The problems of developing subjects and changing terminology which confront all revisers of indexing tools are surveyed briefly, and the policies and practices adopted by the Library of Congress, Dewey Decimal and Universal Decimal classifications are reviewed in turn. The revision of the Bliss Bibliographic Classification is then considered in the light of the foregoing discussion of general problems and specific solutions. Some worked examples using sections of the revised Bliss scheme are appended.
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References
1.
I Dewey, M. Decimal classification and relativ index ... 2nd ed., rev. and greatly enl. Boston: Library Bureau, I885, p. 46.
2.
See, for example, the contribution by J. R. Haylock, In ignorance of Bliss, New Libr. Wld, 77 (9I7), Nov. I976, 207 and 209, with rejoinder by Roy Payne, Ignorance and bliss, ibid., 78 (920), Feb. I977, 27-8, and reply by Haylock, On the aiming of bricks, ibid., 78 (923), May I977. 87-9. Despite the titles, this exchange is not so much concerned with Bliss as with revisions in DDC, their adoption in BNB, and their implications for libraries.
3.
The Library of Congress assigned LB I067 Educational psychology—apperception. I can find nothing in the schedules to indicate why this placing should be preferred to either of the others.
4.
The annual total exceeded I00 000 for the first time in I974-I975, and in the nine years I967-I975 almost as many titles were assigned DDC numbers as in the pre-preceeding 26 years. See Appendix 3 in the Annual reports of the Librarian of Congress, which give full details for I930-I967 in the I967 report, and annual figures thereafter.
5.
For the complete memorandum, and another one, see Melvil Dewey on change in DC, Libr. J., 8I (II) I June I956, I363-I365.
6.
Comaromi, J.P.The eighteen editions of the Dewey decimal classification. Albany, NY: Lake Placid Education Foundation , Forest Press Division, 1976.
7.
Dewey, M.Classification décimale de Dewey et index... lère version française intégrale d'après la18e édition ... Lake Placid Club, NY: Lake Placid Education Foundation , Forest Press Division, 1974. 2 vols.
8.
International Federation for Documentation. Universal decimal classification (UDC) revision and publication procedure. The Hague: The Federation, I968 (FID 429.)
9.
FID news bull., 27 (6) June I977, 8.
10.
For a full statement see the introduction to BC2, and also Mills's contribution on Bibliographic classification in Maltby, A., ed. Classification in the 1970s: a second look. Bingley, I976, 25-50.
11.
II Foskett, D. J. and Foskett, J. The London education classification: a thesaurus/classification of British educational terms. 2nd ed. [University of London Institute of Education Library], I974. (Education libraries bulletin. Supplement 6.)
12.
Educational Resources Information Center. Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors . 9th ed. New York: Macmillan Information; London: Collier Macmillan, 1975.
