilling Your Purpose in the Second Half of Life. The work has the LCSH Self-actualization (Psychology) in middle age, Middle age—Psychology, and Life.  Browsing the Relative Index for "self-actualization" yields:

Self-actualization                               155.2
Self-actualization—applied psychology   158.1

The entry 155.2 Individual psychology has the class-elsewhere note "Class application of individual psychology in general and application of broad, vaguely defined topics of individual psychology with the application in 158, e.g., personal improvement through self-actualization 158.1, improved interpersonal relations through self-esteem 158.2. "  A similar note is found in the add table at 155 under 82 Individual psychology: "Class application of individual psychology in general and application of broad, vaguely defined topics of individual psychology with the application in 9, e.g., personal improvement through self-actualization 91, improved interpersonal relations through self-esteem 92. "  In DDC 23 Living Your Unlived Life is classed in 155.6691 Personal improvement and analysis for people in middle adulthood, built with 155.66 People in middle adulthood plus 9 Applied psychology from the add table at 155 plus 1 from 158.1 Personal improvement and analysis, following the footnote add instruction at 155.66 and the instructions in the add table at 155.

 

 

 

Siblings, Family, and Personality

Recently National Public Radio (NPR) ran a story entitled “Siblings Share Genes, But Rarely Personalities.”  The story begins with an example of brothers who are very different, then goes on to consider research about siblings. “. . .  in terms of personality, we are similar to our siblings only about 20 percent of the time. Given the fact that we share genes, homes, routines and parents, this makes no sense. What makes children in the same family so different?”  The tentative answers involve several kinds of influence of family environment.  For example, in the case of the two brothers with which the story begins, “When their father died, Tom was 17 and heading off to college — but Eric was only 12. So, in a sense, they grew up in different homes. Tom, the radical, grew up in a secure, two-parent home.  But Eric the financial planner, as Tom points out, spent many years as the only man in a house destabilized both emotionally and financially by death.”

Browsing the Relative Index for “siblings” yields:

Siblings                                     306.875
. . .
Siblings—family relationships         306.875
. . .
Siblings—psychological influence    155.924
Siblings—psychology                    155.443

Browsing the Relative Index for “families” yields:

Families                                     306.85
Families—applied psychology         158.24
. . .
Families—psychological influence    155.924

Browsing the Relative Index for “personality” yields:

Personality                                 155.2
. . .
Personality—children                    155.4182

The interdisciplinary number for siblings is 306.875 Sibling relationships (there is even a subdivision 306.8752 Brother-brother relationship), and the interdisciplinary number for families is 306.85 Family, while the interdisciplinary number for personality is 155.2 Individual psychology. The following is relevant (from the Manual):

302–307 vs. 150 . . .
Social psychology vs. Psychology

Use 302–307 for works that focus on group behavior, including those that discuss the role of the individual in group behavior. Use 150 for works that focus on the individual, including those that discuss the influence of group behavior on the individual. If in doubt, prefer 302–307.

If we have a work that focuses on the personality of the individual, as the NPR story does, then we are looking for a subdivision of 150 Psychology. The entry 155.2 Individual psychology has the class-here note “Class here . . . character, identity, individuality, personality.”  Among the subdivisions is 155.23 Traits and determinants of character and personality.  A subdivision of that, 155.234 Determinants, has the class-here note “Class here environment versus heredity as determinants” and the see reference “For environmental determinants, see 155.9.”  An example of a work classed in 155.234 is The Temperamental Thread: How Genes, Culture, Time and Luck Make Us Who We Are.  Its LCSH include “Temperament,” “Personality—Genetic aspects,” “Personality and culture,” “Individual differences,” “Nature and nurture,” “Personality—Social aspects,” and “Personality development.”

Works that focus on environmental determinants, as the see-reference at 155.234 indicates, are classed in 155.9 Environmental psychology.  Also, in the table of preference under 155 Differential and developmental psychology, 155.9 Environmental psychology is higher than 155.2 Individual psychology.  Works on psychological influence of families, of siblings, are classed in 155.924 Influence of family members (built with 155.92 Influence of social environment plus 4 from 158.24 Interpersonal relations with family members).  An example of a work classed in 155.924 is Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives.  Its LCSH include “Birth order,” “Brothers and sisters,” “Individual differences,” “Personality development—Social aspects.”  Another example is The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are.

What about the Relative Index entries pointing to subdivisions of 155.4 Child psychology?  They are used for works that focus on children.  In the table of preference under 155 Differential and developmental psychology, 155.4–155.6 Psychology of specific ages is higher than either 155.9 Environmental psychology or 155.2 Individual psychology. Subdivisions of 155.4, however, are not used for works that cover a whole life.