025.431: The Dewey blog

My Excellent Scandinavian Adventure

I spent the last week of January and the first week of February in Norway and Sweden.  The purpose of my trip was threefold:

Work on the mixed translation project with colleagues from the National Library of Norway and the National Library of Sweden (I’ve blogged about our mixed translation work previously—see our presentation from ISKO 2008)

Speak at Kunnskapsorganisasjonsdagene 2009 in Oslo, followed by a meeting with the Norwegian Classification Committee (NKKI)

Speak at a Dewey—let’s do it! in Stockholm, followed by a day of meetings with catalogers, subject experts, and members of the Libris department at the National Library of Sweden

I spent over a week in Oslo, most of it working on the mixed translation project at the National Library of Norway.  Ingebjørg Rype, Karen Nisja Domaas, and I worked on developing a mixed Norwegian-English version of 006 and 616-616.1 (back in DC, my colleague Rebecca Green performed magic on the mixed translation files each evening to transform the English-language instructions into their Norwegian counterparts for Dewey records in Norwegian).  Magdalena Svanberg (National Library of Sweden) joined us in Oslo at the midpoint of my visit to continue work on the mixed translation, and to discuss future project directions.  Inger Johanne Christiansen gave me a wonderful behind-the-scenes tour of the National Library of Norway (a highpoint of which was the chance to look at some Ibsen manuscripts that happened to be out for an Ibsen scholar’s visit later in the day).  On February 3, Magdalena, Ingebjørg, and I gave presentations at Kunnskapsorganisasjonsdagene 2009.  Later that day, we met with NKKI members to discuss the needs of Norwegian librarians in the design of the next Norwegian translation.  We also discussed the treatment of Nordkalotten (the area north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia). On the following day, Magdalena and Ingebjørg participated in a Dewey workshop sponsored by the National Library of Norway, NKKI, and JBI (the three of us used a break in the workshop to squeeze in a final meeting on the mixed translation research project). 

After the workshop in Oslo ended, Magdalena and I flew to Stockholm for a whirlwind two days of meetings.  The first was occupied by a full-day seminar on Dewey (the aforementioned “Dewey—let’s do it!”).  On the day following the seminar, I met with catalogers and subject experts at the National Library of Sweden to discuss use of the DDC in general, mappings between Svenska ämnesord (SAO) and Dewey, and the addition of Dewey numbers to SAO records.  We also managed to have two side discussions about classification of visual materials and proposed changes to the 780 Music schedule. (After my return home, I shared draft documents on both topics with our Swedish colleagues, and we have already received back preliminary reactions to the proposed changes in 780 Music [we will be posting a discussion paper on 780 Music for public comment shortly].)  I also briefed members of the Libris department on our work on MARC, RDF/SKOS, and URI representations of DDC data, plus a prototype DDC history-of-concepts web service.

During the course of my trip, the National Library of Norway made a decision to proceed with a web version of a Norwegian translation of the DDC, and the administration of the National Library of Sweden awarded preliminary funding to a group headed by Magdalena Svanberg to launch work on the Swedish translation of the DDC in September 2009.  Also, three more Swedish university libraries (Göteborg, Linköping, and Gävle) announced that they would make the switch to the DDC.

My colleague Lorcan Dempsey often writes about the need to make our data work harder.  The underlying DDC data files (including the set of interoperable translations), the mappings between Dewey and other terminology resources, and the large body of content categorized by Dewey available in WorldCat and elsewhere are incredible resources in the networked information environment.  We are focused right now on a number of efforts to make the DDC data available in web-friendly formats for human and machine interaction.  The challenge remains to find ways to make our DDC data work harder.

Bank Failures and Deposit Insurance

Bank failures have been in the news in the U.S. and elsewhere, e.g., “FACTBOX-14 U.S. Banks Have Failed in 2009” (details at U. S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC’s) “Failed Bank List”) and, from the Copenhagen Post about Danish banks, “Experts: More Bank Failures on the Horizon.” Bank failures are nothing new, of course; that’s why we have deposit insurance (and why the FDIC is celebrating its 75th anniversary).

