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Colon Classification: Origin, Development and Future Prospects

Author: M.P. Satija Sukhbir Singh Jhand

Rs. 1275

Additional information

ISBN 9789392594663
Year of Publication 2023
Binding HardBound
Pages 315
Edition
Language English
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Colon Classification (CC) is not considered among the living three ‘big’ library classifications, namely the Dewey decimal, Universal decimal, and Library of Congress classifications. Indeed, it is not big in popularity of use, but is greater in stature and influence than any other library classification. Designed by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan (1892-1972), the acknowledged greatest librarian of his time, the CC was the only truly faceted and groundbreaking system of classification when published in 1933—the first real breakthrough since 1876. Its concepts and methods both were revolutionary which took time to be noticed seriously and more than two decades to be accepted as method for all information retrieval by those who mattered. Since then, its method of ‘Facet Analysis’ and concept of ‘Fundamental Categories’ have continuously been developed not only in India, but abroad too, especially by the London-based Classification Research Group (CRG). From there it intrigued the best brains of our profession throughout the world.

This book dwells on to explore the forces responsible for the birth and currents that developed and shaped Colon Classification through its various editions. It further attempts to study its  definite and visible influence on the later editions of systems of the pre-existing classifications like DDC, UDC, and the other schemes those followed CC such as BBK, BC-2 and BSO. Special classifications such as the London Education Classification, British Catalogue of Music, British Technology Index designed on its methods are numerous. A chronology of CC from 1924 to 2024 is its unique feature. The book appeals to work for the future revisions of the CC and suggests several ways and means for its resurrection, practical use and sustainability. It is a national heritage which must be preserved and perpetuated.

