Are you seeing more literature about conspiracy theories? Scholars who study them have seen them proliferate in the internet’s decentralized media landscape. You may have encountered them yourself on social media.
In the DDC, works on conspiracy theories have long gone in the hierarchy of 001.9 Controversial knowledge, though subject to the scatter class-elsewhere note instructing you to class controversial knowledge concerning a specific subject with the subject.
One of our partners at the Library of Congress alerted us to growing literature about conspiracy theories, so we created an exhibit to propose a new number for them. EPC approved it in their July electronic meeting, so let’s welcome the newest Dewey number: 001.98 Conspiracy theories!
The new class has a similar scatter note to the one at 001.9, to reiterate that works on conspiracy theories concerning a subject still go with a subject. The new class is perfect for works about conspiracy theories themselves, and those that deal with a variety of conspiracy theories across disciplines, such as Are conspiracy theories valid? It may also be appropriate for works on a single conspiracy theory with wide-ranging scope (e.g., Ancient aliens and the Illuminati, though don’t overlook 366 Secret associations and societies for works about the Illuminati).
When classifying such works, don’t forget about the first-of-two rule. Works on conspiracy theories may well have overlap with other topics at 001.9. For example, a work positing a conspiracy covering up the existence of the Loch Ness monster would class at 001.944 Monsters and related phenomena.
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