If you go to the span record 930-990 History of specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds and click Start, you can begin to build a number (as described in blog post "WebDewey Number Building Tool: History Numbers Built with Table 2 plus Notation for Historical Period").
However, if you go to the span record 940-990 History of specific continents, countries, localities in modern world; extraterrestrial worlds and click Start, you will get an error message: "This span can’t be used in number building."
Why the difference? At 930-990 the add note specifies a base number:
"Add to base number 9 notation T2--3-T2--9 from Table 2, e.g., general history of Europe 940, of England 942, of Norfolk, England 942.61; then add further as follows:"
At 940-990 the add note does not specify a base number:
"Except for modifications shown under specific entries, add to each subdivision identified by ‡ as follows:"
Does that mean you really cannot use the add table under 940-990 to build numbers with the number building tool, as the error message might seem to say? No, not at all. But first you must find the base number that you need—a subdivision identified by ‡ with the footnote add instruction: "‡Add as instructed under 940-990."
For example, let’s say you want to build a number for War and Nationalism: The Balkan Wars, 1912-1913, and Their Sociopolitical Implications. The first LCSH is Balkan Peninsula – History – War of 1912-1913.
Step 1. Browse the Relative Index (or search) for "Balkan Wars" or "Balkan Peninsula" to find the base number that you need, with the footnote add instruction:
949.6039 ‡Balkan Wars, 1912-1913
‡Add as instructed under 940-990
Step 2. Click Start in the record for 949.6039. The base number 949.6039 appears in the title bar of the Create built number box. The base number, its caption, and the footnote add instruction appear inside the Create built number box:
Step 3. The number building tool takes us to the full record for 940-990 History of specific continents, countries, localities in modern world; extraterrestrial worlds. The add table is displayed in the Notes box. In the Notes box click on add table notation 1. The Hierarchy box shows that you have selected 940-990:1 Social, political, economic history:
The notes for that entry are displayed in the Notes box:
Step 4. In the Create built number box, click Add. In the title bar of the Create built number box, the number has changed to: 949.60391. The add table notation and its caption appear inside the Create built number box:
The number building tool gives the option to add notation from Table 1, but that is not needed for this example. The built number is complete.
Step 5. In the Create built number box, click Save. The newly built number appears in the Hierarchy box:
We have an opportunity to change the user term and add other user terms to the built number. A summary of the pieces used to build the number remains with the record:
Key to success: at the beginning, get both the base number and the add note inside the Create built number box.
Additional resources
- Posts on using the number building tool with standard subdivisions (post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4)
- Posts on using the number building tool in music (part 1, part 2)
- Post on using the number building tool in literature
- Post on using the number building tool for works on natural resources
- WebDewey training modules for the WebDewey number building tool
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