Write an essay on Colon Classification discussing its features and structure
Colon Classification is one of the most systematic schemes of
Library Classifications used in many libraries in India and a few libraries
abroad as well. This was devised by the late Dr. S.R. Ranganathan. He found the
existing scheme of library classification unable to cope with the
multidimensional dynamic growth of universe of subjects. Colon Classification
proceeds in a different manner in spite of enumerating all possible subjects
and their sub-divisions, it analyses the subject in its various components and
places them under five fundamental categories known as personality, matter,
energy, space and time.
GENESIS OF COLON CLASSIFICATION
Ranganathan was a mathematics lecturer. It was a mere accident that he was appointed Librarian of the Madras University Library in the year 1924. He was soon deputed to Britain for an observational tour of British libraries. While in Britain he also attended classes in the School of Librarianship, University of London. Berwick Sayers, known as' the grammarian of library classification, was one of the teachers at the School. During his tour of Britain; Ranganathan visited several libraries and was quick to notice the lacunae in the classification schemes in use then. A chance visit to a departmental store in London gave Ranganathan a clue for evolving a scheme of classification. He saw the demonstration of a toy called meccano set.
The meccano set consists of several slotted strips, rods, wheels, screws, nuts and bolts with which several different models could be made. This gave him the idea that in a classification scheme there should be standard units that could be joined by connecting symbols. Ranganathan's standard units resembled the strips and his connecting symbols resembled the nuts and bolts of the meccano set. The standard units became the schedules. Thus, a class number could be constructed with the different elements enumerated in the schedules with a connecting symbol and he chose the colon as t
he connecting symbol. This was, dip, Ranganathan's conception of Colon Classification. The foundation of Colon Classification was laid in Britain in the year 1924. In 1925, his journey back to India gave Ranganathan ample time to work on the schedules. The library on the ship he was travelling in and the Madras University Library's book catalogue, which he was carrying with him served as the working equipment for him.
Write an essay on Colon Classification discussing its features
and structure
To connect or to synthesize the various components of a
subject, different connection symbols have been provided. Readymade class
numbers are also available, but to build a class number, one has to analyze and
pick up the possible isolates belonging to different fundamental categories
which are then put together with the help appropriate connecting symbols. Colon
Classification involves analysis and synthesis that is why it is known as the
‘Analytico-synthetic’ scheme of classification. The number building makes the
scheme somewhat complicated and difficult to work with, but once understood and
followed it works efficiently and effectively.
Colon Classification:
Colon Classification (CC) is the brain – child of Shiyali
Rarnamrita Ranganathan. It was first published in the year 1933 (Ranganathan,
1933). Till now seven editions of CC have been published. The seven editions as
per their features are grouped in three groups called versions (Gopinath,
1976).
The postulational approach: The universe of subjects as
represented by documents is multidimensional. However, the documents can be
arranged on the library shelves only in a linear manner. It is difficult to
arrange the multidimensional universe of subjects in an uni-dimensional way. To
overcome this difficulty Ranganathan resorted to the postulational approach.
‘A postulate is a statement about which we cannot use either
of the epithets ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. We can only speak of a set of postulate as
helpful or unhelpful’ (Ranganathan, 1962). Gopinath discusses postulational
approach and believes that it has provided objectivity and scientific basis to
CC (Gopinath, 1986). M. M. Kashyap reviews development and impact of
postulational approach (Kashyap, 1986).
Postulate of Fundamental Categories: Ranganathan has
based his CC on many postulates. The postulate of fundamental categories is one
of them. According to Ranganathan there are five and only five fundamental
categories- viz. Time, Space, Energy, Matter and Personality, which are defined
by enumeration only (Ranganathan, 1989d).
Write an essay on Colon Classification discussing its features
and structure
The number of categories, however, differ from person to
person (Seetharama, 1972). These categories being postulates have no scientific
justification but are extremely useful in library classification. Ranganathan
not only enumerated the fundamental categories but also recommended their
sequence as PMEST. Hemalata Iyer analyzes this sequence in the context of user
preferences. (Iyer, 1986). Based on the fundamental categories, Ranganathan
developed the concept of facet analysis. Facet analysis is useful in designing
faceted / analytico-synthetic classification schemes. Facet analysis has many
more applications which are described by Devadasan (1986). The terms
representing fundamental categories may have different meanings in different
subjects, however Ranganathan used them with a specific context i.e.
Personality:
Personality covers manifestations of wholeness, for example,
chemical compounds, plants and animals and parts of them, languages religions,
etc. The other Fundamental Categories are attributes of Personality.
Without Personality, there can be no organ, constituent,
attribute, action, reaction or incidence in space and time. Personality forms
the basis, the host, locus of all other categories. In the main class ‘library
and information science’ (LIS) concepts like libraries, information sources,
library personnel, and users form the locus to the other fundamental
categories. That is the reason these isolates belong to the fundamental
category, Personality.
The fundamental category, Personality presents great
difficulty in its identification. It is too elusive. It is ineffable
(Ranganathan, 1989e). As it is difficult to identify the fundamental category,
Personality, Ranganathan suggested the ‘method of residues’ for its
identification.
Norman Roberts provides a definitional analysis of
Personality and discusses the limitations of this concept (Roberts, 1969).
Foskett (1961) and Grolier (1962) provide a critical evaluation of Personality.
Write an essay on Colon Classification discussing its features
and structure
Matter:
Since the recent past name of the fundamental category Matter
is replaced by Matter Property [MP]. Initially, as Ranganathan claimed this
fundamental category represented materials only. Later on two more manifestations
of this category were identified, i.e. Matter Property and Matter Method.
(Ranganathan, 1971). Library activities like classification, cataloguing,
circulation, etc. for example, represent the property of the Personality of the
library. So they belonged to Matter facet. The fundamental category Matter
Method mostly manifests in science and technology subjects. For example in the
main class ‘geology’ isolates like ‘mechanical, seismological’, etc. manifest
as Matter Method isolates. Neelameghan and Gopinath (1967) discuss the problems
in grouping of [MP] isolates and solutions thereto.
ALSO READ:-
Colon Classification is a freely faceted and analytico- synthetic scheme of classification. It has been developed on a well-thought out theoretical foundation. A lot of research preceded the formulation of postulates and principles. The five fundamental categories (P M E S T) are the basis for analysis in CC. Similarly, facetisation is the basis for synthesis in CC. Several principles have been worked out for the facet sequence.
The devices - chronological, geographical, subject and alphabetical - used in CC have provided a high potential for forming new isolates and sharpening the existing isolates. The CC notation is, thus, very rich in hospitality.
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