Annals of Library and Information Studies Vol. 62, December 2015, pp. 231-238 The Colon Classification: A few considerations on its future K. S. Raghavan Visiting Scientist, Centre for Knowledge Analytics & Ontological Engineering (KAnOE), PES University, Bangalore, and Member-Secretary, Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science, E-mail: [email protected] The article highlights the efforts and plans of Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science for revival of CC. Presents a brief history of the Scheme and explains is features. Discusses areas needing revamping for continual revision and existence of CC. Also seeks feedback from LIS professionals on the revision of the Scheme. Keywords: Colon Classification; Isolate ideas Introduction Prolegomena was published in 1957 which was hailed Among the several seminal contributions of by Berwick Sayers as the “most precise, theoretical, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, Colon Classification , first practical and comparative exposition of classification published in 1933, and the Prolegomena stand out. theory …. intensely original”. 1 A third edition of The origins of the Colon Classification scheme lay in Prolegomena has also been published. The Ranganathan’s dissatisfaction with the library development of CC has been based on the theory classification schemes of the times when he was a expounded in the Prolegomena . student at the University of London. Ranganathan found that the structure of Dewey Decimal Editions of CC Classification was not flexible enough for expansion During the life time of Ranganathan, CC saw six and for accommodating new developments in the editions, a rate of revision matched by no other universe of ideas / subjects. He hit upon the idea of general classification scheme except Dewey Decimal structuring subjects ‘bottom-up ’ within each Basic Classification (DDC). The 6th edition of the scheme subject (Main class) and came out with the idea of was the last one to be published when Ranganathan facets and built a scheme based on the notions of was alive. Ranganathan also published a preview of facets and facet analysis. The scheme which came to the proposed 7th edition in 1969 2; but sadly be known as Colon Classification (CC), because that Ranganathan passed away in 1972 before the was the only indicator digit that Ranganathan 7th edition of CC could be published. The work of employed in the first three editions of the scheme, revision of the scheme was undertaken by revolutionized the approach to design of library Ranganathan’s associates in the Sarada Ranganathan classification schemes. CC was the first general Endowment for Library Science (SRELS) and a classification scheme to be designed explicitly on the revised edition (7th edition) was brought out in 1987 3. basis of Ranganathan’s idea of Facet Analysis. Of Unfortunately this was not a complete edition course some of the principles and techniques had been as it had no index. There were also several imbalances employed in the U.D.C and to a limited extent even in in the edition and the user community of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC); but it was Colon Classification in India found it extremely CC that heralded the beginning of a new line of difficult to implement this edition. Also since the thinking and became a turning point in the history and edition was incomplete, LIS schools continued to development of schemes of classification. teach the 6th edition, a practice which has continued Quite early in the development of CC Ranganathan till day. A volume to serve the purpose of had realized the importance of a comprehensive demonstrating the use and application of this general theory of classification as the basis for design, edition containing a large number of worked out development and comparative studies of classification examples was also brought out subsequently by schemes. He came out with his Prolegomena to SRELS. 4 Table 1 gives a broad idea of the different Library Classification in 1937; a second edition of editions of CC. 232 ANN. LIB. INF. STU., DECEMBER 2015 Table 1—Editions of CC Edition No. Year Some Features Edition 1 1933 The first library classification scheme to be designed on the basis of facet analysis Edition 2 1939 The first edition to be published after Ranganathan had published the Prolegomena outlining his General Theory of Classification; A new main Class “Spiritual Experience and Mysticism” was introduced Edition 3 1950 Edition 4 1952 The notion of Five Fundamental Categories was introduced Edition 5 1957 Edition 6 1960 Edition 6 (revised) 1963 A reprint of the sixth edition with corrections and amendments in the form of an ‘annexure’. Edition 7 1987 A vastly expanded schedule of Basic subjects; Only Volume 1 has been publish ed; incomplete edition as it had no index Edition 7 (revised) 2010 “Dvibindu Vargikarana”: A revised bilingual (Kannada-English) version of CC The different editions of CC could broadly be only to examine the proceedings of the biennial grouped into three versions 5. A rough classification of International Conferences of the International Society the different editions of CC into these three versions for Knowledge Organization (ISKO) published by would be: M/s Ergon Verlag of Germany. To date 14 Volumes Rigidly Faceted versions (editions 1, 2 and 3) have been published by M/s Ergon Verlag in the Analytico-Synthetic versions (editions 4, 5 & 6) series, Advances in Knowledge Organization ; the last Freely Faceted versions (edition 7 onwards) volume was published in 2014. This evolution primarily reflects the developments Some features of CC in the theoretical basis of the scheme and its notation Before going into a discussion of the major which had been evolving continuously since the principles of revision of the scheme, it is important to publication of the first edition of Prolegomena . emphasize a few things particularly about the CC and, even more so, Ranganathan’s ideas of structure and purpose of CC. facet analysis and faceted classification have CC was designed as, and remains, a library influenced and impacted much of subsequent thinking classification scheme. It was also designed as a on classification in the 20th Century. The major general classification scheme covering all branches of general classification schemes of the western world knowledge. It was Ranganathan’s idea that a general including DDC, the Universal Decimal Classification classification scheme should be the basis for more (UDC), FID’s BSO, the Bibliographic Classification detailed depth versions / fascicules for classification Ed.2 and all the special classification systems of micro-subjects in specialized libraries or developed by members of the British Classification specialized bibliographic tools *. Although initially the Research Group have been influenced by CC. In fact members of CRG differed from Ranganathan on this in 1955 the British Classification Research Group and went about building several independent special went to the extent of publishing a paper entitled classification schemes, CRG also did a substantial ‘Faceted classification as the basis of all information amount of research on a new general classification retrieval’, which came to be regarded as the manifesto scheme including examining the Theory of Integrative of the Group 6. Today the technique is widely Levels as the basis for such a new scheme. The employed in such areas as information architecture, subsequent work of FID in developing the Broad design of search engines, thesauri and ontologies, to System of Ordering (BSO, which, in its planning mention a few. It is no exaggeration to say that CC stage was called as Subject-Field Reference Code has been a trend setter. To have an idea of the (SRC)) also emphasizes the importance of a general impact and influence of Ranganathan and his classification scheme. That renewed attention has Colon Classification on thinking in the area of come to be paid in recent years to the work of Knowledge Organization in general and on the S.R. Ranganathan, his predecessors and his followers other classification schemes in particular, one has is evident. Kuronen 7 writes: RAGHAVAN: THE COLON CLASSIFICATION: A FEW CONSIDERATIONS ON ITS FUTURE 233 The Colon Classification has not become as postulation considering literary warrant. Thus the popular as it might have deserved. It is possible that number of Basic Subjects enumerated in the different the global networking, the evolution of virtual editions of CC in the first order array of Basic Subjects libraries, makes researchers of library and information has been growing to keep pace with the developments science look for new methods in organizing in the universe of subjects. Quite early in the documents and subjects for networking purposes. We development of his General Theory of Classification even think that the theory of facet analysis implies Ranganathan came out with the suggestion that Basic ideas which are still to be explored and to be fully Subjects should be postulated depending on the need. utilised in the electronic environment. Ranganathan The suggestion was that if there are adequate developed his CC faceted classification ‘too early’; indications (in the form of literary warrant, graduate the time is still to come to benefit from it as a level educational programmes, journals, professional structured domain language as used in AI (Artificial bodies exclusively devoted to the subject area, etc) that Intelligence) and expert systems with sophisticated a subject area has matured, the subject