Preface
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations
1 Influences on Colon Classification 
1. Influence of Personalities 
1.1. Edward B. Ross (1881-1947) 
1.2. Professor S. KuppuswamiSastri (1880-1943) 
1.3. E.C.Richardson (1860-1939) 
1.4. W. C. Berwick Sayers (1881-1960) 
1.4.1. Influence of Sayers was both overt
and covert. 
1.4.2. Equivalence between the canons of
Sayers and Ranganathan 
1.5. H. E. Bliss (1870-1955) 
1.6. Childhood and Religious Influences 
1.6.1. Role of Hindu Saints and Scriptures 
2. Influence of Classification Systems 
2.1. Influence of the DDC 
2.1.1. DDC as the Practical Guide for the CC 
2.1.2. Use of Decimal Fraction Notation 
2.1.3. ’Sector Device’ of CC and ‘Other Device’
of DDC 
2.1.4. Use of Synthesis in DDC and CC 
2.1.5. Mnemonics in DDC and CC 
2.2. Influence of UDC 
2.2.1. Use of Synthesis in UDC and CC 
2.2.2. Use of other Symbols 
3. Influence of Mathematics on Colon Classification 
3.1. General Aspects of Mathematics Used in the CC 
3.1.1. Mathematics as a Field 
3.2. Postulational Method 
3.3. Use of Ordinal Numbers in Classification 
3.4. Group Theory/Set Theory and Classification 
3.5. Three Planes of Work 
3.6. Facets and Infinite Dimensions 
3.7. Mapping Facets of Subjects to a Notation 
3.8. Frequent use of Mathematical Signs and Symbols 
2 Genesis and Development of Colon Classification 
1. Genesis 
1.1. The Use of Symbol (:) Colon as “Greater Zero” 
1.2. Role of Intuition and Creativity 
1.3. Other Factors 
2. Development of Colon Classification 
2.0. Development of Version-1 
2.1. First Edition of CC (CC-1) 
2.1.1. Publication of CC-1 
2.1.2. Salient Features of CC-1 
2.1.3. Order of Main Classes in CC1 
2.1.4. Comparison with the Tree of Porphyry 
2.2. Second Edition of CC (CC2) 
2.2.1. Introduction of New Main Class 
2.2.2. Widening the Scope of Main Class ‘M’ 
2.2.3. Changes in Terminology 
2.3. Third Edition of CC (CC3) 
3. Development of Version-2 
3.1. Fourth Edition of CC (1952) 
3.2. Fifth Edition of CC (1957) 
3.3. Sixth Edition of CC (CC6) 
3.3.1. Sixth Edition (reprinted in 1963) 
3.3.2. Sixth Reprinted Edition (reprinted in 1969) 
4. Version-3 of CC (CC7) 
4.1. Use of Alphabetical Device 
4.2. Work in Three Planes 
4.2.1. Changes in the Idea Plane 
4.2.2. Changes in the Verbal Plane 
4.2.3. Changes in the Notational Plane 
4.2.4. Changes in Zones 
4.2.5. Other Changes in CC7 
3 Conceptual Developments in Colon Classification 
1. Development of Terminology 
1.1. Terminology Before Colon Classification 
1.2. Terminology of Version-1 (CC1 to CC3:1933-1950) 
1.3. Version-2 (1952-1969) 
1.4. Version-3 
1.5. Terminology for Main Classes 
2. Development of Main Classes 
2.1. Main Classes and Basic Subjects 
2.2. Definition of a Main Class 
2.3. Formation of Main Classes 
2.4. Main Classes of the CC 
2.4.1. Version-1 
2.4.2. Main Class Sequence of CC 
2.5. Version-2 
2.6. Version-3 
3. Development of Canons, Principles and Postulates 
3.1. Basic Laws 
3.2. Laws of Library Science 
3.3. Canons, Principles and Postulates 
4. Development of Notation 
4.1. Development of Indicator Digits 
4.1.1. Version-1 
4.1.2. Zero (0) as a Connecting Digit 
4.2. Version-2 
4.3. Version-3 
4.3.1. New Indicator Digits with Anteriorising Value 
5. Development of Phase Relations 
5.1. Phase Relations and Phase Analysis 
5.2. Development of Phase Relations 
5.3. Version-2 
5.4. Version-3 
6. Development of Common Isolates 
6.1. Common Isolate as a Term 
6.2. Development of Common Isolates in CC 
6.2.1. Version-1 
6.2.2. Version-2 
6.2.3. Version-3 
7. Development of Fundamental Categories 
7.1. Recognition of Five Fundamental Categories 
7.2. Facet and Facet Analysis 
7.3. Facet Analysis 
7.4. Number of Fundamental Categories
7.5. Ranganathan’s Five Fundamental Categories 
7.5.1. Personality 
7.5.2. Matter 
7.5.3. Energy 
7.5.3.1. Rounds of Energy 
7.5.4. Space 
7.5.5. Time 
7.5.5.1. Time as Personality 
7.6. Sequence of Fundamental Categories (FC) 
8. Development of Devices 
8.1. Devices for Sharpening Isolates 
8.1.1. Chronological Device 
8.1.2. Geographical Device 
8.1.3. Subject Device 
8.1.4. Mnemonic Device 
8.1.5. Alphabetical Device 
8.1.6. Superimposition Device 
8.1.7. Favoured Category Device
8.1.8. Classics Device 
8.2. Device for Hospitality in the Scheme 
8.2.1. Agglomeration or Partial Comprehension Device 
8.2.2. Empty-Emptying Digit Device 
8.2.3. Emptying Digit Device 
8.2.4. Enumeration Device 
8.2.5. Environmental Device 
8.2.6. Numerical Device 
4 Influence of Colon Classification on Other Library Classification Schemes 
1. Need for Facet Analysis and Faceted Classification Schemes 
2. Facet Analysis and the CRG 
3. Influence on the CRG 
4. Other Special Schemes of the CRG 
5. Influence on British Technology Index 
6. Influence on British National Bibliography 
7. Influence of Chain Procedure on ‘PRECIS’ 
8. Influence on Thesaurus 
8.1. Compilation of Thesaurofacet by Jean
Aitchison (1925-2020) 
8.2. American Petroleum Institute Thesaurus 
8.3. Influence on Classaurus 
8.3.1. Structure of Classaurus 
8.3.2. Application of Classaurus 
9. Influence on Dewey Decimal Classification 
9.1. Influence on DDC 16thEdition (1958) 
9.2. Influence on DDC17th Edition (1965) 
9.3. Influence on the 18th Edition (1971) 
9.4. Influence on 19th Edition (1981) 
9.5. Influence on 20th Edition (1989) 
9.6. Influence on 21st Edition (1996) 
10. Influence on Universal Decimal Classification 
11. Influence on Bliss Bibliographic Classification 
11.1. Revised Edition of Bibliographic Classification 
11.2. Terminology of BC-2 
12. Influence on Chinese Classification Schemes 
12.1. Revisions of CLS and CDC on the Basis of Principles of the CC 
13. Influence of Colon Classification in Russia 
13.1. Automation of Information Retrieval 
14. Influence on the Study of the Universe of Knowledge 
14.1. Ranganathan as a Pioneer in Structural and Developmental Studies of Universe of Subjects 
14.2. Modes of Formation of Subjects 
15. Application of Ranganathan’s Principles to Information Storage and Retrieval systems 
15.1. Use in Knowledge Organization and Representation 
15.2. Use in Information Retrieval 
5 Colon Classification, 7th Edition (1987): A Concise Introduction 
1. Structure 
2. Devices 
3. Other Changes 
4. Notation 
5. Assessment 
6 Colon Classification: Trends and Prospects 
1. Development Panorama 
1.1. Designing of databases 
1.2. Development of Decision Support Systems 
1.3. Automatic Classification 
2. Future Prospects 
3. Suggestions for Future Prospects of CC 
4. Suggestions for revival 
4.1. Category-I 
4.2. Category-II 
4.3. Category-III 
7 National Mission for Revival of Ranganathan Legacy (NMRRL): An Appeal 
Appendices 
Appendix I: Laws and Canons, etc. 
Appendix II: Ranganathan and Classification: A Chronology, 1924-2024 
Appendix III : List of experts, admirers, or associates of
Ranganathan and persons who influenced his CC 
Bibliography and References, 1933-2022 
Index  

