Great question, and I’m glad you asked!
The DDC is always in a state of review. These reviews may be one of several different reasons, but some of those could be the result of the presence of sufficient literary warrant (in a nutshell, at least 20 published works on a subject), a change of terminology as language and meaning evolves, or even a change in geopolitical boundaries. Regardless of how the change is started, the process is the same for the suggested updates.
An idea is proposed to the editor and then the work begins. A review of the topic’s treatment within the DDC and other systems, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) or subject-specific systems, such as Homosaurus, is made. Is there disagreement or consensus across the platforms? What is the best way to address the subject’s classification within the DDC?
Finding the literary warrant for the subject is then needed and if the current classification gives the best possibility of discovery by users. Also examine the more specific subject headings under the broader Dewey classes. Would the proposal make a better classification home for multiple works? Are there any historical reasons for the current classification? This has to be considered as well when making changes.
Let’s say that there is enough literary warrant for a better classification for the subject’s works. What happens next? Decisions need to be made! Is this something that needs a change to an existing topic or is it a new topic that isn’t covered within the DDC? Either choice will also mean that you need to have a plan in place, especially if the change of classification could potentially be disruptive to the library systems that use the current number.
It's time to create the exhibit, or draft proposal, to showcase your work on the topic. It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to have an explanation of the current treatment of the subject, your research on the topic, and your recommendations for change (templates are available for this). Submit this exhibit to the editors and they will take it from there. There may be long discussions about the proposed change/addition, or a quick consensus to moving forward or the need for revision before further submission.
From here, your proposal will be submitted to the Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) which consists of ten librarians from around the world who give their input on acceptance or the need for revisions. EPC meets online and in-person several times a year to vote on these proposal exhibits. After a period for public comments, and if EPC determines that the exhibit is complete and correct, the DDC editors publish the changes in WebDewey.
We’d love to have your input on making the DDC more reflective of what is needed. You can do this by emailing your suggestions to [email protected]. You can also check out https://sites.google.com/view/deweycontributors to see examples of the process. We’d love to hear from you!
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