College and Research Libraries


cation for the arrangement of books on the 
shelves of general libraries" looks like. But 
it is likely to be one of the less practical 
ventures in classification.-Maurice F. Tau-
ber, Columbia University. 

Classifiers' Guide 
Guide to Use of Dewey Decimal Classifica-

tion, Based on the Practice of the Deci-
mal Classification Office at the Library of 
Congress. Lake Placid Club, N.Y.: Forest 
Press, 1962. 133p. $5.00. 

This Guide represents selective publica-
tion of the "manual of Decimal Classifica-
tion Office practices," developed over the 
years by the most influential interpreter of 
the DC system. To prevent greater size than 
the schedules, the contents were chosen by 
rule of the Decimal Classification Editorial 
Policy Committee that "the Guide should be 
concise and practical rather than theoretical 
or historical." Space is saved by printing in-
formation at one .number only and refer-
ring from others. The entries are typical 
rather than exhaustively specific, depending 
upon analogy and judgment in their applica-
tion. The confusion which follows such ad-
vice is reduced by numerous ad hoc de-
cisions on what to do "when in doubt." 
Thus the collective biography of 920.02 is to 
be preferred to the universal variety of 
920.01, which "must be very inclusive." But 
errors due to differences of experience and 
confidence will cause less separation here 
than in the choice between 311.2 (Statistical 
techniques) and 519.9 (Sampling methods), 
where no such final preference is suggested. 

To judge this procedure manual with-
in the limits of its stated purpose, we must 
applaud its timely and useful compilation. 
The aim to be concise is attained. Index and 
explanatory headings were omitted, as was 
virtually everything available in the sched-
ules. The cost for this simplicity lies in the 

· reference that must be made from one work 
to the other. The similarity of style and for-
mat make transition from schedules to Guide 
easier. But having gone this far, another step 
seems needed. 

The Guide refers principally to edition 
sixteen of the classification, and the sound 
of seventeen· which rises in the distance 
heralds obsolescence. We should encourage 

publication of this work, incorporated with-
in the tables and introductory material of 
DC. This would be comparable to merging 
the present Decimal Classification Additions, 
Notes, and Decisions into the next edition of 
Dewey. 

By eschewing the theoretical, the Guide 
seldom tells us why a thing is done. Thus, at 
808.831, we are told that collections of short 
stories from many literatures have this num-
ber, but collections from a specific literature 
must go with other fiction. One exception is 

. the statement of two reasons for keeping 
civil service examinations together in 351.3, 
although this is "contrary to the general 
principle of classification by most specific 
subject." Elsewhere, contradictions are noted 
but not explained. 

Historical or personal reasons for practices 
are avoided, "interesting tho it might be 
to deal with these subjects." Some entries, 
marked "History," explain differences be- , 
tween various editions which have been 
bases for DC numbers on LC cards. Occa-
sional social commentary appears, as when 
explaining recent separation of sociological, 
psychological, or medical aspects of topics 
long grouped. in the I 70's under ethics. 

Only once are we reminded of the con-
nection between DC numbers and assign-
ment of LC subject headings. The entry 
under 327 points out: "The Library of 
Congress subject heading usually includes 
'relations (general).' " Such service, admitted-
ly, is not within the purpose of the Edi-
torial Policy Committee. But it should not 
be overlooked that the present location, at 
the Library of Congress, of the office re-
sponsible for both editing and applying the 
DC offers an opportunity for integrating 
the two subsystems (DC classification with 
LC subject headings), which in many librar-
ies are but parts of a single cataloging ac-
tivity. The appearance of this Guide also 
points out the need for similar publication 
by the subject cataloging division of some 
current procedures and extended-scope notes 
for assigning LC subject headings. 

