Revisiting Principles of Library Classification and Their Relevance in 21st Century: Looking Back at Great Contributions to Library Classification

LIBRARY HERALD

Year : 2025, Volume : 63, Issue : 2

First page : (187) Last page : (204)

Print ISSN : 0024-2292. Online ISSN : 0976-2469.

Article DOI : 10.5958/0976-2469.2025.00013.9

Revisiting Principles of Library Classification and Their Relevance in 21st Century: Looking Back at Great Contributions to Library Classification

A S Chandel1, Sarbada Pradhan2, Avijit Rai3

1 Visiting Professor, Department of LIS, Sikkim University and FMR Librarian, Sikkim University and Professor & Head, DLIS, NEHU, Shillong, India

2 Assistant Librarian Sikkim University, Gangtok, India

3 Assistant Librarian Sikkim University, Gangtok, India

Abstract 

This paper broadly discusses the tenets and theories of library classification which has been developed by various theorists, such as, H E Bliss, E W Hulme, W C Berwick Sayers and S R Ranganathan with the main objective of establishing their relevance and importance in the present digital environment. It brings to the fore that owing to the sharp decline of printed resources and the domination of electronic resources, library classification is fast losing its indispensability. Library classification during the time when it used to play a substantial role till the shelf type of arrangement was prevalent in libraries. Ever since ebooks and other e-resources do not have a physical presence on the shelves, thence the role of classification is not considered to more important as it functioned in the past in a major role. The paper unravels the involvement of the above theorists, who placed library classification on all-encompassing sustaining doctrines. The paper also discusses at length the impact of Sayers and Bliss on Ranganathan’s writings particularly in developing canons of classification and the dynamic theory of classification. It also suggests a rethinking on the consequence of classification and its assumptions and the curriculum that should be taught in LIS professional education in the present digital age. It also concludes that the process of creation, analysis, grouping, tagging, synthesis and linking of similar and related ideas of organization of knowledge may change in methods and tools, even then may need some or the other system of classification based upon certain principles.

Keywords 

Library classification; Theory of classification; Canons of classification; Principles of classification; H E Bliss; E Wyndham Hulme; W C Berwick Sayers; S R Ranganathan.