025.431: The Dewey blog

“We’re all born naked and the rest is drag”—RuPaul

Here in the DDC editorial office, we periodically receive questions looking for classification clarification, suggestions for a change in classification descriptions, and requests for a new classification to be added.  We received one of these requests for a specific DDC number for drag, so of course we looked into it and agreed it was a needed classification.

Literary warrant was apparent, but how to best classify a subject with many interpretations? Drag performances and performers have recently moved into the mainstream of American culture but depending on your definition of “drag” has been part of cultures worldwide in various forms.  Common folklore holds that the term started with Shakespeare’s cross-casting of actors performing women’s roles, and it is suggested that the term came from the acronym “dressed as girl”, although this is unproven.   Some consider impersonation drag, but often this is without any exaggerated costuming.

We needed a clear definition and turned to Homosaurus.org for theirs.  Homosaurus describes drag as “a performance genre involving dressing and/or using makeup to produce, emphasize, and/or exaggerate traits associated with a certain gender, which typically (but not always) is not the gender the performer primarily identifies with.”  This definition helped us move forward in our work.

We began to explore current classification entries on where the best home for drag would be.  Ultimately, we chose 792 Stage presentations, and from 792.7 Variety shows and theatrical dancing, we continued drag to a newly authorized number at 792.72. 

So to all of the drag queens and drag kings out there, welcome to the DDC.  We’re happy to have you!

EPC 144 exhibits ready for review

The DDC Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) will hold their annual meeting from 12-14 July. At this meeting, Meeting 144, they will consider a slate of exhibits with proposed changes to the classification. The following exhibits are available for review at our Google Drive page:

• EPC 144-S27.1 272.1-.9 Persecutions in general church history--historical periods
• EPC 144-S30.1 Transvestism and cross dressing
• EPC 144-S30.2 304.8 Movement of people and 325 International migration and colonization
• EPC 144-S36.1 365.47 Institutions for immigrants and refugees
• EPC 144-S36.2 Climate change
• EPC 144-S61.1 Gender dysphoria
• EPC 144-S61.2 Autism spectrum disorder; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• EPC 144-S64.1 649.8 Home care of people with illnesses and disabilities by family and friends
• EPC 144-S74.1 Design in 745-749 (discussion paper)
• EPC 144-S79.1 Drag
• EPC 144-S89.1 Period table for Cornish literature at 891.67
• EPC 144-T2.1 Subdivisions of Pakistan
• EPC 144-T2.2 Subdivisions of Central Asian countries
• EPC 144-T5.1 Black people and White people
• EPC 144-T5.2 Irish Travellers (Mincéirs)

Some of these proposals come straight from DDC users, and many others were prompted by questions or suggestions. I've already had a proposal sent to me for the next meeting! If you'd like to be a part of that, I encourage you to get in touch. And for EPC 144, I encourage any interested users to review and comment on these proposals. You may do so here on the blog, via email, or at the DDC contributors forum at oc.lc/DeweyContributors. You can also share your comments directly with members of EPC.

“How can people change their minds about us if they don’t know who we are?” – Harvey Milk

Between my internship time constraints (I’m 2/3 of the way through), preparing presentations for our OCLC team, and the researching, writing, revising exhibits for our EPC meeting in July, we’ve been busy here these past few months in the DDC office.  Let me tell you a bit about the projects I’ve been working on.

My focus has been on topics that primarily affect the LGBTQIA+ community.  Currently, I have three projects that will be presented to the EPC board for approval; I’m hoping to have at least one more, and if I can manage it, two more projects by then.  Curious?  I’m excited to tell you about them, so read on!

My first topic was suggested by a librarian (remember, you can email us at [email protected] with ideas and suggestions) for the best place to classify books on drag  Once I researched the history behind drag, what drag is and isn’t, and the talented people that perform drag, we will be proposing a number of 792.72 Drag, which falls under the 792 Stage presentations.  In other words, drag will have its space so that readers can find information and understanding. 

While researching drag, it became quickly apparent that the topic of transvestism (306.778) needed to be addressed as well.  First, the term is outdated with cross dressing being the preferred term.  Secondly, referring to scholarly works and articles, it quickly became clear that the intention of cross dressing determines how the topic should be classified.  This led to many discussions with agreement to not only change “transvestism” to “cross dressing”, but to deprecate 306.778, and also create 391.68 Cross dressing, under the 391.6 Personal appearance classification. 

