025.431: The Dewey blog

Dewey at the ALA Annual Conference

The ALA Annual Conference is just three weeks away!  Register here for the Dewey Breakfast/Update on Saturday, 23 June, 7:00–8:30 am, Sheraton Park Hotel, Plaza Rooms A/B. The program will feature presentations on upcoming enhancements to WebDewey 2.0, updates for Islam and Islamic law, the new virtual Dewey religion browser, DDC translations and editions, and Dewey research activities. The ALCTS Public Libraries Technical Services Interest Group will meet in the same room directly following the Dewey Breakfast/Update.

There are several Dewey-related activities associated with the ALA Annual Conference beyond the Dewey Breakfast/Update.  Michael Panzer is speaking on Dewey linked open data at two ALA preconferences: the RBMS Preconference on 21 June in San Diego, and Creating Library Linked Data: What Catalogers and Coders Can Build (a preconference sponsored by the LITA/ALCTS Linked Library Data Interest Group) on 22 June in Anaheim. 

Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, the Library of Congress, and OCLC have jointly developed a proposal for documenting data provenance in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format—Michael will present the proposal on behalf of the three institutions at the first meeting of the MARBI Committee on 23 June.

Finally, our OCLC Research colleague Diane Vizine-Goetz will be speaking on her knowledge organization research (much of which makes use of  Dewey data) during the meeting of the ALCTS CaMMS Subject Analysis Committee, Monday, 25 June, Hyatt Regency Orange County, Grand Ballroom C.  The meeting runs 1:30–5:30 p.m.; her talk is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting.

 

Symbiosis and Mutualism

In previous blog posts ("Evolution" and "Speciation") we looked at works that mentioned ecology but were classed with evolution or a subtopic of evolution; what about works classed with subtopics of ecology?  For example, consider Symbiosis. It has the LCSH:

Symbiosis—Juvenile literature

Here is the summary:

Discusses the three kinds of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism and describes examples of these relationships.

The examples include microorganisms, plants, and animals.
 
Browsing the Relative Index for "symbiosis" yields:

Symbiosis                             577.85
Symbiosis—animals                 591.785
Symbiosis—factor in evolution   576.85
Symbiosis—plants                   581.785

The schedule entry 577.85 Symbiosis has 577 Ecology in its upward hierarchy.  It has both 577.852 Mutualism (with "commensalism" in the including note) and 577.857 Parasitism in its downward hierarchy.  The entry 577.85 has the class-elsewhere notes "Class symbiosis as a factor affecting evolution in 576.85" and "Class symbiosis in the sense limited to mutually beneficial relationships in 577.852," but neither note is relevant to this work.  The work Symbiosis is classed in 577.85 Symbiosis.

The work Mutualism: Ants and their Insect Partners has the LCSHs:

Mutualism (Biology)
Ants—Ecology
Mutualism (Biology)—Case studies

Browsing the Relative Index for "mutualism" yields:

Mutualism (Biology)         577.852

In the upward hierarchy for 577.852 Mutualism, at 577 Ecology, is the see reference: "For animal ecology, see 591.7."  That see reference has hierarchical force.  In the upward hierarchy for 591.7Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments, at 591 Specific topics in natural history of animals, is the scatter class-elsewhere note: "Class a specific topic in natural history of animals with respect to a specific taxonomic group of animals with the group of animals, plus notation 1 from table under 592–599, e.g., beneficial mammals 599.163."  That class-elsewhere note also has hierarchical force.

Browsing the Relative Index for "ants" yields:

Ants                595.796
. . . . .
Ants—ecology   595.79617

Browsing the Relative Index for "insects" yields:

Insects                595.7
. . . . .
Insects—ecology   595.717

Since the focus of the work is specifically on mutualism relationships of ants with other kinds of insects (rather than on mutualism relationships among all kinds of insects), the correct choice for base number is 595.796 Formicidae (Ants). Mutualism: Ants and their Insect Partners is classed in 595.79617852 Mutualism in ants, built with 595.796 Formicidae (Ants) plus 1 General topics of natural history of animals from add table under 592–599 Specific taxonomic groups of animals, following add instructions at 595.796 and 592–599, plus 7 from 591.7 Animal ecology, animals characteristic of specific environments, following add instruction at notation 1 in add table at 592–599, plus 852 from 577.852 Mutualism, following add instruction at 591.71–591.78 Specific topics in animal ecology; specific environments.  There is no way to express in this number the idea that the partners in mutualism are other kinds of insects.

Leotards

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

Leotards, a tight-fitting one-piece garment, are worn by various types of athletes and performers, for example, acrobats, dancers, figure skaters, and gymnasts.  By the latter part of the 1900s, leotards had also become common attire for exercise.  Other types of garments strongly influenced by leotards include one-piece bathing suits, biketards, and unitards.

The leotard was made popular by Jules Léotard (1838/1842-1870).  To make sense of that statement, we need a little background that relies on his father’s business:

Part of his father’s gymnasium was a swimming pool which had skylights in the roof and young Leotard was tasked with the job of opening and closing them using their long ropes. He began swinging from rope to rope over the pool. He then started practicing on a swinging bar and developed such grace and skill that his antics drew comments of admiration from his father’s customers.

Before long, Léotard was invited to take his flying trapeze act to a circus in Paris, which necessitated that he be properly outfitted.  He insisted on the design of the tight-fitting garment (the original was apparently made of velvet!) that eventually became known by his name, although not until after his death.  (Incidentally, Léotard himself referred to the garment as a “maillot,” a term fashion designers still use in reference to a woman’s one-piece swimsuit.)  For more on Léotard, see the PBS and Victoria and Albert Museum articles.

