The original feature of this notation is the use of letters to mark
non-local subjects and figures for places. This makes it possible to
express the local relations of a subject in a perfectly unmistakable
way, the letters never being used to signify countries, and the
figures never being used for any other subjects but countries. Thus 45
is England wherever it occurs; e.g. F being history and G geography,
F45 is the history of England, G45 the geography of England. This
local notation can be used not merely with the main classes, but in
every subdivision, no matter how minute, which is worth dividing by
countries. Whenever one wishes to separate what relates to England
from other works on any subject one has only to add the two figures
45. Whenever one sees 45 in the mark of a book one knows that the book
so marked treats its subject with special reference to England. This
"local list" by the figures from 11 to 99 gives marks to the 88 most
important countries. The addition of a third and sometimes of a fourth
figure gives marks for all the independent countries in the world.
Parts of and places in countries are arranged alphabetically under
each, and are marked either by the usual Cutter order-table, which
has initial letters followed by figures, or by a special Cutter
order-table composed of figures alone.
Non-local subjects are marked with letters, first, to distinguish them
from local subjects; and, second, because of the greater capacity.
There are 26 main classes, A to Z. By adding a second letter these
are divided into 676 parts, and these, by adding a third letter, into
17,576 parts, making 18,278 in all, so that as one uses successively
three, four, or five characters, one gets respectively 18 times, 46
times, and 118 times the capacity of a decimal notation. The result
is, short marks, numerous subdivisions, much greater elasticity, much
greater power to properly express the relations of subjects to one
another, and their relations to subordinate subjects, and much more
opportunity of making the different portions of the classification
correspond to each other.
The first part of the classification, as published, contains the first
six classifications and a combined index to them all. The seventh,
the fullest classification, will have 10 sections. Five of them
are published, each with its own index. Of two (Social sciences and
Language and literature) about half is published. When these and the
other three (Natural sciences, Industrial arts, Recreative and fine
arts) are printed, a full index to the whole will be made.
Expansive classification. Outline
A Generalia.
A General works.
Ae General encyclopedias.
Ap General periodicals.
Ar Reference works.
As General societies.
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