THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION.pdf - ideals

gium to Toulon in France where he collected the money from
the sale of the lie du Levant property. Inconsequential as it
seems, this holiday has a particular importance, for, during
its course, Otlet first attempted to obtain the Dewey Decimal
Classification. While he was at Ostend, he had met a friend
just returned from England who told him of a new system for
the classification of books invented by an American. The
friend had read about it in an English daily newspaper, but,
unfortunately, could remember neither the name of the newspaper,
nor that of the author of the classification. Travelling
poste-haste to London, Otlet asked for it at the British Museum,
but no one there seemed to know of it. Eventually, however, he
learned that what he sought was something called the Decimal
Classification devised by a Melvil Dewey of New York.
He wrote at once to America that it be sent to him.
This story, told in later life to Georges Lorphevre, who
joined Otlet as his assistant in 1927, is not literally true, of
course. 9 Otlet had known of the Decimal Classification for
several years, though it is clear that he had never seen it,
and he had intended to go to England that August in any case.
Looking back over the years his memory had played him false
in a way that suggests the significance he attached to the steps
which led to the first examination of the Classification.
Sometime early in 1895 a copy of the Classification arrived
and he and La Fontaine eagerly set about studying it and
translating the main divisions, the subdivisions for sociology
and the extended tables for some of these subdivisions. La
Fontaine had fluent English and Otlet was able to read it. On
March 24, 1895, Otlet wrote to Dewey to ask formally for permission
to use and develop the Decimal Classification:
Being very much occupied with all that can contribute to the progress
of bibliography and classification of books, I have made the acquaintance
of your work with the keenest interest. Your Decimal Classification
is truly a masterpiece of ingenuity. I have studied it for several
weeks with the intention of making it the basis for our bibliographic
office, and on this occasion I take the liberty of addressing to you
the following questions:
1. In your opinion would the Decimal Classification be applicable to a
bibliographic arrangement, and what modifications should it undergo
for this application?
2. I send you with this letter a notice on the Office of Sociologic Bibliography
which we have founded in Brussels, and specimens of two
bibliographical reviews that are published regularly. These reviews have
adopted a classification entirely conformable to European ideas for
law and sociology. According to your idea how would it be possible to
apply your system to these subjects? Your work scarcely furnishes
enough subdivisions in law and sociology. If our Office adopted your
system ... which would result in acquainting Europe with your idea —
could you put yourself to the task of introducing into your classification,
with our collaboration, all the divisions and subdivisions for
law and sociology which are now lacking?
3. Could we proceed to a French translation of your Decimal Clissification,
and on what terms?... 10