Book classification

[Margaret Spencer Powell]

I am putting books on computer and discovered a book on prayers of the Bible with the same call number as a book on plants of the Bible.  I checked the Dewey Decimal number in A Classisfication System for Church Libraries and found that 220.8 is used for nonreligious subjects treated in the Bible.  The book in question, Prayers that changed history, was published in 1977.  I don't have access to Dewey numbers that far back.  Should I change the classification of the book on prayers to 242.5 (prayers and meditations based on passages from the Bible)? 

 

I would have to change several books, but it bothers me that plants and trees and prayers are classed together.  I would appreciate any insight to shed light on this situation.

 

Margaret Powell

Central Baptist Church

Springhill, Louisiana

[Gene Cahall]

We reclassified our 4,000+ collection from a manual set of general topics to Dewey as we loaded Concourse last year. One site that I found very helpful is http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/. This can show where other libraries have classified an item. I found it interesting that there is often not a single Dewey selected by everyone. I've concluded that if you are automated with keyword et al searching, the exact classification is probably not as important as the users' ability to find the item that fits their interests or needs. Electronic searching is much more forgiving than the old manual card catalogs.

[Deanna King]

Wow, I just went there - thanks so much! We are re-thinking our DDC of our Adult Nonfiction - right now marriage books are found in the 248's, 300's, and 600's -- too confusing for our patrons. We're hoping to re-classify marriage and parenting this fall. This will really help.

[Sandra Fitts]

Hi, Margaret,
I'm sorry no one has replied to your question on classifying the book Prayers that changed history. I looked it up and saw that in one place it was classified 248.3, which is the Dewey number for worship, which includes prayer. But if the book is based on a passage in the Bible, I would tend to agree with you in placing it in 242.5. It's hard to say without seeing the book (and I'm not at our church library to see if we have the book on the shelves.) I agree with you that it would seem strange to place it in 220.8. I think I would go ahead and make the changes that need to be made in all the other books now -- while it is fresh on your mind and while you are working in that specific area.

Dewey Classification numbers do change from time to time and maybe there has been a change in that area. My older classification materials are not handy to me right now either!

Hope this helps!