Advantages and Disadvantages of DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification) Scheme

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) is an influential system for organizing and categorizing knowledge. Developed by Melvil Dewey in the late 19th century, the DDC provides a hierarchical framework that covers a broad range of subjects, making it an indispensable tool in libraries and information centers worldwide. By assigning numerical codes to different topics, the DDC allows for efficient arrangement and retrieval of materials, enabling users to locate relevant information easily. Its system of ten main classes further subdivided into subclasses, provides a logical and intuitive structure for classifying diverse subjects. Over the years, the DDC has evolved and been updated to accommodate the growth of knowledge, ensuring its continued relevance and adaptability in the digital age. With its widespread adoption and user-friendly nature, the Dewey Decimal Classification remains a cornerstone of information organization and access. Advantages and Disadvantages of DDC

1.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system offers advantages and disadvantages in knowledge organization and information retrieval. On the positive side, the DDC provides a well-established and widely used framework for organizing library collections, making it familiar to librarians and researchers alike. Its hierarchical structure allows for efficient categorization of materials, enabling users to locate relevant resources quickly. Additionally, the DDC’s decimal notation system offers flexibility in accommodating new subjects and updating classifications. It also facilitates the browsing of related topics within the same numerical range. However, the DDC is not without its limitations. One major disadvantage is its cultural bias, as the system was initially developed from a Western perspective and may not fully represent the diversity of global knowledge. The rigidity of the classification hierarchy can also pose challenges in accommodating interdisciplinary subjects or emerging fields. Furthermore, the DDC requires regular updates to reflect new knowledge, and these updates can result in inconsistencies and compatibility issues between different editions. Despite its limitations, the Dewey Decimal Classification remains a widely adopted system that provides a foundational approach to knowledge organization, albeit with ongoing efforts to address its shortcomings and improve its adaptability.

1.1.1 Advantages of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system offers several advantages that have contributed to its enduring popularity and widespread use in libraries:

  1. Historical Expansion and Adaptation: The DDC system has a long history of expansion and adaptation to meet the evolving needs of libraries and communities. It has continuously incorporated new subjects and disciplines over its 127-year history.
  2. Availability in Multiple Formats: The DDC is published in full and abridged versions and online versions known as “Web-Dewey.” This ensures accessibility and flexibility in using the classification system in various formats.
  3. Universal Understanding: The DDC employs widely recognized Arabic numerals, making it easily understandable across different cultures and languages. Its numbered notation system transcends language barriers and facilitates global comprehension.
  4. Hierarchical Structure: The DDC organizes subjects into disciplines, divisions, and sections, creating a well-structured and ordered classification system. It allows a clear understanding of the relationship between specific subjects and their broader categories.
  5. Regular Updates: The DDC undergoes bi-weekly updates to its current edition, ensuring it remains updated with new knowledge and changing information needs.
  6. Ease of Writing and Remembering: The class numbers in the DDC are designed to be easily written, typed, and remembered. This facilitates efficient classification system use, from searching in library catalogs to locating materials on the shelves.
  7. Relative Index and Cost-Effectiveness: The DDC includes a comprehensive relative index, enabling users to locate specific subjects quickly. Additionally, the schedules of the DDC are relatively inexpensive, making them accessible to libraries with limited budgets.
  8. Flexibility in Classification Level: The DDC allows for both close classification, providing detailed numbers for specific subjects, and broad classification, using shorter numbers when less detail is required. This flexibility accommodates varying levels of specificity in subject classification.
  9. Alternative Placing: The DDC offers alternative placements for several subjects, allowing libraries to tailor their classification to the specific needs of their users and collections.
  10. Expansion Capability: The DDC allows for the expansion of the classification system to include new subjects. This feature, known as “hospitality,” ensures that the scheme can accommodate emerging fields and evolving knowledge.

The Dewey Decimal Classification system’s historical adaptability, multiple formats, universal understanding, hierarchical structure, regular updates, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and expansion capability contribute to its advantages as a widely adopted classification system in libraries worldwide.

1.1.2 Major Disadvantages of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

While widely used, the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system has several notable disadvantages that should be considered. These include:

  1. Limitations of Ten Main Classes: The DDC’s ten main classes can result in lengthy classification numbers. The limited number of main classes makes it challenging to provide a more concise and efficient system for organizing knowledge.
  2. Conglomeration in Last Division: The division and subdivision structure of the DDC often leads to subjects being grouped in a generic “others” category. This can result in a lack of specificity and make it difficult to accurately classify certain subjects.
  3. Criticized Arrangement of Classes: The arrangement of classes in the DDC has faced criticism for separating related subjects. For instance, the separation of language from literature, social sciences from history, and psychology from medicine can hinder understanding the relationship between these disciplines.
  4. Cultural and Bias Issues: The DDC has been accused of a bias towards Protestant/American perspectives, particularly evident in the history and religious disciplines. While efforts are made to address these biases in revisions and editions, cultural and geographic biases may still impact the system’s inclusivity.
  5. Separation of Related Disciplines: Some closely related disciplines in the DDC, such as literature (800-899) and languages (400-499), are assigned separate numerical ranges. This separation can create fragmentation and make finding materials on related subjects less intuitive.
  6. Unevenness in Call Numbers: Certain classes in the DDC, such as “Technology” in the 600s, may have crowded call numbers, while others may have sparse classifications. This inconsistency can make browsing and locating materials within these classes challenging.
  7. Limited Expandability: Compared to classification systems like the Library of Congress Classification system, the DDC is less easily expandable when new subjects or technologies emerge. The rigid structure of the DDC can make it difficult to accommodate emerging fields or rapidly evolving knowledge.
  8. Potential for Large Classification Numbers: The number-building process in the DDC can lead to very large and complex classification call numbers. This can pose challenges for libraries requiring extreme classification systems accuracy and may result in cumbersome and unwieldy numbers.

These disadvantages should be considered when evaluating the suitability of the DDC for specific library or information organization needs, and alternative classification systems may be explored to address these limitations.

References:

  1. KRISHAN KUMAR. Theory of classification. 1993. Vikas Publishing; New Delhi. p1.
  2. SHARMA (C D). Use of libraries: A guide to better use of libraries and their resources. 1978. Metropolitan Book; New Delhi. p-120.
  3. SHARMA (C D). Op. cit., p 121.
  4. KRISHAN KUMAR. Op. cit., p 4.
  5. INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY (IGNOU). Unit 2: Needand purpose of library classification. IGNOU; New Delhi. p 26.
  6. DUTTA (Dwijendranath). Library classification: Theory and practice. 1962. The Western Book Depot; Nagpur. p 48.
  7. RAJU (Addepali Appala Narasimha). Dewey decimal classification (DDC 20): Theory and practice: A practical and self instructional manual. 1995. T.R. Publications; Madras. p 4.
  8. CHOWDHURY (G G). Introduction to modern information retrieval. Ed. 3. 2004. Facet Publishing; London. p 89.