Works on bank failures are classed in 332.1 Banks, which has the note: “Including bank failures.”  An example of a work about bank failures classed in 332.1 is Systemic Financial Crises: Resolving Large Bank Insolvencies. 

Because topics named in an including note are in standing room, nothing further can be added to 332.1 for works on bank failures.  The Relative Index entries in WebDewey emphasize that: both “Bank failures” and “Bank failures—United States” are indexed to 332.1.   The PPT (People, Places, and Things) mapping of the LCSH “Bank failures—United States” to 332.10973 Banks—United States remains in WebDewey because the PPT mapping has not been updated. Clicking on PPT in WebDewey brings up a note that reads in part: “Terms with the designation PPT have been either intellectually associated with the DDC, or statistically associated and then reviewed by Dewey editorial staff. Mappings in the areas of computer science, religion, and law have been updated to match DDC 22 numbers; the rest of the PPT mappings reflect DDC 21, and have not yet been revised to fit DDC 22.”  In DDC 21, “bank failures” appeared in a class-here note at 332.1, which meant that further addition was possible.

The entry 332.1 Banks has the relocation note: “Government guaranty of deposits relocated to 368.854.”  The entry 368.854 Bank deposit insurance has the other end of the relocation note: “Class here government guaranty of deposits [formerly also 332.1].”  An example of a work classed in 368.854 is Deposit Insurance around the World: Issues of Design and Implementation. 

Because government guaranty of deposits is named in a class-here note at 368.854 Bank deposit insurance, the topic approximates the whole of the number, and standard subdivisions can be added.  Works focusing on the United States are classed in 368.85400973 Bank deposit insurance—United States.  The number is built with 368.854 plus 0 (extra 0 for standard subdivisions as instructed in the add table under 368.1–368.8 Specific kinds of insurance) plus T1—09 Geographic treatment plus T2—73 United States.  A footnote at 368.854 leads to 368.1–368.8: “Add as instructed under 368.1-368.8.” An example of a work classed in 368.85400973 is The Reform of Federal Deposit Insurance: Disciplining the Government and Protecting Taxpayers.

President Abraham Lincoln and His Wife, Mary Todd Lincoln

The United States is celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln (he was born February 12, 1809, the same day as Charles Darwin).  The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission web site has events listed for all 2009, plus much information about Lincoln and his family.  The Library of Congress, Smithsonian, and C-Span web sites—among many—also have information about Lincoln bicentennial exhibits and programs.

Comprehensive biographies of Lincoln are classed in 973.7092 Administration of Abraham Lincoln, 1861–1865—Persons (built with 973.7 Administration of Abraham Lincoln, 1861–1865    Civil War plus T1—092 Persons).  Examples are Lincoln and Lincoln: A Photobiography. 

Most biographies of President Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, are classed in the same number as President Lincoln’s biography, 973.7092.  Examples are Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography and Mrs. Lincoln: A Life.  The Manual entry for T1—092 Persons has a section entitled “Families and close associates of the famous”:

Class a history of the immediate or extended family of a famous person with the biography of that person if the work strongly emphasizes the famous person. The same rule applies to the biography of a single relative or close associate of a famous person.

Charles Darwin and On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin and On the Origin of Species have been in the news because 2009 is the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth (February 12, 1809) and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (November 24, 1859); news articles include, for example, “On Darwin's 200th, a Theory Still in Controversy” and “Darwin, Britain's Hero, Is Still Controversial in U.S.” BBC has a series of programs, Darwin: The Genius of Evolution. The Natural History Museum, London, and other organizations are sponsoring a series of celebrations in the U.K., Darwin200. Exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, include “The Evolution Trail” and “Orchids through Darwin’s Eyes.”

In DDC 22, 576.82 Theories of evolution has the class-here note: “Class here Darwinism, natural selection.” Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is classed in 576.82, e.g., The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.

In WebDewey there is a built number 576.82092 Darwin, Charles (built with 576.82 plus T1—092 Persons). Examples of biographies classed in 576.82092 are Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species and The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of his Theory of Evolution.

