Abstract
Abstract The present study contextualizes Ranganathan’s main theoretical contributions to the classification theory and addresses the Five Laws of Library Science. The major milestones in philosophical and bibliographic classifications are presented to show that the classification system has evolved from purely philosophical schemes, which were focused on the systematization of knowledge, into modern bibliographic classification systems. Facet analysis is considered a contribution to the classification process since it allows the use of an approach that encompasses different points of view of the same subject, as opposed to the enumerative systems. This article also discusses Ranganathan’s five fundamental categories, known as Personality, Matter, Energy, Space and Time, and points out to criticism of this form of categorization in the literature. The Spiral of Scientific Method and the Spiral Model of Development of subjects are presented; the latter is the meta-model of the former. The Colon Classification, which was first published in 1933, was also discussed. Finally, the applicability of the faceted classification in today’s world was addressed.
Highlights
The present study contextualizes Ranganathan’s main theoretical contributions to the classification theory and addresses the Five Laws of Library Science
The classification process conception, to represent means to substitute, “to is the action by which the subjects of documents are stand for, that is, to be in such a relation to another classified aiming at arranging them in logical order, that for certain purposes it is treated by some mind grouping together the items of information concerning as if it were that other”
Considering the high number of publications to be indexed in libraries and the time that would be required for the analysis of the document and the construction of the classification numbers, the adoption of Colon Classification on a daily basis in libraries is almost unfeasible
Summary
It is important to distinguish the concept of classification as a process, which was discussed above, from the classification as product, which refers to the instruments of classification, i.e., the systems. These technical processes of representation are generally used to facilitate finding the accurate location of information in a given collection using different types of instruments of representation Such instruments can be: verbal - such as thesauri, lists of subject headings, ontologies, and taxonomies and symbolic - such as bibliographic classification systems. The term classification was coined by Zedler in 1733 in his Universal Lexicon Encyclopedia; it is the combination of the Latin words classis (class) and facere (make) This term is based on the word class, which was used to designate an army or group of persons called to the arms, or, according to Piedade (1977), the term designates the groups into which the Roman people were divided. The theorist Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan [1892-1972] greatly contributed to classification systems His studies are another milestone in his contributions, and he is considered the father of library science of the twentieth century. Life and work of Ranganathan of talents and who reaches high standard in several 281
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
