DR. K. M. SA1FUL ISLAM ismk99@yahoo.com

M.A.L.S. (Karachi, 1965), Ph.D. (Dhaka, 1987)
Professor and former Chairman
Department of Information Science and Library Management
University of Dhaka, Dhaka—1000, Bangladesh

Author of

‘A Bibliography on Nutrition in Bangladesh
1947-1977′, Bangladesh Medical Research
Council, Mohakhali, Dhaka; and  ‘A Code forr
Cataloguing and Indexing Bangladeshi,
Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist Names’.

KHAN AND SONS PUBLICATIONS
DHAKA
1991

No part of this publication can be reproduced or photocopied without the written permission of the author.
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Cover design ; Syed Abdul Karim
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Dhaka—1205.

Preface
Dewey Decimal Classification remains to be the most used scheme in tile ‘world today for classifying and organizing books in the libraries. Its first edition appeared in 1876 in 44 pages; 16th edition in 1958 in two volumes; and 19th edition in 1979 in three volumes (3384 pages). This enormous development in the text of the scheme, i.e. from 44 pages to 3384 pages signifies tremendous growth and expansion of human knowledge, subject areas and  production of books in the world, since the scheme develops based on the development of recorded thought, Consequent upon the expansion of the text, the Tables, number building rules, methods and devices have also developed culminating in acute complexities and problems in the use of the scheme itself. Following the widespread adoption of 19th edition of the scheme in the libraries of the world, librarians in Bangladesh also felt the necessity of its introduction to libraries in 1980s. Difficulties, however, arose in its use due to radical departure in the text of 19th edition from the 16th edition.

The Department of Library and Information Science, University of Dhaka also had to switch over to teaching 19th edition replacing 16th edition from 1988. Being a teacher of the subject this author felt the dire necessity to produce a practical manual in order to teach the subject effectively and to make the complex scheme easily comprehensible to post-graduate students. The present Manual was thus a result of the need of the time and was produced in mimeographed form in August-September, 1988. It must be mentioned that when the demand and necessity for a practical manual was acutely felt, till then, i.e. September, 1988, we came across in Bangladesh only one manual or guide, i.e. Jeanne Osborn’s Dewey Decimal Classification, 19th edition : a study manual, 1982 (366p.) which is indeed a huge treatise with theoretical discourse, shorn of being a practical manual. It was found to have merely clouded and complicated the issue instead of solving problems practically based on the features added to 19th edition. Bloomberg and Weber’s An Introduction.

With 18th edition of DDC. A recent useful addition to our stock is Dr Pushpa Dhyani’s Guide to Dewey Decimal classification, 1985 which covers both 18th and 19th editions and whose  presentation has striking synonymity with that of Bloomberg and Weber that keeps class numbers on the left hand and subject areas on the right making the number building process frequently either too lengthy or too short.

Another recent addition to our university library collection is Comaromi ana Warren’s Manual on the use of the Dewey Decimal Classification:  edition 19, published by  the Forest Press in 1982 which is, otherwise, the latest version of Guide to use of Dewey Decimal Classification, Forest Press, 1962, and is merely replete with “Definition notes”, “Including” notes, “Class here” notes, and “Note that” notes. None of these manuals or guides builds up numbers or solves problems based on classification rules, so any problem could be solved on the basis of rules inherent in DDC scheme. A great departure and novel approach was in Abu Bakr Siddiq’s DDC number building and number analysis: a mathematical synopsis, 1972 (reviewed by this author) which builds up class numbers based on rules. This was based on 16th edition, and is, however, almost redundant now. Nonetheless, of all the existing works, Dhyani’s Guide, to the mind of this author, remains to be the’ most useful, which could not, however, be used or consulted while writing the present Manualin 1988.

Subject reveals a big gap between the speed of expansion and volume of changes in the text of DDC scheme, and the classification devices or tools making the scheme useful or practically applicable to libraries or schools of library and information sciences.

The present Practical Manual was prepared to meet this gap, so the libraries and library schools in and outside Bangladesh could find it convenient to apply the 19th edition of DDC with ease and comprehension. It should be noted that in the present work emphasis has been laid on making those areas and features comprehensible to users that are added to 19th edition in particular. i.e. the use of seven Tables, and building of classification numbers using six Rules and seven sub-Rules with examples. Numbers have been built up with examples in such a way-step-by-step that the process is comprehensible even to a layman. And this is the style and novelty of this Manual. The author’s gratitude goes to Asia Foundation without whose financial assistance it would have been almost impossible to bring out the Manual in printed form and help free flow of information amongst the world of library and information scientists. An apology is due to the Lake Placid Education Foundation for reproducing the First and Second Summaries for the benefits of the users. The author would be thankful to those who find the manual useful for the comprehension and application of the 19th edition of the DDC scheme.

Documentation, information science
Dewey Decimal Classification, Melvil Dewey, University of Dhaka