Because Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, in its nearly 150 years of existence, has been classed according to earlier editions of Dewey as well as DDC 22, other numbers can still be found in WorldCat records. The classification summary in Classify (an experimental classification service from OCLC Research) gives the DDC 22 number, of course, but lists 575.0162 as the most frequent number in WorldCat—the number for Darwinism in DDC editions 13–14 and 16–20 (it was cut back to 575.01 in edition 15). Another number listed in the Classify summary, 575.8, is the edition 14 number for “origin of species.” The new biology schedule, with the current number 576.82 Theories of evolution, came in DDC 21. This is an example for Michael Panzer, who is working on a service tracing the history of DDC concepts, as he reported at the ALA Midwinter Dewey Breakfast/Update.

International Year of Astronomy 2009, Galileo Galilei, and Telescopes

According to its official web site, “The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture and marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei.” 

General works about astronomy are classed in 520 Astronomy and allied sciences, e.g., Astronomy: Principles and Practice and Out-of-this-World Astronomy: 50 Amazing Activities & Projects.

Comprehensive biographies of Galileo Galilei are classed in 520.92 Astronomers, built with 52 from 520 (the final placeholder zero is deleted before Table 1 notation is added) plus T1—092 Persons.  The final placeholder zero must be deleted because, as the “Introduction to the Dewey Decimal Classification” (section 8.5) instructs:  “The classifier should never use more than one zero in applying a standard subdivision unless instructed to do so. If more than one zero is needed, the number of zeros is always indicated in the schedules.” The built number 520.92 can be found in the print Relative Index or in WebDewey. 

In the section entitled “Comprehensive biography” in the Manual Entry T1—092 Persons is the instruction:  “Use the number for the subject of the person's most noted contribution for the comprehensive biography of the person.”  That is why the comprehensive number for Galileo is in the field of astronomy, even though he also made important contributions in other fields.  If his contributions in physics are considered of equal importance, then 520 Astronomy and allied sciences is preferred over 530 Physics by the first-of-two rule.  Examples of works classed in 520.92 Astronomers are Galileo: Astronomer and Physicist and Galileo: Renaissance Scientist and Astronomer.

General works about the history of telescopes are classed in 522.209 History of telescopes (built with 522.2 Astronomical instruments    Telescopes plus T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment), e.g., Eyes on the Skies: 400 years of Telescopic Discovery and Stargazer: The Life and Times of the Telescope.  The heading for 522.2 Astronomical instruments    Telescopes is an example of a dual heading; standard subdivisions may be added for astronomical instruments, for telescopes, or for both.

Dewey Breakfast (or, the First Meal of the Day at ALA Midwinter)

On Saturday, January 24, at ALA Midwinter in Denver, we held our regular Dewey Breakfast/Update.  Diane Vizine-Goetz presented a research update.  Members of the editorial team presented outlines of proposed changes to DDC: “Language variations” by Julianne Beall, “Rethinking meals” by Giles Martin, and “780 Music” by Michael Panzer.  Michael also previewed a history-of-concepts prototype Dewey web service in a presentation called “More than Lists of Changes: Tracing the history of DDC concepts.”

Julianne Beall’s presentation focused on geographic language variations—dialects, pidgins, creoles, and geographically limited slang.  It described a proposal to drop current special provisions for mother countries and other major countries in 420–490 Specific languages in favor of straight subarrangement by area notation from Table 2.  It pointed out that the current special provisions often fail to provide a good number for comprehensive works on language variations in the mother country.  See the Dewey blog entry “Language variations around the world” for additional information and a link to the full proposal.

My presentation on meals outlined a proposed recasting of 641.52-641.54 Cooking specific meals to make the development more hospitable to meals from different cultures and to update the development.

Michael Panzer's 780 Music presentation noted three particular difficulties with the overall classification of music:  the citation order is complex; the distinction between folk music and popular music is not universal; and the evolution of music styles is far from clean.  Several strategies have been proposed for adoption to handle these difficulties:  the class-with-the-last policy should be reinforced throughout the 780s; built number entries for popular music songs should be added; a clearer characterization of folk music should be given; and the schedule should be kept fairly shallow, but indexed more deeply.

[Links corrected March 2nd 2009]