Dewey application for web resources

[Leonard Will]

In article <3309FA8F.58E5 at morrisville.edu>, "Wilfred (Bill) Drew Jr."
<drewwe at morrisville.edu> writes

>Wayne Daniels wrote:

>> Please take a look at "Expanding Universe : a classified search tool
>> for amateur astronomy" 
>> (http://www.mtrl.toronto.on.ca/centres/bsd/astronomy).
>> This is a site created by myself and some colleagues at the Metro
>> Toronto Reference Library. It offers a very large number of astronomy
>> links, but what makes it unusual is the design. . . . The site is
>> organized according to a modified form of the Dewey Decimal
>> Classification.

>I applaud the ingenuity of this site but must confess my confusion at
>applying shelf numbers to "virtual objects".  I can see applying Dewey
>subject categories to the web but find it misplaced and inaporpriate to
>assing call numbers or numerical classifications to such objects.  I
>find the same troubles in those that attempt to "classify" web sites
>using LC numbers.  We should be looking at implementing indexing schemes
>for the internet not assigning numerical tags to them.  Sites could be
>cataloged without having to resort to call numbers.

I think that this comment shows a misunderstanding of the nature and
value of a classified catalogue. My impression is that in the USA
classification schemes are primarily used to provide "call numbers" to
arrange items on shelves, with the main means of subject access being
separate alphabetical indexing using something like LCSH. 

This is too limited a view. A classification scheme is primarily a
logical grouping of subjects, bringing related items together. It
attempts to provide a map of a subject area, so that once you enter that
area you can move around to explore nearby topics. A classified
catalogue is thus an effective way of organising any list of items,
whether they are books, documents or Internet resources.

Notations, or classification numbers, are secondary matters. The logical
sequence of subjects _is_ the classification, and the numbers are just a
way of mechanising this order so that items can be kept in sequence and
found easily - rather like grid references on a map. As with a map, a
good alphabetical index is an essential adjunct to a classified
catalogue.

As well as having classified lists for browsing and broad search uses, I
fully accept the need for specific indexing terms (from a thesaurus) to
be applied to items to allow specific retrieval, normally using software
which allows these terms to be combined at the time of searching. 

These two approaches, and free text searching, are all complementary,
and we need sites to implement them all in an integrated way; it is not
an either/or choice.

Leonard Will

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