Library Classification and Cataloguing
What the exam tests
Classification places documents by subject; cataloguing describes them and creates access points. Questions test scheme knowledge, call-number construction, catalogue types, and basic MARC/AACR2 or RDA terminology.
Core rules and concepts
- DDC: ten main classes, 000 general works, 100 philosophy, 200 religion, 300 social sciences, 400 language, 500 science, 600 technology, 700 arts, 800 literature, 900 history and geography.
- Colon Classification (Ranganathan): faceted scheme using PMEST - Personality, Matter, Energy, Space, Time.
- Call number: class number plus book number; the book number is often a Cutter or author code.
- Catalogue types: author, title, subject, dictionary and classified catalogue; an OPAC is the online public access catalogue.
- Catalogue entry: main entry, added entries, description, headings and location. AACR2 and RDA are cataloguing codes; MARC 21 is a machine-readable exchange format.
- Common MARC tags: 100 personal author, 245 title statement, 260 or 264 publication, 300 physical description, 650 topical subject.
Worked example
A book titled Principles of Physics is written by R. Sharma and classified at DDC 530. The class number is 530, the book number SHA, so the call number is 530 SHA. The main entry is under Sharma, R., the title is an added entry, and Physics is the subject heading. Reason: classification supplies the subject address, while cataloguing supplies the author, title and subject access points.
Traps
Do not call the accession number a call number - accession numbers are stock records, not shelf addresses. DDC 500 is science and 600 is technology; 000 is general works, not science. Cataloguing is not classification. Colon Classification is Ranganathan's faceted scheme, not a version of DDC.