A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR ADVENTISTS AND ELLEN WHITE A Modification of the Library of Congress Religion Schedules, BX 6101 - 6189 Editor: Felipe E. Tan Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians 2019 Revision PREFACE This Classification for Adventists and Ellen White had its origin at Canadian University College (CUC) in 1980, when Warren Trenchard (now professor at H.M.S. Richards Divinity School, La Sierra University) and Keith Clouten (who retired as Library Director at Andrews University in 2003) jointly developed an expansion of the Library of Congress (LC) BX schedules to accommodate materials by and about Ellen White. As the CUC library at that time faced the prospect of total collection reclassification, it was decided to study the entire LC schedule dealing with Adventists, at BX 6101-6193. As the study proceeded, several observations were made: * A range of only five numbers (BX 6151-55) is allocated by LC to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, which is treated as any other branch of Adventism. In contrast, a range of twenty-five numbers is allocated to Adventists in general. * Biography of Adventists, including Seventh-day Adventists, is classified at BX 6191-93. These numbers are separated from the S.D.A. numbers by all other branches of Adventism. * Ellen White is allocated a Cutter number within BX 6193. It is quite impossible to place here all works by or about Ellen White. * Provision for "Individual Adventist Churches" (BX 6185) and "Converts" (BX 6189) is made outside of the number range specific to Seventh-day Adventists. It appeared that a re-write of the entire BX 6101-93 schedule would be a worthwhile project, especially in view of CUC's impending reclassification. So it was decided to construct a new schedule for Adventists, including Ellen White. Before beginning the task, a careful study was made of the entire BX schedules, since any expansion must obviously be based on existing models within that section, including BX Table I. The degree of dependence on this table is illustrated in our Introduction which follows this Preface. The resulting schedule, published here, is not intended to provide a gathering place for all works by and about Seventh- day Adventists. Many topics addressed by Adventist authors, including many doctrinal subjects, are already adequately dealt with in the LC scheme. Where we have given numbers in preference to existing LC treatment, an explanation is given in our Introduction, which should be read carefully before using these schedules. A survey of subscribing libraries in December 1991 revealed that some twenty Adventist libraries worldwide were using the scheme either partially or totally. The scheme is updated annually, and revisions are mailed to subscribers. The schedule also became available “online” in 2002 through the ASDAL web page. A SDA Advisory Committee on Classification operates as a standing committee of The Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians (ASDAL), to advise the editor in respect to changes, additions, or modifications to the classification. Responsibility of publication and distribution of the classification rested with Canadian University College until 1993, when the editor moved to Andrews University. At the 1995 ASDAL Conference, Marilyn Crane at Loma Linda University, was appointed editor, with publication and distribution residing at James White Library at Andrews University. She retired as editor in 2007 and Felipe Tan at Andrews University was elected as the current editor. Updating this Classification for Adventists and Ellen White is ongoing. Comments and questions are always welcome. Send them to the editor at [email protected] or to the chair of the SDA Advisory Committee on Classification at [email protected]. Canadian Union College was renamed Burman University on December 15, 2015. ii INTRODUCTION The classification published here has been developed using existing models within the Library of Congress Classification schedules. In particular, the arrangement of topics reflects closely the outline of BX Table I. The degree of similarity will be evident from the following comparison. NEW SCHEDULE (BX) TABLE I (BX) 6101-02 Periodicals (1) Periodicals 6103 Societies, Associations (3) Societies 6104 Museums, Exhibitions (5) Conventions, etc. 6106 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias 6107 Directories (7) Directories 6108 Yearbooks 6109 Collections, Collected works (9) Collected works. Study and Teaching Study and Teaching 6110 Education of the Clergy 6111 Education of the Laity (11) General works Sunday Schools 6112 Sabbath Schools (12) General works (13) Service books (14) Textbooks History 6115 History (15) General works 6116 By Period By Country By region & country (16) U.S. and Canada 6117 U.S. and Canada (17) By state 6118 Other countries (18) By city 6119 Special topics (19) Other countries (20) By administrative unit 6121 General works. Theology (21) General works. Theology 6122 Special topics (22) Minor works. Pamphlets 6122.5 Moral theology iii 6123 Controversial works (23) Controversial works 6123.4 Relations with other churches (23.4) Relations with other churches 6123.6 Relations with governments (24) Creeds and catechisms 6125 Sacraments. Special services (25) Liturgy and ritual (25.5) Sacraments 6126 Government and discipline (26) Government and discipline 6126.9 Sermons (27) Sermons 6127 Church work. Missions 6127.1 Evangelistic work (27.3) Benevolent work. Social work. Welfare work 6127.8 Other classes of work 6128 Work with persons (29) Individual branches 6130 Camp Meetings. Revivals (30) Camp Meetings. Summer camps, etc. Individual Churches 6131-39 Organizational Units. (31) United States (35) Other countries Biography 6141 Individual Churches (41) Collective 6143 Biography (43) Individual 6145-49 Ellen White Additions and Variations from Table I BX 6104 Museums. Exhibitions. (Compare BX 840 - Catholic Church) BX 6110 Education of the Clergy (Compare BX 900-920 - Catholic Church. There is also an instruction note at BV 4023.) BX 6111 Church Schools & Colleges (The L.C. scheme provides for "general education under church control" in LC 321-951 (S.D.A. operated schools in LC 361), while religious education is classified under the individual denominations, within BX. In light of the Adventist philosophy of Christian education, which sees religion as permeating the whole curriculum, there appears to be justification for including the entire S.D.A. church school concept here). BX 6117-18 History by Country, Region. Here is included the geographical treatment of S.D.A. missions. This is a departure from the trend of the L.C. scheme, which includes all aspects of foreign missions in BV. See the explanation under BX iv 6127. BX 6122 Special Doctrinal Topics Provision is made here only for unique Adventist doctrines or related topics. Most major doctrines of the S.D.A. church are part of the common Christian heritage, and these are adequately provided for in the BT schedules. For a somewhat parallel occurrence, see the note immediately preceding BX 1746 (Catholic Church) BX 6122.5 Moral Theology Provision is made here for several topics which constitute moral issues for Seventh-day Adventists. In a few cases, provision is made elsewhere in L.C. for these issues, but there seems justification in placing them here because of unique Adventist attitudes or viewpoints. Parallel examples exist at BX 1757-59 (Catholic moral theology) and at BX 8348 (Methodism and amusements) BX 6123.6 Relations with Governments. (Compare BX 1790 - Catholic Church) BX 6126.7 Church Finance This topic is provided for in BV 770-774. But in view of the Adventist emphasis on tithing and stewardship in relation to the church's work and organization, the topic is included here. Compare BX 8339 (Methodism) and BX 1950 (Catholic Church) BX 6127 Church Work. Missions S.D.A. church work is placed here because of the church's evangelistic emphasis. For a parallel example, see BX 2347.4 (Catholic Church). The inclusion of Missions here is a radical departure from the L.C. treatment of missions within BV, which allocates Adventist Missions at BV 2495. It seemed to us that the demarcation between "foreign" missions and the church's outreach in the "home fields" is an archaic concept that is now difficult to justify. The note at BX 6127 asks the classifier to "class historical and geographical treatment [of missions] in BX 6117-18" (areas subdivision of S.D.A. history). This seems more logical than following the L.C. instruction to class geographical treatment of denominational missions within BV. (For example, is it logical to class the history of the church's work in Canada in BX, while classing the history of the church's work in Kenya in BV, simply because Kenya is considered to be a "mission field"?) For a comparison, see BX 8661 (Mormons) and BX 9779-80 (Shakers). BX 6127.8 Other Classes of Work. Here are included health and medical work, social welfare, and disaster relief. These are significant areas of S.D.A. work. Compare BX 6950 (Christian Science) and BX 8643 (Mormons) BX 6128 Work with Classes of Persons This is an expansion of the normal L.C. schedule, and uses BV 4435-70 as the model. Compare BX 2347.8 (Catholic Church) BX 6131-39 Organizational Units. Conferences. Organizational structure is a feature of the S.D.A. church, resulting in official publications at many levels. The Library of Congress recognized the need to provide for this feature, because in the existing BX schedules, a table of four numbers is provided for use under each branch of Adventists. We have provided a range of nine numbers. v BX 6145-49 Ellen White The unique role of Ellen White in the history and development of the church requires special provision for works by and about her. In developing this portion of the schedule, attention was given to existing L.C. models for persons (literary authors and philosophers, for example).