Of course, cross dressing is also related to gender identity.  Historically, Dewey follows current knowledge and accepted practices.  At one point, the topic of “gender identity disorder” was classified as a sexual disorder at 616.8583 under the broader mental disorders and next to sex addiction and sexual abuse.  Not only is this outdated, but it reduces individuals into medical specimens.  Once again referring to DSM–5, ICD–11, and various scholarly medical articles, I found that science is gaining a better understanding of the biological influences on gender identity, and the adoption of the term “gender dysphoria” is much more accurate and meaningful.  Gender dysphoria is more of an emotion based condition than an ailment, and acceptance and affirmation is the largest part of moving forward.  The DDC is crowded and finding just the right place was difficult.  With some input from gender nonconforming librarians, the proposal of expanding 616.8527 Depressive disorders (which already includes other emotional disorders) to become “Depressive disorders and dysphoria” (as there are 4 main types of known dysphoria) is supported and brings the topic more inline with today’s knowledge.

Knowledge is a powerful thing.  Expanding that knowledge is what libraries are about.  Maybe the knowledge in these topics will help someone understand their daughter or son, brother or sister, parents, friends, neighbors, or even themselves.  That’s what the DDC editors are here for—helping libraries help their users expand their knowledge.

EPC 143A exhibits available for review

In January, we'll have Electronic Meeting 143A of the Editorial Policy Committee (EPC). You can view the following revision proposals at oc.lc/deweyexhibits: 

• EPC 143A-S29.1 - 297.48 Sufi orders
• EPC 143A-S30.1 - Movement of people and 325 International migration and colonization
• EPC 143A-S73.1 - 730 Sculpture and related arts
• EPC 143A-S94.1 - Ionian Islands
• EPC 143A-T1.1 - Further updates to terminology for groups of people

EPC will be voting on these the week of January 30-February 3. Please share any feedback, positive or negative! You can do so by commenting on this post, posting to the the Dewey Contributors Google Group, or by email to [email protected] or an EPC member.

Updating Dewey: a contributor's journey

Guest post by Steph Hooton

Compared to other professions, there aren’t a lot of books available in communication design. So, as a communication design practitioner, whenever I come across an interesting volume, I buy it. Over the years, after visiting countless new and used book stores, antique stores, and library, estate, and yard sales, I’ve managed to accumulate quite a few volumes — over five thousand, in fact.

While I didn’t plan on owning a personal library, it’s proven to be indispensable — and a challenge to organize. So, a few years ago, I decided to copy the experts and arrange my library according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system. This worked out great at the beginning, but as I worked through my holdings, I discovered that many communication design works were assigned to numbers scattered across the entire breadth of the DDC system, that no particular area within the DDC system had the depth of numbering needed to classify them, and that a significant portion of the DDC system’s communication design nomenclature was outdated, archaic, or incomplete. 

Given the fact that communication design as we know today didn’t exist when the DDC was created, and coupled the dramatic growth and evolution the field gone through over the past several decades, these circumstances weren’t too surprising. But, what to do? Well, since information design and typographic hierarchy are inherent disciplines my field, I set aside my shelving and got to work figuring out what was needed. Then, even though I’d always thought of the DDC system as firmly established and constant, I reached out and asked OCLC if they might be open to making some updates.

Their response was immediate, professional, gracious, welcoming, and positive. I was invited to contribute my ideas and work with OCLC experts. What followed has been over five years of extraordinary collaboration: objective, wide-ranging research; careful, thoughtful analysis; and respectful, professional advancement in documenting, planning, and updating the information architecture for communication design within the DDC system. 

To anyone shelving books in a library, thinking “this book really belongs in that section over there,” I recommend sending your insights and suggestions to OCLC. Your contribution will be appreciated, and may help people all over the world have better organizational access to knowledge.

For myself, I look forward to continued collaboration with OCLC, and to resuming the shelving of my publications — this time, in their newly built homes.

Relocations and discontinuations: Graphic design and communication design

As promised, this post has tables of relocations and discontinuations (plus one continuation) associated with the recently approved EPC Exhibit 143-S74.1. Enlarged from what was already given in the exhibit, these tables can serve as quick guides to reclassification for your institution. Where numbers have been deprecated, they are given in square brackets. Authorizations are not separately listed; all numbers in 744 are newly authorized, as are 741.647 and 741.6474.

