025.431: The Dewey blog

Flash exhibit: traveling and Travellers

The COVID-19 pandemic has given the world a different perspective on traveling, and here in the U.S., many are still staying close to home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. I've been thinking a lot about the joys of travel lately, which spurred the development of this flash exhibit discussing travel and Travellers.

Even those who are traveling freely within their countries or outside of them have a new perspective on health while traveling these days. In Dewey the relevant number is 613.68 Travel health. To add more access to direct classifiers to this number, I've added a new RI term for Tourism—health and mapped the LCSH Travel—health aspects.

Even if we can't travel in real life, we can enjoy artwork dedicated to travel. Books focusing on the artistic aspects of travel posters are favorites of mine, so I've mapped the LCSH Travel posters to 741.674 Commercial posters. I've also added a new built number 741.6740993 Posters—arts—New Zealand, to demonstrate the pattern in that area.

One of my favorite New Zealand travel posters from the television show "Flight of the Conchords" (shared with my sincere admiration for such a successful campaign against COVID-19!)

Speaking of travels, I found an opportunity to update the provisions we have in Dewey for the ethnic groups of Travelling People in Great Britain. LCSH has four different headings, which correspond to the recognition of these groups by UK and Ireland law:

• Irish Travellers (Nomadic people)
• Scottish Travellers (Nomadic people)
• English Travellers (Nomadic people)
• Welsh Travellers (Nomadic people)

To clarify how the LC subject headings relate to Dewey's Table 5 numbers for groups of people, I've added additional mappings.

• At T5—916 Celts, I've mapped the LC heading Irish Travellers (Nomadic people)
• At T5—91497 Romany people, I've mapped the LC headings English Travellers (Nomadic people) and Welsh Travellers (Nomadic people)
• The Scotland community has two groups of Travellers, one of Gaelic origin and the other of Romani origin. So I've mapped the LC heading Scottish Travellers (Nomadic people) to both numbers, T5—916 and T5—91497.

Of course these identities cannot be cleaved as cleanly as this mapping makes it seem, and different identities have merged and split throughout the centuries (read more about the complex history and culture of Gypsy, Roma, and Irish Traveller Communities in Britain). But indexing these headings in WebDewey can give catalogers a good place to start in finding the best place to classify a work.

If you're unfamiliar with these ethnic groups and want to learn more, this five-minute video is charming and informative: "Roads from the Past: A Short History of Britain's Gypsies, Roma, and Travellers".

 Wishing safe travels to all, whether down the block or further afield.

917.5304 - What to See in D.C.

The ALA Annual Conference is almost upon us and this year it is being held right in our backyard. If you are joining us in Washington, DC next week make sure that the Washington Convention Center isn’t the only sight you see while you’re in town. Here are a few of my favorite places to visit in DC.

The Smithsonian museums are a must see. Lined up together around the National Mall (and free to boot), it is easy to hit up several in one visit. The DDC number for Smithsonian museums is 069.09753. To build this number, start with 069 Museology (Museum science). Add T1—09 History, geographic treatment, biography followed by T2—753 District of Columbia (Washington).

While downtown, be sure to check out my two favorite museums, The National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Renwick Gallery. To learn more about the contents of the NMAAHC, check out the DDC number 973.0496073 African Americans. To build this number start with 973.04 Ethnic groups in the United States + T5—96073. For sources about the Renwick and contemporary American art, look at 709.730904 American Art, 1900-1999, built using 709 History of arts + T2—73 United States + T1—0904 20^th century, 1900-1999.

If museums aren’t your thing, this town still has plenty to offer. Head over to the United States Capitol to see one of DC’s most iconic buildings. Items about the Capitol and the legislative process that takes place within are classed at 328.73 (328 The legislative process + T2—73 United States).

While you’re visiting the Capitol, you might as well cross the street and visit the home of the Dewey team, the Library of Congress. The DDC number for LC is 027.573 (027.5 Government libraries + T2—73 United States). Members of the Dewey editorial team will be present during the Library’s ALA open houses in the Jefferson building on Saturday, June 22^nd 5-8 pm and Monday, June 24^th 10 am-2 pm. Stop by and say hello!

Updates to Table 2

Recent changes in two parts of Table 2 are now available in WebDewey. The first set of changes concerns the provinces of Sardinia, in Italy, and the second deals with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in the Middle East.

The changes for Sardinia bring the DDC in line with a reorganization of Sardinia’s provinces which occurred earlier this year. Previously, the island of Sardinia was divided into seven provinces. Now, it has four provinces and one metropolitan city. (Metropolitan cities are relatively new Italian subdivisions; we had updated Table 2 last year to reflect the shift of some former provinces into metropolitan cities.)

Cagliari, the region’s capital and largest city, is now Sardinia’s metropolitan city. Other parts of the former Cagliari province are now part of the new South Sardinia province, which also incorporates the former provinces of Medio Campidano and Carbonia-Iglesia. Cagliari Metropolitan City remains at T2—4591, while South Sardinia province is at T2—4598, which formerly only covered Carbonia-Iglesia. Ogliastra province merged with Nuoro province and is discontinued to T2—4592, and Olbia-Tempio province merged with Sassari province and is discontinued to T2—4593. Notes at the numbers give instructions regarding the Campidano, a plain in the current Oristano and South Sardinia provinces.

Our recent changes to the West Bank and Gaza Strip brought an older arrangement up to date. Since Edition 20, T2—5694 Palestine; Israel has been defined as the “area covering Israel, Gaza Strip, and West Bank of Jordan.” See references there drew off the West Bank and Gaza Strip to other numbers. The West Bank was given at a span, T2—56951-56953, which was subordinate to T2—5695 Jordan. But Jordan relinquished all claims to the West Bank in 1988. While the West Bank is named for its proximity to the Jordan River, “West Bank of Jordan” is anachronistic. The changes have dropped “of Jordan” from the note, and authorized a new number, T2—56942 West Bank.

Similarly, the Gaza Strip was in standing room at T2—531 Sinai Peninsula, along with two provinces of Egypt. The Gaza Strip is adjacent to the Sinai Peninsula, but not on the peninsula itself. Recall that Table 2 is organized chiefly by geography, though political boundaries are also considered. So how did they end up lumped together? After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel claimed both the Gaza Strip and the Sinai. The Sinai was subsequently returned to Egypt in a 1979 peace treaty. And since the Gaza Strip has long been part of Palestine under the Dewey definition, it was time we brought it into that hierarchy. Thus, we’ve also authorized T2—56943 Gaza Strip.