Wk.+12+Practice+Classification




 * READ **
 * ** Chapter 6 - Classification ** (Skim pp. 99-104)
 * ** 082 $a Dewey Decimal Classification Number ** Tag of the Month (Follett) []
 * ** 092 $a Dewey Decimal Classification Numbe ** r []
 * **For a more in-depth discussion of how to assign Dewey numbers see the link in this wiki "Dewey Numbers." **

While the dividing line between LC and Sears subject headings may not always be clear, the classification scheme that you will use will most assuredly be the Dewey Decimal System. In this chapter pay attention to the discussion about LC but pay particular scrutiny to the sections on Dewey. Since none of you are going to start a collection from scratch, you will want to compare Dewey numbers of new material to material in the collection. You generally want to have new items added to the collection with topics you already have in the same Dewey area. As with assigning subjects, classifying material is just as much art as it is science. You will see numerous instances where catalogers don't agree on the same Dewey number.

6G (pp. 104-105) Using Classify, //Sears// or your favorite copy cataloging source what Dewey numbers would you give for the topics? (The Library of Congress does not have Dewey numbers as part of the MARC record.)
 * PRACTICE 1 **


 * For the purposes of this class, do not expect that you will have a detailed Dewey number with numerous digits after the decimal. See if you can get the number BEFORE the decimal. The numbers after the decimal are classifying the item closer than you will do so in a school library, for the most part. **

Compare your answers to p. 151. How did you do? (You don't need to turn the practice for 6G as the answers are in the text.)


 * PRACTICE 2 and PRACTICE 3 - TURN IN YOUR PRACTICE ON BLACKBOARD TO COMPARE WITH OTHERS IN THE CLASS**


 * PRACTICE 2.** Now, give the classification numbers for the following Google Books. You'll notice that there are subjects listed at the bottom of the page to help you (but be careful -- some of the subjects are a bit odd -- take time to get a feeling for what the book is about before deciding.)
 * Title || Author || URL ||
 * Answer Them Nothing || Debra Weyermann || [] ||
 * Americans in Paris: Life and Death under Nazi Occupation || Charles Glass || [] ||
 * Grimm’s Fairy Tales || Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm || [] ||
 * Einstein’s Theories of Relativity and Gravitation || Albert Einstein || [] ||
 * An Essay Concerning Human Understanding || John Locke || [] ||
 * Tiger Woods || Jason Glaser || [] ||
 * Growing Vegetable Soup || Lois Ehlert || [] ||
 * The Prophet || Kahil Gibran || [] ||
 * The Prince || Niccoló Machiavelli || [] ||

**PRACTICE 3.** Because Dewey numbers and subject tracings are so closely related for this last practice come up with a **Dewey classification number for each** of the following as well as **2** **subject headings for each**. Format the subject headings as you would in a MARC record. For example instead of


 * Beverly Sills--Biography give me
 * $600 $a Sills, Beverly $x Biography.

EXPLAIN your thought process for assigning that number. What did you search for in order to come up with the number?


 * // The Blue Skunk Blog // by Doug Johnson []
 * // Beverly Sills // by Larry Strachan []
 * Mimidex: Free Online Dictionary/Thesaurus and More []
 * // God on Trial // [] (You would be assigning a Dewey number to the motion picture.)
 * // African Trade Networks (Wonders of Africa Series). // To get the information about what to catalog about this video, you have the teacher's guide that came with the video: [] ; here is where you ordered the video from []
 * // The Very Hungry Caterpillar // - a video that you ordered from Amazon. []

HOW I AM GOING TO CHECK YOUR DEWEY NUMBERS AND SUBJECT TRACINGS
 * Go to a source like Access Pennsylvania and search by Dewey number to see if your classification number seems reasonable based on other items in this database
 * Go to OCLC Classify < [] >, type in the subject that you are cataloging; click on the subject heading with the highest number of results; click on an appropriate title for the subject heading and look at the Summary for that subject. Here is an example of what searching "information literacy" tells me as the most common Dewey number associated with this subject heading is 028.7 (almost 100% of the time)
 * Use the Expert Search in WorldCat  and search on the Dewey number to see if you are in the right ball park. Here's how: < http://screencast.com/t/diRsWuHXI>.

Turn in your answers for practices 2 and 3 in a word processing document or a link to a Google Doc in a word processing document and upload your results to the DISCUSSION BOARD section of Blackboard. Discuss any revelations or problems that you had with the practice set. Compare your answers and fuss with each other about the differences you have in the Dewey numbers you have assigned.

= How I check your Dewey Classification Number = Screencast: http://screencast.com/t/zmZL6MXyIVi Screencast: http://screencast.com/t/IA71VhBkiq

I generally to go MOBIUS, OhioLink, or Library of Congress to check the formation of and the accuracy of your DDC. The screencasts above show you how I go about it.