Academy of Wisdom
Classification systems, ISBN, editions, publishing — understand how books work as a system
The secret behind library shelf numbers. KDC and DDC -- books have addresses too.
Objectives
- Understand the basic structure of library classification systems (KDC/DDC)
- Identify a book's subject area just by looking at the shelf number
- Use classification numbers to find the books you want
Visit a bookstore and a library, and you'll notice completely different approaches to arranging books. Bookstores arrange by marketing logic -- new releases section, bestseller displays, staff picks. They need to sell, so the most marketable books go in the most visible spots.
Libraries are different. Libraries arrange by the structure of knowledge. Philosophy with philosophy, science with science, literature with literature. When hundreds of thousands of volumes fill a space, you need a unique address for each book to find the one you want within three minutes.
That address is the classification number.