025.431: The Dewey blog

Join us for Breakfast at ALA Annual

ALA Annual is just one week away! The Dewey Breakfast/Update will be held on Saturday, 29 June, 7:00–8:30 am, McCormick Place Convention Center, Room N230a. (Register here.) The program will feature presentations on new WebDewey features (like the upcoming integration of Sears headings); changes under discussion for Angiosperms (flowering plants), with an emphasis on taxonomy and common names; automatic abridgment of numbers; and some brainstorming about what’s ahead for Dewey. The ALCTS Public Libraries Technical Services Interest Group will meet in the same room 8:30–10:00 am directly following the Dewey Breakfast/Update.

Dewey at the ALA Annual Exhibits 

Stop by OCLC Booth 1612 to see WebDewey 2.0. The print editions of DDC 23, Abridged Edition 15 and 200 Religion Class are available at the Combined Book Exhibit Booth 2324.

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."