A Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Libra | Page 2

of Mathematics is 510,
not 503, for every book is assigned to the most specific head that will
contain it, so that 503 is limited to Dictionaries or Cyclopedias of
Science in general. In the same way a General Cyclopedia or Periodical
treats of no one class, and so is assigned to the Class 0. These books
treating of no special class, but general in their character, are divided
into Cyclopedias, Periodicals, etc. No difficulty is found in following
the arithmetical law and omitting the initial zero, so these numbers are
printed 31, 32, etc., instead of 031, 032, etc.
The selection and arrangement of the thousand headings of the
classification cannot be explained in detail for want of space. In all the
work, philosophical theory and accuracy have been made to yield to
practical usefulness. The impossibility of making a satisfactory
classification of all knowledge as preserved in books, has been
appreciated from the first, and nothing of the kind attempted.
Theoretical harmony and exactness has been repeatedly sacrificed to
the practical requirements of the library or to the convenience of the
department in the college. As in every scheme, many minor subjects
have been put under general heads to which they do not strictly belong.
In some cases these headings have been printed in a distinctive type, e.
g., 429 =Anglo-Saxon=, under =ENGLISH PHILOLOGY=. The rule
has been to assign these subjects to the most nearly allied heads, or
where it was thought they would be most useful. The only alternative
was to omit them altogether. If any such omission occurs, it is
unintentional and will be supplied as soon as discovered. Wherever
practicable the heads have been so arranged that each subject is
preceded and followed by the most nearly allied subjects and thus the
greatest convenience is secured both in the catalogues and on the
shelves. Theoretically, the division of every subject into just nine heads
is absurd. Practically, it is desirable that the classification be as minute
as possible without the use of additional figures, and the decimal

principle on which our scheme hinges allows nine divisions as readily
as a less number. This principle has proved wholly satisfactory in
practice though it appears to destroy proper co-ordination in some
places. It has seemed best in our library to use uniformly three figures
in the class number. This enables us to classify certain subjects very
minutely, giving, for example, an entire section to Chess. But the
History of England has only one section, as our scheme is developed,
and thus the two might be said to be co-ordinated. The apparent
difficulty in such cases is entirely obviated by the use of a fourth figure,
giving nine sub-sections to any subject of sufficient importance to
warrant closer classification. In history where the classification is made
wholly by countries, a fourth figure is added to give a division into
periods. As the addition of each figure gives a ten-fold division, any
desired degree of minuteness may be secured in the classing of special
subjects. The apparent lack of co-ordination arises from the fact that
only the first three figures of these more important heads are as yet
printed, the fourth figure and the sub-sections being supplied on the
catalogues in manuscript. Should the growth of any of these
sub-sections warrant it, a fifth figure will be added, for the scheme
admits of expansion without limit.
The arrangement of headings has been sometimes modified to secure a
mnemonic aid in numbering and finding books without the Index. For
instance, the scheme is so arranged that China has always the number 1.
In Ancient History, it has the first section, 931: in Modern History,
under Asia, it has 951: in Philology, the Chinese language appears as
491. After the same manner the Indian number is 2; Egyptian, 4;
English, 2; German, 3; French, 4; Italian, 5; Spanish, 6; European, 4;
Asian, 5; African, 6; North American, 7; South American, 8; and so for
all the divisions by languages or countries. The Italian 5, for instance,
will be noticed in 35, 55, 450, 755, 850, and 945. This mnemonic
principle is specially prominent in Philology and Literature and their
divisions, and in the form distinctions used in the first 9 sections of
each class. Materials, Methods, or Theory occurring anywhere as a
head, bears always the number 1. Dictionaries and Cyclopedias, 3;
Essays, 4; Periodicals, 5; Associations, Institutions, and Societies, 6;
Education, 7; Collections, 9. In the numerous cases where several
minor heads have been grouped together under the head Other, it

always bears the number 9. Wherever practicable, this principle is
carried out in sub-dividing the sections. For instance, the Geology of
North America, which bears the number 557 is sub-divided by adding
the sections of 970 (History of North America).