Where a number is deprecated, you should be safe to reclassify any items without further inspection. That's the case for most changes listed below. Otherwise, consider the context of the item. For example, interdisciplinary works on typography are being relocated from 686.22 to the new 744.47, but if you have works at 686.22 that are really about the older sense of typography (i.e., strictly concerned with printing techniques), they may not need reclassification.

Also, check any built numbers you have that may be affected, especially where the old number is being deprecated. An encyclopedia of pure and applied design and decoration now classed at 745.403 will move to 744.03. Simple enough, but in some other cases, a topic has been relocated into standing room. For example, works on counterfeit stamps at 769.56 that now have standard subdivisions added will now be relegated to just 744.72. Finally, if you used abridged classification, keep in mind that these tables are geared towards full classification. WebDewey will still have full segmentation marks available to help guide you. In abridged classification, for example, page design is relocated from 686.2 to 744.5.

Relocations

From	To	Topic
686.22	744.47	Typography (interdisciplinary works)
[686.224]	744.452	Typefaces (interdisciplinary works)
[686.2252]	744.5	Page design
741.6	744	Graphic design
741.674	744.78	Posters (comprehensive works)
[745.4]	744	Pure and applied design and decoration
[745.61]	744.42	Calligraphy
[745.66]	744.62	Heraldic design
[745.67]	741.647	Illumination
745.7	741.6	Coloring books
[769.55]	744.73	Paper money
[769.559]	744.739	History, geographic treatment, biography
[769.56]	744.72	Postage stamps and related devices
[769.561]	744.72	United Nations postage stamps, postal stationery, covers
[769.562]	744.72	Counterfeit postage stamps, covers, cancellations
[769.563]	744.72	Postage stamps commemorating persons and events
[769.564]	744.724	Postage stamps depicting various specific subjects (Iconography)
[769.565]	744.72	Covers
[769.566]	744.72	Postal stationery
[769.567]	744.72	Postmarks, cancellations, cachets
[769.569]	744.729	History, geographic treatment, biography
[769.57]	744.72	Stamps other than for prepayment of postage

 

Discontinuations

From	To	Topic
[686.221]	686.22	Typefounding and typecasting—printing technology
[686.224]	686.22	Typefaces—printing technology
[686.2253]	686.225	Hand composition
[686.2256]	686.225	Imposition and lockup

 

Discontinuations without meaning in context

From	Topic
[686.2247]	Specific typefaces and kinds of typefaces for the Latin alphabet
741.6	Commercial art

 

Continuation

From	To	Topic
740	744.4	Typographical designs

Save the date: New graphic design hierarchy

Have you heard? The largest changes to the DDC schedules since the designation of Edition 23 back in 2011 are fast upon us! The changes were recently approved by the Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) in Exhibit 143-S74.1 Graphic design and communication design. Most notably, this set of changes authorizes 744, a section which has sat vacant since Edition 17 (1965). Created alongside Steph Hooton, a professional designer, this makes the DDC a leader in modeling the emerging discipline of design. The work builds on a previous discussion paper on the topic prepared for EPC by Hooton and former editor Violet Fox.

Among other changes, these updates clarify treatment of illustration and design, which have been heretofore conflated at 741.6. The full exhibit still gives a good idea of what you can expect, but keep in mind that like any exhibit on our Google Drive, it was a proposal only, which EPC is free to amend. In this case, EPC's amendments include a fuller development of the forthcoming 744.7 Graphic design products, to which paper money (769.55) and stamps (769.56) are being relocated, since they don't really belong with the art of printmaking. The mockups of print schedules that we use in exhibits also don't do as good a job of showing the deprecation of numbers, which especially affects 686.22 Typography in the printing schedules (the short version: much of this is being relocated to the new hierarchy).

In the past, changes of this magnitude once approved would be set aside for the next print edition. Since we don't have formal print editions anymore, you can just log in to WebDewey one day and see them. In this case, that day is Tuesday, August 16, just over two weeks from today. Keep your eyes on the blog for a forthcoming list of relocations and discontinuations, just like those that helped guide major changes in full print editions.

