CHOICE OF SCHEME FOR CLASSIFICATION - Indian Statistical ...

library was a necessary laboratory for developing a Scheme for Classification. He had
accordingly been endeavouring to link DC with the Library of Congress. He is said to
have declared, "When I see the DC numbers on the LC Cards, I shall be ready for the
nunc dimitis" (8). The appearance of the DC number on the LC cards approached reality
in 1930; and he died in 1932. This, reminds us of Bhishma of the Indian tradition
choosing his own time to pass over. The DC organisation is active in propagating the use
of DC. But unfortunately it is regressive. It is not taking advantage of the latest
developments in the theory of library classification and evolving it into an omnipotent
scheme which it can become. As Palmer says, "Classificatory science has made
tremendous strides forward, bringing forth new methods of analysis, and new ways of
displaying them. Yet, DC has continued in its old ways and is rapidly losing the respect
with which at one time it was wont to be hailed" (24). The policy of regression in Ed 16
onwards has made the situation worse. This is particularly unfortunate, because on
account of its pioneership and existence through nearly a century, it is influencing
thousands, of libraries and librarians and nearly mesmerising them — and, shall we add,
inhibiting them.
7.2 Library of Congress Classification
LC was born "with a silver-spoon in the mouth" as the saying goes. It is the baby
of the vast, ever-growing national library of the land of libraries — the Library of
Congress. The Committee appointed by Putnam to choose a Scheme for Classification for
the Library of Congress decided to use the layout of EC. Unfortunately, Charles Cutter
died soon after this decision. Martel planned to use two letters for the main divisions and
decimal fractions for the subdivisions. But A R Spofford, the former librarian who still
continued on the staff as an assistant, bitterly opposed the inclusion of any decimal
notation! He carried his point; and the rigid integral notation came to spoil what would
otherwise have been the best scheme in existence, backed by all the prestige, man-power,
and resource of the most library-minded government in the world. This catastrophe istraceable
to a well-known human frailty — personal animosity.
If LC moves with the times and absorbs into itself all the benefits of the growing
theory of classification made necessary by the ever-increasing turbulence of the Universe of
Subjects and changes its notational system, the organisation for its development could
produce the best result (See Sec 54).
7.3 Universal Decimal Classification
The persistence of the two Belgians who converted DC into UDC secured the
support of the Belgian Government. It has now the further support of the Dutch
Government and of Unesco. Its development is in the capable hands of the International
Federation for Documentation (FID). The great care with which FID fosters it and the great
support flowing towards it from many national organisations and international subject
organisations are remarkable. Indeed, they are unprecedented. The UDC Committee of the
FID is not altogether irresponsive to the gradual development in the theory of