Professor M. P. Satija is an Emeritus Fellow and Honorary Professor in the Department of Library & Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University. In his long professional career spanning half a century he has written extensively on library classification systems, especially the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Colon Classification. His books on the CC are being used as textbooks in almost all the library schools in India. He has collaborated with three successive editors of the DDC and his works have been translated in many European and Asian languages.   Currently he serves as a visiting faculty at the DRTC/ISI, Bangalore.  Dr Satija is the Editor-in-Chief of the famous international CSIR journal Annals of library & Information Studies and serves on the editorial boards of many international journals, including the ISKO journal Knowledge Organization, and is a member of the UDC Consortium, The Hague.

Dr. Sukhdev Singh Jhand served as Deputy Librarian at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, prior to his retirement in 2010, for more than 30 years.  Thereafter, he moved to Brampton, Canada to work as Associate Editor and Reporter of the weekly newspaper ‘Sikh Spokesman’.  There he contributed articles on different political, social and cultural issues. He did his Ph.D. on Colon Classification in 1999 under the guidance of Professor M.P. Satija and published about two dozen research articles on LIS in India and abroad. His popular articles on various topics have regularly appeared in the newspapers and magazines of India, Canada and USA.  As a prolific writer in English and Punjabi, he has got half a dozen books to his credit. He has already two joint publications with Dr. M.P. Satija, entitled ‘Guide to the Reference Sources in Punjabi’ (2011) and ‘Dewey Decimal Classification: A Practical Introduction’ (2012). He is an active member of many literary, social, cultural and seniors’ organizations of Canada and was honored, inter alia, with ‘Platinum Jubilee Pin Award of the Queen Elizabeth-2’ in 2022 in recognition to his services towards the Society and Punjabi Media. 

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