[Koha-devel] Re: [Koha] Re: DDC and LC classification - 2 cents more
Stephen Hedges
shedges at athenscounty.lib.oh.us
Wed Jun 18 19:53:46 NZST 2003
I thought it would show whatever you put in. If you put in an LC number,
that's what you get out. The problem is being able to put an LC number in,
right?
Stephen Hedges
> Yes, any real marc or later record should have
> it, but what I was trying to
> stress (and yes I am starting to get stressed)!
> You have to have koha have the
> ability to use that information for those of us
> in the upper educational and
> scientific community AND NOT HAVE IT SHOWING
> DEWEY!
>
> This must be an easy to change option for the
> library involved that should
> be selectable at startup/install time.
>
> The library that is to use the software should
> not have to write any scripts,
> recode something, or go to any other effort than
> to indicate during install
> if they wish Dewey or lc.
>
> Ed!
>
>
> > Subj:[Koha-devel] Re: [Koha] Re: DDC and LC
> classification - 2 cents more
> > Date:6/17/2003 5:56:21 PM US Mountain Standard
> Time
> > From:<A
> HREF="mailto:albert.p.calame at sympatico.ca">albert.
> p.calame at sympatico.ca</a>
> > To:<A
> HREF="mailto:koha at lists.katipo.co.nz">koha at lists.k
> atipo.co.nz</a>, <A HREF="mailto:koha-
> devel at lists.sourceforge.net">koha-
> devel at lists.sourceforge.net</a>
> > Sent from the Internet
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi All!
> > We may be missing the point with this
> discussion. Firstly, while DDC
> > uses mostly a single Classification Number that
> could fit on a single line
> > (There are a few cases, as with Shakespeare,
> where an additional line with a
> > special additional code is used to bring out a
> specific play), a Call Number
> > is not equal to a Classification Number. The
> Call Number on a book or other
> > item is intended to assist in the location of
> items where they have been
> > stored (typically books on shelves), however
> the Classification Number is
> > just a part of the whole Call Number. As
> Steven mentions below, most
> > libraries add prefixes to indicate shelving
> locations and add an additional
> > line to indicate the Author or Biographee. The
> Dewey Number can vary in
> > length from 2 to probably 20 characters, and in
> such cases, often the number
> > will be split between more than one line
> (average spine labels are only
> > about 10 characters wide).
> >
> > In the case of LC Classification, Call
> numbers usually have 4 lines -
> > two for Classification, one for Date (the three
> Steven has below) and most
> > often a line for Cutter Number (a code for
> Author similar in function to the
> > Dewey Author line). Here, too, there may be a
> prefix to make up the entire
> > Call Number.
> >
> > In both cases, the classification number
> tries to group materials on
> > like subjects together so that they are easier
> to locate.
> >
> > I _don't_ see, however, the need within
> koha to give the older non-MARC
> > data structure the additional structures needed
> to store LC Call Numbers,
> > when any of the MARC structures can do so very
> well - indeed the required
> > subfields are already in place. I would be
> surprised if a library that is
> > using LC Classification would want to establish
> their database in other than
> > MARC structure, especially when we realize that
> the source of records that
> > the typical academic and scientific libraries
> that use LC would use to build
> > their catalogues are most likely to be in MARC
> structure to start with. Why
> > convert the data to a new structure when koha
> will store it in the original
> > structure to start with?
> >
> > I understand that some librarians may not
> particularly care to use MARC,
> > I used to be one of them! But it is the de
> facto standard for the exchange
> > of bibliographic data. It does have all the
> fields and subfields already
> > defined to do the job for us. It has built-in
> flexibility to meet any
> > special needs we may have. It doesn't take too
> long to come to appreciate
> > that the MARC21 structure does let you do
> whatever you need to. It only
> > requires that you study a bit to get used to it
> at first. Non cataloguers
> > likely would think I'm a bit batty for even
> wanting to!;-) More
> > importantly, however, why re-invent the wheel?
