Numero-Faceted Classification: New idea for library classification.

[Kamal Aggarwal]

in B Lib I studied two main classification schemes

DDC And  Ranganathan 's scheme .

one enumerative and other is faceted

both have their own pros and cons.

one is small in size (ranganathan's scheme) but can accomodate any number of subjects while other (DDC)is large yet easy to use and implement. Though the latter can not accomodate very large no of books.

first is difficult to remember because of its diverse set of symbols while ddc is better in this regard.

I have thought about a new way of classification

A scheme which will have good elements of both -an enumerative and a faceted classification.

A ""NUMERO-FACETED"" Classification.

it will be faceted but new subjects will be formed through synthesis.

an" OPEN SET   of MAIN CLASSES formed only by numbers" starting from Zero Onwards (number of main classes will not be fixed and could be increased upon need)

new subjects will be formed by joining these basic concepts in a faceted manner.

this simple concept will repeatedly use same numbers to form new concepts and computers could be easily used to implement it in programming of library automation products.

friends i want your views on this . Please respond through your valluable analytical suggestions

[Johrul Islam]

Dear Sir,
Can you elaborate with some examples of this classification system...

[Tanmay Saha]

congratulation sir please describe about it

[Surajit]

hi,

thanks for your innovative thoughts..Pls show some examples which will help us of easy understanding of your techniques.

regards,

Surajit.

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Sri Kamal Aggarwal,

I have gone through your post and congratulations for conceiving a supposedly new thought form the part of a classifier. It would have been rather more convincing had you provided a brief explanatory account of the proposed techniques. Will it be a form of alphanumeric system? if yes, what will be the base, the alphabets comprising 26 subjects as basis (like CC) or numeric based like DDC? or will it be like NML? In the later case, however, I think that one may need a "context vocabulary" as a guiding principle!

Frankly speaking, I am somewhat confused about your proposed OPEN SET of MAIN Classes and that is why I have put before you the above questions. And, never-the-less what will be the sequential arrangements?the synthesis of subjects to assign class numbers to new subjects like say "Cultural Studies" or "Molecular Epidemiology"

During our student days the Philosophy of DDC was explained as human quests like the questions:

WHO am I?; What am I ? Who are around me? How can I communicate;? HOW can I improve? etc. etc. to give birth to the disciplines of Philosophy Religion, Society, Linguistics, Science& Technology etc. etc. Similarly, in CC, Ranganathan, being an avid  Mathematician also had some intrinsic philosophy which were discussed both in Prolegomena & defining his famous Cannons of Classification

I presume you might be having such ideologies behind your conceived scheme, may be in different form.

If you please explain it in your next post, I believe, it will be great indeed!!

Best wishes on your effort.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

 

[Kamal Aggarwal]

Dear friendds

This inqusitive thought is all what  I wanted.

OPEN SET OF MAIN CLASSES  means that "the no. of main classes should not be fixed.

If in future ,new areas of knowledge emerge out than the main class set should be able to let them 

join in  by simply adding of new numbers , of course the formation of new Main classes

will be regulated by  managing committee of experts. 

e.g.if at a given time total no. Of main classes is 10 (say) than we should be able to make it 11for a new  Main class.

The system has to be  Alpha-Numeric with  some special  symbols ( e. g.    " : "      " . " )  , though not many of them.

Alphabets to denote some basic operations and relations universally applicable

eg

B   bias

T    Thought

A      Application

etc.

Let us try to understand the system

 Let main classes  be

0-Generalia

1-Languages (Linguistics)

2-Literature

3-Book Science

4-Natural Sciences (or Sciences  )

5-Social Sciences

6-Arts(e.g. Performing Arts, Painting etc)

7-Applied sciences

8-Technology

9-Religion

10-Information Technology

This set can be enlarged if a new concept emerges out or a  present area of knowledge becomes so voluminous that it can not be accomodated in a present main class.

Here Information Technology is one such example.

e.g.

Topic ----- Use of Information Technology in Spreading of Religious Ideologies 

The number may look like 

9.2    Religious Ideology

9.2:A10

Friends

By now itiwould have become clear to you that Though the scheme is good but a deeper thought is needed. 

I  dont want it to be My Classification . I want it to be Our Classification .

Questions and suggestions  are  most welcome.

Response from everyone is humbly requested.

-Kamal