DDC Cataloging and Metadata

To understand the relationship of DDC and Metadata, it is good to start with the understanding of Metadata.

Metadata, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_data

has the following points:

Etymology

Meta is a classical Greek preposition (μετ’ αλλων εταιρων) and prefix (μεταβασις) conveying the following senses in English, depending upon the case of the associated noun:

among; along with;
with; by means of;
in the midst of; after; behind.
In epistemology, the word means "about (its own category)";
thus metadata is "data about the data".

Example: "160081" is data, and with no additional context is meaningless. When "160081" is given a meaningful name (metadata) of "ZIP code", one can understand (at least in the Singapore, and within the context of a postal address) that "160081" refers to Block 81 in Tiong Poh Road, Singapore.

Hence, Metadata contains information about that data or other data.

In the mathematic world, 0 to 9 is for counting.

000 has no meaning, yet in the context of DDC, 000 is the first main class.

000 = Computer Science, information and general works

In general mathematical application, 100, 200, 300... 900 is for counting and it means one hundred, two hundred, three hundred ... and nine hundred.

In the context of DDC, 100, 200, 300... 900 are given a meaningful name (metadata) of "main class number or call number", one can understand with easy that:

100 = Philosophy and Psychology

200 = Religion

300 = Social Science

400 = Language

500 = Science

600 = Technology

700 = Arts and Recreation

800 = Literature

900 = History and Geography


Hierarchies of metadata

Metadata can be structured to built multi-level hierarchy. For example the postal code "160081" has it own hierarachy:

16 = One local area in Singapore, i.e., Tiong Bahru.

00 = One of the zone in this housing estate, Tiong Poh Road.

81 = Block number which is number 81.

Manually-created metadata adds value because it ensures consistency.

Zip code is created to add value in postal service as its ensures consitency and eliminate errors in postal delivery.


Dewey Decimal Classification and its Hierarchies has the same functions.

In DDC

300 = Social Science

370 = Education

373 = Secondary Education

Hence in 373, one can interprate the hierachy of classification in this manner:

300 = One of the main class in classification of knowledge, i.e., Social Science

70 = One of the sub-class in Social Science, i.e., Education

3 = One of the sub-class in Education, i.e., Secondary Education

Hence, 373 = Secondary Education.

If you are in a library of which DDC is used in the classification of book and reading materials, you can always find books on Secondary Education at 373.

DDC is created to add value in classification of knowledge as its ensures consitency in application.

At the circulation end, the classification system helps librarians and users quick retrieval of books and reading materials.