The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion, 3rd ed., classifies leotards as activewear.   Here’s what the Relative Index gives for activewear:

Activewear                            796
     commercial technology        687.16
     customs                           391.48
     home economics                646.3
     home sewing                     646.47

The interdisciplinary number for activewear is 796 Athletic and outdoor sports and games—the clothing for an activity going with the activity—where a work like The sports bible: encyclopedia for activewear, outerwear, streetwear & sports fashion is classed.  (Notation T1—03 Dictionaries, encyclopedias, concordances is not added, because activewear/clothing does not approximate the whole of 796.)   Works on specific aspects of activewear would be classed in the other numbers; for example, Sewing active wear is classed in 646.47 Construction of garments for special purposes, with its including note, “Including activewear (clothing for athletic and outdoor sports, . . .”

And what about the comprehensive biography number for Léotard?   The ubiquity of leotards aside, Léotard’s most significant contribution—and the basis of his comprehensive biography number—is his creation of the flying trapeze act.  His comprehensive biography number, used for works like La course aux trapèzes volants: l'exploit de Jules Léotard! [The flying trapeze race: the feat of Jules Léotard!] and Pirouettes et collants blancs: mémoires de Jules Léotard, le premier des trapézistes (1860) [Pirouettes and white tights:  memoires of Jules Léotard, the first trapeze artist (1860)] is therefore 791.34092 Acrobatics and trapeze work—Biography, built from 791.34 (Circuses) Acrobatics and trapeze work, plus T1—092 Biography.  By the way, the number for “The Daring Young Man on The Flying Trapeze,” a song written about Léotard, is 782.42164 Western popular songs, built with 782.42 (Secular) Songs, plus 164 from 781.64 Western popular music, following the instructions at 782.1-782.4 Vocal forms.

Maya Calendar

The Maya calendar has been in the news recently, e.g., "Found: The Oldest Maya Calendar (and No, the World's Still Not Ending)" (Time Science) and "Oldest Known Maya Calendar Found; No Signs of 2012 Doomsday" (ABC News). The Maya calendar is also a topic in an exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: Maya 2012: Lords of Time.

Searching in WebDewey for "maya calendar" (or browsing for it in the WebDewey Relative Index) yields the built number entry:

529.32978427 Maya calendar

The number is built with 529.32 Calendars of specific religions and traditions plus 978 from 299.78 Religions of specific groups and peoples, following the add instruction at 529.32, plus 427 from T5—97427 Peoples who speak, or whose ancestors spoke, Yucatecan languages, following the add instruction at 299.78.  The entry for T5—97427 has the class-here note: "Class here Yucatecan Maya." An example of a work classed in 529.32978427 is Maya Calendar Origins: Monuments, Mythistory, and the Materialization of Time. It has the following LCSHs:

Maya calendar
Maya astronomy
Maya cosmology

Works that emphasize controversial knowledge about the end of the world—whether arguing for or against the idea—are classed in 001.9 Controversial knowledge, which has the including note:  "Including . . . . the end of the world."  That number can be found in WebDewey by browsing the Relative Index for "end of the world" or by searching for it. Because the topic is in an including note, no further addition is possible.  An example of a work classed in 001.9 Controversial knowledge is The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012. It has the LCSHs:

End of the world (Astronomy)
Maya calendar
Two thousand twelve, A.D.

Updates: Selected Topics in 297.1-.8 Islam

297.122    Koran
297.14      Religious and ceremonial laws and decisions
297.352    Mecca
297.81      Sunnites
297.82      Shiites

Updates for selected topics in 297.1-.8 Islam have been published in 200 Religion Class and in WebDewey.  The new provisions can be found by clicking "Updates" on the login page or other pages in WebDewey; the file is named 297_20120501_DDC23.  Most of the provisions were made available for review in an earlier version announced in a previous blog. The exception is an expansion to provide for two groups of Shiites:

297.8251 'Alawīs (Alawites)
297.8252 Alevis

Most of the new numbers will be used primarily by libraries with large collections on Islam.  That is probably true of the largest area of expansion and revision, for 297.122 Koran.  That is probably also true of the expansion at 297.14 Religious and ceremonial laws and decisions for schools of Islamic law.  The expansion, which can now be used for fiqh al-'ibādāt (rituals law), will also provide notation that can be used to facilitate work that is underway to make 340 Law more hospitable for Islamic law. The main change to 297.81 Sunnites is relocation of four groups that the Arabic translation team recommended be treated as schools of law rather than as Islamic sects; Hanafites, Shafiites, Malikites, and Hanbalites are now all classed in subdivisions of 297.14018 Schools of law.

The update includes a small expansion that may be more widely used, at 297.352 Mecca:

297.3524 Hajj
297.3525 Umrah (Lesser pilgrimage to Mecca)

Hajj Stories is an example of a work that can be classed in 297.3524 Hajj (or, since it is a juvenile work, it could be classed in the unchanged abridged number: 297.3 Islamic worship.)  The Ultimate Guide to Umrah: Based on the Famous Book Getting the Best Out of Hajj: With Special Chapters on Umrah in Ramadaan and Visiting Madinah is an example of a work that can be classed in the new number 297.3525 Umrah (Lesser pilgrimage to Mecca). 

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.