Moumita Chowdhury (Roll No_17)A comparative study of DDC 22nd ed & DDC 23rd edition


From Broad Strokes to Fine Lines: How DDC 23 Elevates Book Classification

  (By Moumita Chowdhury)





Overview


The DDC scheme was devised in 1873 by Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) who was the Assistant College Librarian in Amherst College, New York, and was aged only twenty-two years. The scheme was prepared for the Amherst College Library, and was published anonymously in 1876.


Dewey (full name Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey) is famous not only as the father of modern library classification, but also as the father of the library movement in the USA. 


The first edition of DDC, published anonymously in 1876, was entitled A Classification and Subject Index, for Cataloguing and Arranging Books and Pamphlets of a Library. It was a slim volume of 42 pages, comprising 12 pages of introduce tory matter, 12 pages of schedules and 18 pages of index. The schedules enumerated 1000 subjects . The index contained 2600 entries. 

Subsequent editions have been the product of constant revision and expansion. So In 2003 DDC 22nd edition was published with a new revision . As new subjects are evolving again in 2011 , 23rd edition was published with Major changes not only for subjects but also for going to the depth of subjects & title analysis, and more user friendly. 


Comparative study of the 22nd & 2e editions :


Similarities 


  • Same basic structure: Both editions use the familiar 10 main classes, decimal numbers, and relative index to organise library materials.

  • Core areas the same: Most Dewey numbers for established topics remained the same. Like, history books are still in the 900s and novels are still in the 800s. 

  • Easy transition: If you know DDC 22, you can still understand and use DDC 23 with minimal adjustments. 


Differences


  • Changes in Table -The phrase “kinds of persons” is replaced with “groups of people”.The caption “Persons treatment” in table 1 at 092 is changed with “Biography”. In Table -6 -599 is expanded and many other new numbers are added in the 23rd edition. “people by gender or Sex ” also added. In areas where so many countries are added & different languages also. 


  • Changes in Schedules -The class number for general encyclopaedic works in Serbian and Croatian (037.82 in DDC 22) is bifurcated in 037.82 for Serbian and 037.83 for Croatian. The class number [001.432] is discontinued in DDC 23 and the class number for Historical methods already available at 907.2 is to be used.

Two new numbers 150.1985 for Personal construct psychology and 150.1988 for Positive Psychology are introduced in the psychology main class.

In religion class,The class numbers for creeds of Eastern Catholic churches relocated to 238.15, creeds of Saint Thomas Christian churches relocated to 238.154.

In the schedule of Technology, a large number of new numbers have been introduced.The number for Green technology 720.28 relocated to 720.47.

Maldivian literature 891.489; Pahari literature 891.496 are the few new class numbers introduced in the schedules of literature.

Historical periods of couple of countries have been revised and expanded in this edition of DDC. 

There are so many changes in 23rd edition, above mentioned changes are examples only. 


  • Clarification & Improvements :DDC 23 features more comprehensive and detailed instructions to aid accurate classification.The relative index was expanded to include additional terms and cross-references, making it easier to locate specific topics.

          


Conclusion 


Overall, the 23rd edition represents a significant step forward in DDC's evolution. It retains the strengths of its predecessor while offering greater flexibility, accuracy, and inclusivity in organizing and accessing knowledge in the 21st century. The impact on individual user experience will depend on their familiarity with the previous edition and their specific information needs.

 The comparative study indicates that DDC 23 is a worthy successor, building upon the legacy of the 22nd edition while embracing the evolution of knowledge and information access in the digital age. Its successful implementation will further solidify DDC's position as a vital tool for libraries and information professionals worldwide.



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