As its name implies, this is the general works class, provided to accommodate such books as encyclopaedias, dictionaries, and other polytopical books which cover knowledge in general, or such a portion of it that it is impossible to place them under any one other main head of the schedules. this class is ofter called the “Waste-Paper-Basket” class, but it is an essential feature of book classification and assisted in the convenient arrangement of books. In providing places for working which on account of their physical form do not belong specifically to any other main class, the Generalia class may be considered as a form class. In its practical form, however, when subjects considered pervasive of knowledge are included, it cannot be considered as a rigid form class.
The outline of the General Works class in the Decimal Classification is:
- 000 – Computer science, knowledge & systems
- 010 – Bibliographies
- 020 – Library & information sciences
- 030 – Encyclopedias & books of facts
- 040 – [Unassigned]
- 050 – Magazines, journals & serials
- 060 – Associations, organizations & museums
- 070 – News media, journalism & publishing
- 080 – Quotations
- 090 – Manuscripts & rare books
Library Science and Book Rarities are included, it is presumed, because of their pervasive nature.
Brown developed Dewey’s “pervasive subject” principle and as the outline below clearly shows, included in this “extra” class of his subject Classification many subjects that in every other classification scheme find a place in the main schedules.
- Generalia
- 000 – Encyclopaedias
- 100 – Education
- 300 – Logic
- 400 – Mathematics
- 600 – Graphic and plastic Arts
- 900 – General science
This is an entirely novel conception of a generalia class, and the inclusion here of many of these subjects is inconvenient for at least the special reader. In comparison, the generalia classes appended to both the Congress and Cutter schemes are severely orthodox.
While the nine “Anterior Numerical Classes” of Bliss correspond approximately to the general works class of other schemes, strictly speaking they provide from and location markings only:
- Reading Room Collections
- Bibliography, etc.
- Special Collections
- Departmental Collection
- Documents or Archives
- Periodicals
- Miscellanea
- Local Collection, etc.
- Antiquated Books
Apart from 2, 6, and 7, thee provide for special collections of books, which for one reason or another it is desired to shelve separately from the main stock.
Reference Book: Book Classification :: Special Features of Book Classification.
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