LIS 415: Information Organization

Instructor: Daniel N. Joudrey
E-mail: joudrey@simmons.edu
Office: P-205B
Phone: (617) 521-2863

Symbolic representation of subject concepts and categorization of concepts are examined and presented as additional means for providing subject access to information resources.

Topics: Categorization, Hierarchical Classification, Faceted Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification, Library of Congress Classification, Cuttering and Book Numbers

• Why do humans categorize?
• How is subject content expressed symbolically in bibliographic records?
• How is categorization used in the arrangement of information packages and surrogate records?
• What is the role of automatic classification in organizing information?
• What purposes are served by classification schemes?
• How are the major classification schemes organized?
• What are the weaknesses and strengths of the major classification schemes?
• How can categorization be used in the organization of Web resources?

Required Readings

Week One

Taylor, The Organization of Information ..., Chapter 11

Langridge, Classification, pp. 1-23.

Hunter. Classification made simple, pp. 3-49

"Ten Taxonomy Myths" http://www.montague.com/review/myths.html

Harvey & Hider, Organising Knowledge in a Global Society, Chapter 7

Weinberger, Everything is Miscellaneous, Chapter 4

Required Readings

Week Two

Taylor, Introduction to Cat and Class (manuscript chapter in WebCT).

Chan, Dewey Decimal Classification ... , Chapters 1-2

The Straight Dope Column: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdeweydecimal.html

Required Readings

Week Three

Taylor, The Organization of Information ..., Chapter 12

Mann, Oxford Guide to Library Research, Chapter 3

Petroski, The Book on the Bookshelf, Appendix

Recommended Readings

Gorman, "The Longer the Number, the Smaller the Spine..."

Sapiie, "Reader-Interest Classification..."

Classification Research Group, "The Need for a Faceted Classification ...," pp. 154-167.

Buckland, "Filing, Filtering and the First Few Found."

Funkhouser & Vesper,"Let's Do Dewey." http://frank.mtsu.edu/~vvesper/dewey.html

What is an Artificial Neural Network?" http://www.nd.com/welcome/whatisnn.htm

Koch, "The Role of Classification Schemes ..., " http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/desire/classification/

Fox and Wilkerson, "Archival Processing." http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/introarchives/index.html

Olson & Boll, Subject Analysis in Online Catalogs, Chapter 7

Ranganathan, Colon Classification (1963 only)

Ranganathan, Elements of Classification

Taylor, Introduction to Cat & Class (the chapters on classification)

Lakoff, Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things, Chapter 1

Anderson, An Introduction to Neural Networks, pp. vii-xi, 1-15.

Vocabulary

• Accession number
• Broad classification
• Call number
• Category
• Classical theory of categorization
• Classification
• Classification notation
• Classification schedule
• Classification scheme
• Classification table
• Close classification
• Closed stacks
• Colon classification
• Cutter number
• Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
• Enumerative classification
• Expansive classification
• Facet
• Faceted classification
• Fixed location
• Fuzzy set theory of categorization
• Hierarchy
• Hierarchical classification
• Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
• Literary warrant
• Location device
• Notation
• Open stacks
• Prototype theory of categorization
• Relative location
• Shelving
• Scope note
• Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)

Course Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction and Environments
• Unit 2: Retrieval Tools & Current Systems
• Unit 3: Introduction to Metadata
• Unit 4: Encoding Standards
• Unit 5: Description
• Unit 6: Access & Authority Control
• Unit 7 : Aboutness & Subject Analysis
• Unit 8 : Vocabulary Control
• Unit 9 : Categorization, Classification, & Arrangement
• Unit 10: The Past
• Unit 11: The Future