http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1420 Allerton Park Institute Proceedings (no.6, 1959); Edited by F. Thelma Eaton and Donald E. Strout http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1483 Summary Strout, Donald E. What we attempt here is in no sense a formal summary of content. We seek rather, in the tradition of the previous Allerton Park Institutes, to catch and record, through a series of informal observations and impressions, the sense and feel of the Institute as it developed at the hands of the hundred or more participants who, for three days, paused to reflect upon the role of classification in the present-day library and to exchange with one another their thoughts on this topic of mutual and (for the moment, at least) intensive concern. From the inception of planning for this Institute, it was obvious that it would be a study in contrasts, both within itself and in comparison with the earlier Institutes. The very wide net which we spread with our first announcement made such contrasts all but inevitable. In that opening announcement, you will recall, the invitation to attend was extended to all librarians who had an interest in classification whether classifiers, administrators, or staff members from other departments, whether college, university, public, or school librarians, whether working in a very large or a very small library. This, then, was our first contrast (in comparison with earlier Institutes) a very wide spread in sizes of libraries and types of library work represented. A junior high school librarian sat next to several librarians from the Library of Congress; ranged about them were small town and city public librarians, college and university librarians, other school librarians, and even a special librarian or two. This factor, in turn, produced a second (and related) contrast with earlier Institutes a decrease in the amount of public, or audience, discussion and participationa decrease which we may hope was compensated for in some degree by an increase in the more private corridor conferences, table talk, and coffee chats. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1482 What Lies Ahead in Classification Shera, Jesse H. Of all the modes of human intellectual activity prognostication is probably the most treacherous. It may not influence people, but certainly it will alienate one's friends. No one paid much heed to the warnings of the unfortunate Cassandra, and there is no record that either the Oracle of Delphi or the Cumaean Sibyl -had any bosom companions. But every well-ordered conference needs a sacrificial goat, and for that role I probably possess a natural affinity, even though my sex may differ from that of the Sibyls. Because the crystal ball is always, at least potentially, cloudy the temptation is ever present to seek refuge in definition, ambiguity, or riddles. It was no accident that the Sibylline leaves were scattered. Thus one might be quite within his rights to ask rhetorically what is meant by librarianship? by classification? and by the future? Doubtless, I too will end by "hedging my bets'* in this way, but for the moment, at least, I shall throw discretion, rather than prophetic words, to the winds and declare bluntly and without equivocation that I think library classification is here to stay. Not long ago I remarked to a friend who has long been a leader among special librarians, that on recent visits to England and Brazil I had been repeatedly asked why librarians in the United States were so belligerently opposed to classification. My friend's reply was immediate, explosive, and, I am afraid, very typical of most of us "That's easy, because it's no good!" The substance of this essay, then is as much a protest against such a misunderstanding of the role of classification in librarianship, as it is a forecast of the future Like the Apostles' Creed, it may be regarded as, "The essence of things hoped for the substance of things unseen." THE NATURE OF CLASSIFICATION Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1481 Classification in a Special Library Howell, Isabel A paper which is to be read before an audience of librarians and students at a conference held as one of the activities of a distinguished Graduate Library School should doubtless begin with a definition of terms. This would be fine, but this paper is scheduled near the end of a three-day session, and it seems likely that a great deal of defining of terms will have taken place already before this combatant takes the field. Already many a shower of word-arrows will have darkened the sky before this knight-errant thunders over the turf. In which quarter the battle will have been fought to a pale, pink finish and where the refugees may have fled before this Don Quixote is wheeled into position for the charge, there is no way to predict. But this paper has a specific title, and the writer has a specific purpose and even at the risk of repeating what is already well-known to everybody, I feel obliged to begin With a few general remarks, call them definitions, if you please, for the sake of the record. The simplest definition of a special library is this: A special library is a collection of books devoted to a special subject. But for purposes of organizing a discussion of classification this simplicity is misleading. In 1953, the Special Libraries Association had a membership of 2,489. 1 In the Special Collections index found in the American Library Directory, there are several thousand special collections listed. Many of the special libraries in the Association are very large research libraries; many of the special collections are found in very large general libraries. There are far too many subjects involved for me to attempt to deal with them, but out of the whole dilemma, several points finally emerge, which I would like to note in passing: The special libraries seem to revolve around about seventy-five subjects, no more. The libraries devoted to Law, Medicine, Theology, Music, and the Theater have formed large associations of their own; libraries serving the other subjects make up the membership of the Special Libraries Association. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1480 One Mathematician Looks at the Classification of Mathematics Bartle, Robert G. At the very outset I want to warn you that I am here in the role of a mathematician who is interested in books and that I am entirely innocent of library procedures and terminology, the theory of classification, or the actual classification of anything but mathematical books. I am not sure that words of wisdom have ever come from the mouths of infants, but I am very strongly relying on that possibility. If this hope proves wrong, then I can only apologize and point out that every carnival should have a freak show and that I am only trying to do my duty. I am also aware of the extensive use of the vertical pronoun in my talk, but I know of no alternative. I have spoken with a number of my mathematical colleagues, but I do not pretend that my remarks are really an accurate statement of the ideas of the mathematical community. I shall be more than satisfied if I can act as a gadfly and provoke some discussion. Many of my remarks are very frankly critical. However, it is my earnest hope that they will not be taken offensively, but that they might be turned to constructive use. If this can be done, I shall be most pleased. MATHEMATICAL TERMINOLOGY AND THE RESULTING CONFUSION Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1479 Library of Congress Classification for the Academic Library Doyle, Irene M. Gabriel Naude", as early as 1627, advised on the arrangement of books in a library as follows: The seventh point .... is that of the Order and Disposition which Books ought to observe in a Library; .... for without this, doubtless, all inquiring is to no purpose, and our labour fruitless; seeing Books are for no other reason laid and reserved in this place, but that they may be serviceable upon such occasions as present themselves; Which thing it is notwithstanding impossible to effect, unless they be ranged, and disposed according to the variety of their subjects, or in such other sort, as that they may easily be found, as soon as named. I affirm, moreover, that without this Order and disposition, be the collection of Books whatever, were it of fifty thousand volumes, it would no more merit the name of a Library, than an assembly of thirty thousand men the name of an Army, unlesse they be martially in their several quarters, under the conduct of their Chiefs and Captains; or a vast heap of stones and materials, that of a Palace or a house, till they be placed and put together according to rule, to make a perfect and accomplished structure. * Three hundred years later classification of books is still a live subject, and largely for the same reason: "that they [the books] may be serviceable upon such occasions as present themselves". Though it is a live subject, and one of the most powerful tools in libraries, it is surprising how little seems to have been published considering its long history on book classification, how little has been published on the Library of Congress classification, how very little on L.C. classification in the academic library, and how very, very little on "L.C. Classification in the Modern Academic Library." Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1478 The Enduring Qualities of Dewey Young, Heartsill H. It has been many years since Melvil Dewey's Decimal Classification has been discussed before a group such as this. In the nineteenth century, book classification was a controversial subject, and all librarians were eager to learn about and to compare new systems for arranging knowledge. At the first conference of librarians held in this country in 1853, classification was one of the topics discussed. Charles B. Norton read to the group a letter from Remain Merlin in which he gave the principal points of his book classification. At the organizational meeting of the American Library Association in 1876, classification again was one of the topics discussed. Melvil Dewey's new Decimal Classification had just been published, and Mr. Dewey appeared before the group to describe and to promote his scheme. By the early twentieth century, however, the Decimal Classification had gained such wide acceptance that book classification was no longer controversial, and librarians at large turned their interests and their energies to what they considered to be unsolved, challenging problems. Classification was left to the classifiers. The appearance of the fifteenth, or standard, edition of the Decimal Classification was the occasion of some general revival of interest in classification, but for some four decades we have more or less accepted the Decimal Classification, without giving much thought to its qualities, good or bad. It is easy simply to dismiss the Decimal Classification with the observation that it has endured, not because of any qualities it may possess, but because it is the scheme that is familiar to librarians and library users and because most libraries could not afford to reclassify, even though they might like to do so. Its familiarity is unquestionable. Dewey taught his scheme at the New York State Library School, and the graduates of that school went forth to teach it in other library schools or to adopt it for their libraries. Today the Decimal Classification is the basic scheme taught in the beginning cataloguing course of every library school in the country, and 85% of college and university libraries and 98% of public libraries in the United States use the scheme in whole or in part. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1477 A Classification for the Reader Rutzen, Ruth Our library literature is replete with statements that indicate that the goals and functions of the public library are vitally concerned with the interests and needs of people in general. In fact our most recent statement, as found in Public Library Service says in part: the library's function "is to assemble, preserve, and make easily available to all people the printed and other materials that will assist them to: Educate themselves continuously Keep pace with progress in all fields of knowledge Become better members of home and community Discharge political and social obligations Be more capable in their daily occupations Develop their creative and spiritual capacities Appreciate and enjoy works of art and literature." 