> >
> > The MARC21 structure provides for this by
> having several subfields
> > devoted to that specific information. As
> > long as the fields can contain enough data (I
> suggest 16 characters (maybe
> > 20) to account for even the longest Dewey
> likely to be used with 12 places
> > after the decimal , or possibly for a complete
> surname which is sometimes
> > entered in the case of a biography [some names
> could well exceed the 16
> > chars]). {MARC structure gives a maximum field
> length for any field of 9999
> > characters, so each subfield could be greater
> than the minimums I mention
> > above .}Those subfields are:
> >
> > Tag 852 with subfields -
> >
> > $h - Classification part (NR) (Dewey or LC
> Classification numbers, such
> > Alpha Classification as E for Easy, B for
> Biography,etc.)
> > $i - Item part (R) (Used for author letters,
> cutter numbers, or sometimes
> > biographees last names)
> > $k - Call number prefix (R) (Like REF for
> reference collections, etc)
> > $m - Call number suffix (R)
> > $t - Copy number (NR)
> >
> > [This information comes from the MARC
> Standards page at the Library of
> > Congress Web page with my comments in
> parentheses after the designation of
> > repeatable or non repeatable]
> >
> > The MARC structure, with subfields k, i,
> and m as repeatable does take
> > care of places to store the Call Numbers
> appropriately. The only problem I
> > can see is that the biblioitems table needs to
> be able to store the
> > information
> > in the same way, and koha needs to be able to
> display the repeatable
> > subfields appropriately also. Display order
> would normally be:
> > k, h, i, m, t.
> >
> > Display has always been a problem with
> fields that may be longer that
> > would fit on a single line of a label, hence
> the addition of break
> > characters that you may see sometimes as
> apostrophes in the middle of long
> > Dewey Class numbers.
> >
> >
> > Let's make sure, however, that when it
> comes time to display or print
> > the Call Numbers, whether with LC or DDC, that
> we have stored in koha, that
> > we can do so properly, and would be able to
> actually print new spine labels
> > for books or other items.
> > This would be a better use of programming time,
> imho, than to add additional
> > structures to the non-MARC structured database
> in koha for LC users.
> >
> > That's my 2 cents worth!
> >
> > Regards,
> > Al Calame
> >
> > Library Automation Consultant,
> > Librarian-at-Large,
> > Albert P. Calame Consulting
> > Montreal, Québec, Canada
> >
> > 514-745-3424
> > albert.p.calame at sympatico.ca
> >
> >
> > Original Message -----
> > From: "Stephen Hedges"
> <shedges at athenscounty.lib.oh.us>
> > To: <ABanks at buscominc.com>
> > Cc: <koha at lists.katipo.co.nz>; <koha-
> devel at lists.sourceforge.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 6:22 PM
> > Subject: [Koha] Re: DDC and LC classification
> >
> >
> > > For starters, here's a good place to learn
> how Dewey Decimal
> > Classification
> > > (DDC) works:
> > >
> > >
> http://www.oclc.org/oclc/fp/about/about_the_ddc.ht
> m
> > >
> > > If you look at this URL and the ones Rob
> sent, it looks like DDC always
> > fits on
> > > one line, while LC can run to as many as five
> lines. That's true in a
> > > theoretical world. In the real world,
> libraries muck around and add other
> > > stuff, to help the people who have to stick
> the books back on the shelves.
> > >
> > > Here's an example. The copy of The Chicago
> Manual of Style I have beside
> > me
> > > has the Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-
> Publication (CIP) data printed
> > > inside the fly leaf. It says that the
> "official" classifications are as
> > > follows:
> > >
> > > LC would be -
> > > Z253
> > > U69
> > > 1993
> > >
> > > DDC would be -
> > > 808 or 808.027 or 808.0270973 if I'm
> really picky.
> > >
> > > Looks like 3 lines for LC and 1 line for
> DDC.
> > >
> > > But in practice, it's hard for humans to keep
> a long string of numbers
> > straight
> > > and in order when re-shelving books, so most
> libraries that use DDC do
> > what my
> > > library does -- add an extra line with the
> first two letters of the title
> > or
> > > the author's name under a _short_ Dewey
> number. So the spine label on
> > this
> > > particular book reads:
> > > 808
> > > Ch
> > > instead of
> > > 808.0270973
> > >
> > > Now it gets really fun! Many libraries also
> add stuff _before_ the Dewey
> > > number, like AB for audiobooks or YA for
> young adult or J for juvenile or
> > > junior. (LC libraries sometimes do this,
> too.) Yeah, they're really
> > > categories and shouldn't be part of the call
> number. But again, they help
> > > humans find, retrieve, and replace stuff on
> library shelves. Practice
> > > supercedes theory once again!
