025.431: The Dewey blog

Is This All They Have? Part 2

A previous post introduced the possibility of using DDC-based signage and QR codes to help patrons find works on the same phenomenon but from a different disciplinary perspective.  The post also issued an invitation for a few libraries to participate in a pilot project to evaluate the usefulness of such signage.

In the meantime, we share a few additional QR codes we suspect some users might find useful.  Imagine a patron looking at the materials on computer science in 004-006.  Would any of the following signage help? 

(Remember:  the QR codes for any given library would search its local OPAC.  The interface and the specific works retrieved would probably both differ from what you see when you scan the QR codes above.)

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a complex event with multiple themes and subthemes, including ending discrimination in hiring (331.133 Discrimination in employment); however, the overarching theme emphasized in most works is civil rights for African Americans.  The number for that topic exists as a built number in WebDewey: 323.1196073 African Americans--civil rights, built with base number 323.11 Ethnic and national groups plus T5--96073 African Americans (United States Blacks), following the add note at 323.111-323.119 Specific ethnic and national groups.  In the upward hierarchy is 323.1 Civil and political rights of nondominant groups. Both 323.1 and 323.11 have the standard-subdivisions-are-added note: "Standard subdivisions are added for either civil or political rights or both"; that signals that either topic alone is considered to approximate the whole, as well as both topics together.

For a work that focuses on the 1963 March, what can be added to 323.1196073African Americans--civil rights?   The record for T5--96073 African Americans (United States Blacks) has this add note:  "Unless it is redundant, add 0* to T5--96073 and to the result add notation T2--1-T2--9 from Table 2 for area, e.g., African Americans in England T5--96073042, African Americans in New York T5--960730747, but African Americans in United States T5--96073." The asterisk points to the footnote:  "*Add 00 for standard subdivisions; see instructions at beginning of T5--0."  The March was held in Washington, D.C., but the planners and participants came from all over the United States; hence adding 0 plus T2--753 District of Columbia (Washington) would not be appropriate.  Adding 0 plus T2--73 United States would seem redundant after a number that already means "African Americans (United States Blacks)"; besides, the add note forbids it: "but African Americans in United States T5--96073." One can, however, express the time period by adding the standard subdivision T1--09046 1960-1969.  To do that correctly, one must follow the instruction to "Add 00 for standard subdivisions."  The final built number is 323.1196073009046 African Americans--civil rights--1960-1969.

In this case, the WebDewey number building tool does not automatically follow the instruction to "Add 00 for standard subdivisions"; one must click "Edit Local" to insert the extra zero. For instructions on use of the number building tool, including the "Edit Local" function, see the Dewey Training Courses site, especially the "Standard Subdivisions Number Building" unit. (It is not always necessary to use the "Edit Local" function to get an extra zero; see this previous post.)  Here is the summary display of the built number 323.1196073009046 after the extra zero has been inserted:

Examples of works classed in 323.1196073009046 African Americans--civil rights--1960-1969 are Like a Mighty Stream: The March on Washington, August 28, 1963 and What Was the March on Washington? Both works have as first subject heading "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)"; for the second work, the heading has the form subdivision "Juvenile literature."

Is This All They Have?

How often do your patrons (1) find a set of resources in the collection that are relevant (or maybe only semi-relevant) to their interests, but (2) end up wondering if there are other relevant (or more relevant) resources somewhere else in the collection?  The disciplinary basis of Dewey has as an intended consequence that works about the same phenomena may be located at different places in the classification system.  Shelving materials by DDC notation will then cause resources on the same phenomena to be subject to some degree of physical scatter as well.  While sophisticated users will appreciate the attendant disciplinary context and specificity that this provides, more casual users may not. 

Is there some way to cater to disciplinary and phenomenon perspectives simultaneously?  The DDC offers several tools that facilitate finding where phenomena are treated from different perspectives.  The Relative Index is one such tool; see and see-also references in the schedules are other such tools.  “Get real!” we hear you saying.  “We don’t make copies of the DDC / access to WebDewey available to our users.  Besides, how many of them would even be interested?” 

Ah, but what if you (with a little help from your friends, that is, us) were to identify the relationships found in the Relative Index and/or see or see-also references that are most important to your users and display them as signage in your collection?  And if you have an OPAC that is searchable by DDC number, what if your signage were to include a QR code that let users immediately see what you have at other locations in the collection?

For example, let’s say you have a patron looking at the materials on retirement at 306.38.  S/he wonders, “Is this all they have?”  And then they notice nearby something like the following:

Go ahead—whip out your cell phone and scan away.  Nifty, huh?  (Of course, the actual results would reflect the holdings of your institution and how search results from your OPAC display on a mobile device.)

We are interested in working with a few libraries who would be interested in piloting such a signage program based on relationships in the DDC.  If you are interested, please email me (Rebecca Green) at greenre@oclc.org (“DDC signage pilot” in your subject line would be a great help).  Meanwhile we will periodically present other DDC-based relationships and associated QR codes as enticements.  (Our thanks to Christine Burroughs, who helped us think through the possibilities here while she was at Shaker Heights Public Library.)