1 Are classifiers and catalogers concerned with pronouncements such as these? Or has it been assumed that a shelf arrangement which stems from a classification which is a systematization of knowledge and originally was aimed at a service for scholars and specialists can logically be used by another service in libraries whose purpose is primarily planned to provide the popular education services for the general reader? The well-established classification and catalogue departments in large libraries make it seem efficient to class a book for a large main library collection or for a series of special departments, and then apply this same classification number for the book in branch libraries. This appears to be the quick and cheap way to do it. In the smaller independent libraries the suggestions for class numbers made by the H.W. Wilson Company, the A. L.A. Booklist, or maybe by the Library of Congress, frequently aid the busy librarian to organize a collection. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1476 The Classified Catalogue as an Aid to Research Henkle, Herman H. Very little is known about the effectiveness of library subject catalogues as tools of research. We know that they are indispensable from a theoretical point of view, and from general observation of their use and the results of a few studies we can conclude that they are generally compatible with the library use habits of readers. Some of the general conclusions which have been drawn from studies of the subject catalogue are: that there is no significant difference between the amount of author catalogue use and subject catalogue use; that the non- specialist ordinarily will make more use of the subject catalogue than the specialist; and that most of the use of the subject catalogue is for materials in English and of fairly recent date. If the second of these generalizations is true, namely that subject catalogue use is primarily by non- specialists, a discussion of the classified catalogue as a research tool may be a somewhat sterile exercise. On the other hand, we can remind ourselves that the importance of research isn't determined by popular vote, so even a minority use should justify its consideration. In any case, classification and classified catalogues have a high degree of relevancy. This was my reason for agreeing to discuss the subject of the role of the classified catalogue in research. In evaluating what I have to say about classification, one general caveat must be observed. My remarks on classification will relate exclusively to its use in the classified catalogue. While some points might have relevance to the classification of books for shelving, others might have differing relevance or no relevance whatever. No effort will be made here to indicate when there is or is not a common ground in problems of shelf classification and the classified catalogue. A second caveat is that the limitations of my experience with Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1475 Classification Today Shadow or Substance Taube, Mortimer The topic which has been assigned to me, "Classification Today- Shadow or Substance," might more appropriately have come at the end of the Institute, rather than the beginning. If I could convince you that our pursuit of valid classifications was the pursuit of a shadow, there would be no reason to listen to the papers on the remaining part of the program. We could all pack up and go home. Hence, I must conclude that when those who planned this Institute gave me this topic, they assumed that regardless of what I might say about classification, I would certainly be unable to demonstrate its ephemeral or shadowy nature and that I would conclude that classification had substantial value for librarianship and related information activities. Confronted with this dilemma, it occurred to me that the way out for an erstwhile student of logic like myself might be found in the first instance not in examining the nature of shadows nor the nature of substances, but in examining the meaning of the connective between them, namely, the logical operator "or." Most of us, when we think of the word "or," think of it in the exclusive sense as meaning "either or," that is, the word used in this title, "Shadow or Substance," would ordinarily be interpreted to mean that if classification were substantial it could not be shadowy, or if it were shadowy, it could not be substantial. There is, however, another meaning of "or" which is the usual meaning attributed to it in works of logic, where the "or" is taken as meaning logical disjunction with reference to propositions and logical sum with reference to classes. In this sense "or" means "and/or" rather than "either or." Thus if I say "It will rain tomorrow or I will stay home," both statements could be true; that is, it might rain tomorrow and I could still stay home. Similarly, if I say of an item that it is a member of the class A or B, it could be a member of A, a member of B, or a member of AB, and the general proposition "X is a member of A or B" is true in all three cases. This general proposition is only false when the item is a member of neither A nor B. This logical relation can be illustrated by the truth table for disjunction at the top of the following page. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1474 The Development of Classification in America Eaton, Thelma The story of the development of classification from Aristotle to Ranganathan has been told so often that, as I worked on this paper, I found myself wondering what I could possibly contribute to the subject. In our planning sessions the committee had agreed that it was desirable to provide some kind of a summary of classification practices before we attempted to analyze the conditions which exist today and to divine what the future holds. Even so, as I stand before you this morning, I find myself wondering if we might not have done better to omit the history and begin with the stimulating and provocative talk which will follow this introductory speech. But to fulfill our program I shall talk briefly on the development of book classification in American libraries. In theory I should cover the period from colonial times to the present, and I shall touch on some of the earlier attempts at classification, but my emphasis will fall on the last half of the nineteenth century, that period in American library history when many things were happening. Classification --Books Thu, 01 Jan 1959 00:00:00 GMT