Some theoretical aspects of classification 
do appear in "General Principles and Pro-
cedures," the twenty-one major subdivisions 
of which are best located by a summary table 
of contents. These rules are reminiscent of 
W. S. Merrill's Code for Classifiers (included 
by the Guide in a bibliography of twenty 

78 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



items useful to the classifier). Form divisions 
are given seven pages of attention, but the 
need is felt for even more elaboration on 
the use of these all-pervasive "floating ta-
bles." Complete absence of any graphic aids 
to DC is everywhere apparent, but especially 
in this section, which would benefit from 
tabular display. At scattered spots, order of 
preference is recorded (e.g., at Form Divi-
sions A and Form Divisions 061-063 A). The 
provision of a precedence table, comparing 

'all possible pairs of numbers would give 
more clarity at a glance than is now possible. 

There is need for check lists of questions 
the classifier should ask as each number is 
built: (Is the basic number more than five 
digits long? If so, see Form Division F (1). If 
not, continue.) That the Decimal Classifica-
tion Office does recognize the utility of se-
quential instruction is apparent in Gen-
eral Principles and Procedures XA (Number 
Building), which gives a five-step procedure 
for preventing "divide like" instructions 
from going sour. 

To examine this book outside its universe 
might yield as unsubstantial results as the re-
view of a telephone directory which found 
it to be strong in its characters but weak in 
plot. It might be worthwhile, however, to 
emphasize the attitude revealed by the title. 
This work is not a guide to use of DC by 
readers. It is instead, as we take for granted, 
a guide to use by classifiers. Godfrey Dewey, 
in his preface, specifically points to "the 
classifier, the user of the classification." The 
book describes the input operations to the 
system, but concerns itself little, if at all, 
with any eventual output requirements. Only 
by accepting this inner perspective can the 
practices of the Guide be viewed as neces-
sarily practical. But the world at large and 
nonlibrarians in particular refuse to abide 
by this rule. They will judge the practices 
and the Guide according to the facility or 
limitation it offers on their ability to find 
books. A basic limitation is the subordination 
of geographical to subject aspects, when an 
area program wishes to collect subject in-
formation relating to a given area. Each of 
us must make two separate evaluations of 
this book: first, how well it has accomplished 
what it set out to do, and second, what ef-
fect it will have when we put it into practice. 
The answers may be a world apart.-Earl 
Farley~ University of Kansas Libraries. 

JANUARY 1963 

Science Bibliography 
American Scientific Books 1960-1962. Ed. by 

Phyllis B. Steckler. 'New York: Bowker, 
1962. 474p. $10. 

Every librarian with an interest in scien-
tific and technical books will want to own, 
or have ready access to, at least one copy of 
this handy bibliography which contains a 
wealth of information on some eight thou-
sand selected entries cumulated from the 
monthly issues of the American Book Pub-
lishing Record (] anuary 1960 to March 
1962). This, according to the publisher, 
marks the first cumulation in any subject 
area from the well-known Bowker publica-
tion. 

Entries are arranged principally by Dewey 
Decimal classification headings. The form of 
entry, in general, follows that used by the 
Library of Congress for its catalog cards and 
includes author, title, publisher, price, and 
catalog card number. In addition, brief de-
scriptive annotations are included with many 
of the entries. Author and title indexes also 
are provided. 

Some fastidious individuals will find the 
title of this bibliography to be in slight dis-
agreement with the actual content. For, in 
fact, the ·books are not all American (books 
written by foreign authors and printed 
abroad but offered for sale in this country 
through a single designated agent are in-
cluded) , titles included are not all scien-
tific (a majority of the books would be 
classed as medical and technical), items 
other than books are listed (several small 
pamphlets and other nonbook materials are 
included), and finally, the majority of the 
books appear to have been published in 
1959-1961. 

It would serve no useful purpose to refer 
in detail to each of the minor errors or mis-
prints noted. In a few cases the prices given 
are not current, but the differences are 
slight and of little consequence. 

In spite of the fact that this bibliography 
contains no information that was not previ-
ously available, the very convenience of this 
cumulation will make the volume a valuable 
addition to the reference bookshelf.-John 
Sherrod, Science and Technology Division, 
Library of Congress. • • 

79