> > >
> > > But to get to the point, five lines should be
> quite enough for most
> > purposes,
> > > for either LC or DDC. I'm sure someone will
> disagree, but any library
> > that
> > > thinks it has to have six lines probably
> needs some discipline!
> > >
> > > Stephen Hedges
> > > (Nelsonville Public Library)
> > >
> > > > I've been working on SQL phrasebooks to
> enable
> > > > multiple backend DB support. I would be
> happy to
> > > > help with changing these fields around.
> > > >
> > > > Since my knowledge of library science is
> pretty
> > > > much limited to what I've learned off of
> this
> > > > list, could someone step up to the plate to
> do
> > > > some research on the type and number of
> fields
> > > > needed?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Chris Cormack <chris at katipo.co.nz>
> > > > Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:29 pm
> > > > Subject: Re: [Koha] More questions -
> another 2
> > > > cents worth
> > > >
> > > > > I think there may be some confusion
> between a
> > > > lccn number (library of
> > > > > congress control number) and library of
> > > > congress call numbers. If I
> > > > > understand correctly, a lccn number is
> single
> > > > unique number used
> > > > > to identify
> > > > > a specific title, kind of like a serial
> number.
> > > > However,
> > > > > (librarians, please
> > > > > correct me if I'm wrong) lccn numbers are
> not
> > > > used for cataloging and
> > > > > shelving books in a library that used the
> LC
> > > > system. Instead there
> > > > > are a
> > > > > series of four or five lines of call
> numbers
> > > > that are used instead.
> > > > >
> > > > > Rather than try to explain it, let me
> refer you
> > > > to
> > > > >
> > > >
> http://www.lib.ksu.edu/instructional/understanding
>
> > > > lccn/webcall2.html or
> > > > >
> > > >
> http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/education/hcc/library/ca
>
> > > > llno.html for some
> > > > > explanation and samples of LC call
> numbers.
> > > > >
> > > > > The problem is that koha doesn't
> currently have
> > > > adequate fields of the
> > > > > proper type for storing these four or
> five
> > > > lines of information in the
> > > > > database (I think there are such fields
> in the
> > > > MARC tables, but
> > > > > not in the
> > > > > basic koha tables). I agree that
> accommodating
> > > > the different
> > > > > catalogingsystems is a template issue,
> but feel
> > > > that the necessary
> > > > > fields need to be
> > > > > in place in the database tables first. I
> had
> > > > actually emailed the
> > > > > development list on this same issue a
> couple
> > > > weeks ago (subject:
> > > > > inflexiblefield types for call numbers).
> > > > >
> > > > > My recommendation would be that we survey
> as
> > > > many knowledgeable
> > > > > librariansas possible to find out how
> many
> > > > fields are necessary
> > > > > for storing call
> > > > > numbers under the various systems, what
> the
> > > > maximum length of each
> > > > > needs to
> > > > > be, and then add those fields to the
> database
> > > > tables (unless the
> > > > > programmerscould suggest existing fields
> that
> > > > can be used). I
> > > > > think if there were four
> > > > > or five flexible fields for storing call
> number
> > > > information, then
> > > > > indeedkoha could be adapted to almost
> any
> > > > cataloging system by
> > > > > reworking the
> > > > > templates.
> > > > >
> > > > > Rob
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Chris Cormack"
> <chris at katipo.co.nz>
> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:20 AM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Koha] More questions -
> another 2
> > > > cents worth
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > We do have an lccn field in the koha
> > > > database. And you can load
> > > > > data into
> > > > > > it, its currently not displaying or
> > > > searchable yet though. This
> > > > > is a
> > > > > > templating issue, im sure we could
> change it
> > > > quite fast.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> _______________________________________________
> > > > > Koha mailing list
> > > > > Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
> > > > >
> > > >
> http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> _______________________________________________
> > > > Koha mailing list
> > > > Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
> > > >
> http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
> > > >
> > >
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> > > Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
> > >
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> >
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>
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>
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