Since print-on-demand (PoD) content is pulled once a year, the new 744 will first show up in the 2023 version. This is a good time for a reminder of the recent updates to DDC MARC fields, since there will be a period of a few months where classification of these topics from WebDewey vs. even the most recent PoD will differ quite a bit.

Finally, a couple of caveats about the publication: publication will occur the day before, on Monday the 15th, and history notes in WebDewey will reflect that date, but any time we publish, the changes don't actually become visible until the next day. And while many eyes have reviewed (and are continuing to review) these changes, there will always be the occasional typo, so it's possible there will be some additional tweaks in the days after.

Results of EPC 143

The Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) met virtually in June to consider the slate of exhibits finalized back in May. Most were approved, and you’ll be seeing them rolling out into WebDewey in the coming weeks. (One is already there! More on that soon.)

Two exhibits were sent back for further work:

• EPC 143-S29.1c - 297.48 Sufi orders
• EPC 143-S30.1 - 304.8 Movement of people

For EPC 143-S29.1c, there was consensus among the committee that more specific Sufi orders should be provided for, beyond those proposed in the exhibit. We welcome feedback from users around the world, or anyone with interest or expertise in the topic, even if they aren’t users, to help represent Sufi orders that are frequently the subject of published literature.

On EPC 143-S30.1, the topic is just complicated! Where do you class a work on immigration to a specific country, emigration from a country, or works that cover both? When does a work on immigration belong with community sociology or political science instead of the interdisciplinary number? We’ll revisit the issue at the next electronic EPC meeting, towards the end of this year.

Keep checking the blog for posts highlighting specific changes from EPC 143 as they’re added to WebDewey, but keep your eye on the WebDewey updates feed too, as not every exhibit will necessarily lead to a blog post.

Last but certainly not least, there are a few new (and returning!) faces joining EPC, and that will lead to a blog post!

EPC 143 exhibits ready for review

The Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) will meet virtually in early June for their Meeting 143. Dates and times will vary based on members' availability. You can view the following revision proposals at oc.lc/deweyexhibits:

• EPC 143-S29.1a - Introduction, Islam and secular disciplines
• EPC 143-S29.1b - 297.38 Rites, ceremonies, prayer, meditation
• EPC 143-S29.1c - 297.48 Sufi orders
• EPC 143-S29.1d - 297.54 Zakat
• EPC 143-S29.1e - 297.576 Individual observances
• EPC 143-S30.1 - 304.8 Movement of people
• EPC 143-S30.2 - Disasters as causes of social change
• EPC 143-S74.1 - Graphic design and communication design
• EPC 143-T1.2 - Terminology in T1--08 Groups of people
• EPC 143-T2.1 - Kosovo
• EPC 143-T2.2 - T2--599 Philippines
• EPC 143-T6.1 - T6--9549 Eastern Himalayan languages; T5--9549 Eastern Himalayan peoples

(To paraphrase guidance we give on the Summaries, Consult exhibits for complete and exact titles.)

Please share any feedback, positive or negative! You can do so by commenting on this post, posting to the the Dewey Contributors Google Group, or by email to [email protected] or an EPC member.

Geocaching

The DDC was in its 21^st Edition when geocaching was first played in 2000. Geocaching is an outdoor pursuit where players use GPS technology to track down hidden “caches”. The caches are more likely to have little trinkets, or even just a logbook, but the activity speaks to one’s inner child, or perhaps even the archetypical pirate’s hunt for buried treasure. Despite these romantic aspects, geocaching was sparked by a fairly technical change to GPS technology, which made it much more accurate as of 2000.

After receiving a request for a DDC number for geocaching, I knew I’d want to start at 796.5 Outdoor life. Presumably one could create an indoor geocache, but players would quickly run into trouble accessing it, so outdoor life it is. Since most of the subdivisions of 796.5 are already in use, I thought I could add geocaching as a “roommate” to another topic. Orienteering is an older game than geocaching, but both are fundamentally about taking navigational technology and turning it towards fun, competition, or both.

Along with other changes approved at electronic EPC Meeting 142D, the scope of 796.58 has been widened to both orienteering and geocaching. Two new subdivisions have been authorized for the individual pursuits: 796.582 Orienteering and 796.587 Geocaching.

Now that geocaching has its own DDC number, who wants to create a cache with coordinates that incorporate 796.587? Or maybe print out this post and put it in a cache near a library? The possibilities are endless!