The Role Of Classification In The Modern American Library

Author : Lloyd Pearsall Smith
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9780331811940
Total Pages : 74 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (119 download)

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Download or read book On the Classification of Books written by Lloyd Pearsall Smith and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2017-11-24 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from On the Classification of Books: A Paper Read Before the American Library Association, May, 1882 The classification is intended to be permanent only so far as the six main classes A E I O U and Y, and their sub-classes a, b, c, d, e, etc., are concerned. In its details it is Open to modification to suit the needs of libraries devoted mainly to the collection of one or a few classes of books. As the volumes multiply on the shelves, it is Obvious that the divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., can be added to indefinitely, - by each librarian for himself - without deranging the system. Moreover, the divisions can themselves be subdivided by supplying arbitrary marks. For example, under Zoology I have made but one subdivision, that of Birds (116 whereas an Academy of Natural Sciences might well find it expedient to distribute their works on the animal kingdom in accordance with the elaborate plan set forth' in Agassiz's Essay on Classification. On the other hand, a small library may content itself with the classes and sub-classes marked by letters only, or even with the classes A E I O U Yalone. It is to he remarked in passing that, by this arrangement, whatever improvements may be made from time to time in the details of the system, the books have always a relative, and not a fixed location on the shelves, so that they may be moved from shelf to shelf, from case to case, and from building to building, without altering the shelf marks. The system is available, not only for the arrangement of books on the shelves, but also for their classification in a subject catalogue. Indeed, the shelf lists them selves form - when properly made - a subject catalogue, which may be sent Off to the printer as soon as there is money enough to pay for setting them Up in type. It is true that most of the ends of a subject catalogue may be gained by the modern dic tionary catalogue - combining authors and subjects in one alphabet - which it is to the credit Of Mr. Poole to have invented, and Of Messrs. Cutter, Noyes, and others to have developed; but, nevertheless, to my mind, the ideal printed catalogue is a classified one, with a cepious alphabetical index. Suppose that the British Museum had such a printed catalogue to-day, how much would the usefulness of that great Institution be enhanced! About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.