Principles to Assigning DDC Notation (course notes)

Close classification- choosing notation that specifically matches the exact subject of and item (unabridged version of DDC)

Broad classification- notation that includes more than the exact subject of the item. (abridged DDC) -school libraries


Principles to Assigning DDC Notation

1. Be consistent and select the most specific number available
2. Consider the context-a carrot is botanical specimen and classified in the 500's but if cooked it should be considered a vegetable and placed in the 600's.
3. Make the number is complete -a book about soccer 796.334 versus a book on coaching soccer 796.33407 , the "07" stands for teaching.
4. Make sure notation is correct-use tables and references accurately.


Fundamental Steps involved in assigning DDC numbers:

*Examine the work to ensure that I understand the context of the topic being catalogued
*Formulate a statement in my own words that includes term(s) that state the subject of the material (eg. recipes using carrots)
*consult the relative index to DDC-use key words for my statement to get the correct classification umber
*Verify the term(s) in the schedules of DDC and assign the most appropriate notations (641.6 for cooking with carrots)
*Verify the notation in the catalogue to see if it is the most consistent with existing items.