UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Human Sciences
⋄
HAI4802 ASSIGNMENT 2
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: HAI4802
Module Name: Information Organisation and Retrieval
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: 11 May 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for HAI4802
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | HAI4802 Information Organisation & Retrieval
Question 1: Classification Systems and Their Role in Organising Library Col-
lections
Classification systems form the structural backbone of library collections, providing a system-
atic method for organising materials so that related resources are co-located and easily found.
Without a shared classification scheme, each library could develop its own idiosyncratic ar-
rangement, making cross-institutional searching and cooperation nearly impossible. As the
American Library Association notes, classification numbers form the basis of each book’s call
number and support shelf browsing as a complement to subject heading searches and keyword
queries (University of Illinois Library, 2020).
1.1 Purpose of Classification in Libraries
At its most basic, a classification system assigns each item in a library’s collection a notation
that indicates both its subject content and its physical location on the shelf. This dual func-
tion, representing subject matter while simultaneously serving as a shelving address, means
that classification does intellectual work as well as logistical work. Materials on cognate sub-
jects are grouped together, which supports what Thomas Mann described as “prior specifi-
cation” browsing: the ability of a user to find related materials without first knowing exact
titles or authors (University of Illinois Library, 2020). Classification also enables inter-library
cooperation, since two libraries using the same scheme can share catalogue records without
re-classifying items.
1.2 The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
The Dewey Decimal Classification was devised by Melvil Dewey in 1873 and first published
in 1876. It divides all human knowledge into ten main classes numbered 000 to 999, with
each class divided into ten divisions and each division into ten sections. Decimals extend the
notation indefinitely, allowing very specific subjects to be accommodated (American Library
Association, 2024). The DDC is owned by OCLC since 1988 and is currently used in libraries
in more than 135 countries, making it the most widely deployed classification scheme in the
world (American Library Association, 2024). Its numeric-only notation is especially suited to
public, school, and small academic libraries because patrons who may not be comfortable with
alphanumeric systems find numbers more approachable.
Page 1 of 25
, UNISA | HAI4802 Information Organisation & Retrieval
A key feature of DDC is its hierarchical, self-explanatory structure: any classifier familiar
with the schedules can interpret a call number even from a library they have never visited.
However, medium and large academic libraries have criticised the DDC for producing very
long call numbers for specialist topics, which limits its practicality at scale (Wikipedia, 2024a).
The abridged edition, first produced in 1894, addresses smaller libraries’ difficulty with the full
schedules (Wikipedia, 2024a).
1.3 The Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
The Library of Congress Classification was developed from 1897 onward by James Hanson
and Charles Martel, who drew heavily on Charles Ammi Cutter’s Expansive Classification
(Wikipedia, 2024b). Unlike DDC’s purely numeric notation, LCC uses a combination of let-
ters and numbers: one or two uppercase letters indicate the broad subject class, and numeric
ranges then subdivide it hierarchically. LCC is an enumerative system, meaning it publishes
explicit schedules for each class that are updated as new subjects emerge (Wikipedia, 2024b).
Because its alphanumeric notation accommodates a much larger number of unique call num-
bers, LCC is better suited to large academic and research libraries whose collections span
hundreds of thousands of items.
After converting from DDC to LCC in 2021, West Coast Baptist College’s director of library
services concluded that LCC tends to divide resources more finely, which suits research-level
collections (Wikipedia, 2024c). This practical observation is consistent with the broader liter-
ature: public and school libraries tend to prefer DDC because of its simpler structure, while
university and special libraries migrate to LCC as their collections grow beyond the scope
DDC can practically accommodate (Librarianship Studies, 2026).
1.4 The Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)
A third major scheme, the Universal Decimal Classification, was developed by Belgian bibli-
ographers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine at the end of the nineteenth century and is now
managed by the UDC Consortium. UDC extends the DDC base with a set of auxiliary tables
and facet indicators, enabling very detailed and multi-aspect classification. It is especially
popular in European special libraries and in countries where multilingual collections require
flexible notation (American Library Association, 2024). Unlike DDC and LCC, UDC is explic-
itly designed for faceted and systematic bibliography rather than shelf arrangement alone.
Page 2 of 25
College of Human Sciences
⋄
HAI4802 ASSIGNMENT 2
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: HAI4802
Module Name: Information Organisation and Retrieval
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: 11 May 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for HAI4802
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | HAI4802 Information Organisation & Retrieval
Question 1: Classification Systems and Their Role in Organising Library Col-
lections
Classification systems form the structural backbone of library collections, providing a system-
atic method for organising materials so that related resources are co-located and easily found.
Without a shared classification scheme, each library could develop its own idiosyncratic ar-
rangement, making cross-institutional searching and cooperation nearly impossible. As the
American Library Association notes, classification numbers form the basis of each book’s call
number and support shelf browsing as a complement to subject heading searches and keyword
queries (University of Illinois Library, 2020).
1.1 Purpose of Classification in Libraries
At its most basic, a classification system assigns each item in a library’s collection a notation
that indicates both its subject content and its physical location on the shelf. This dual func-
tion, representing subject matter while simultaneously serving as a shelving address, means
that classification does intellectual work as well as logistical work. Materials on cognate sub-
jects are grouped together, which supports what Thomas Mann described as “prior specifi-
cation” browsing: the ability of a user to find related materials without first knowing exact
titles or authors (University of Illinois Library, 2020). Classification also enables inter-library
cooperation, since two libraries using the same scheme can share catalogue records without
re-classifying items.
1.2 The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
The Dewey Decimal Classification was devised by Melvil Dewey in 1873 and first published
in 1876. It divides all human knowledge into ten main classes numbered 000 to 999, with
each class divided into ten divisions and each division into ten sections. Decimals extend the
notation indefinitely, allowing very specific subjects to be accommodated (American Library
Association, 2024). The DDC is owned by OCLC since 1988 and is currently used in libraries
in more than 135 countries, making it the most widely deployed classification scheme in the
world (American Library Association, 2024). Its numeric-only notation is especially suited to
public, school, and small academic libraries because patrons who may not be comfortable with
alphanumeric systems find numbers more approachable.
Page 1 of 25
, UNISA | HAI4802 Information Organisation & Retrieval
A key feature of DDC is its hierarchical, self-explanatory structure: any classifier familiar
with the schedules can interpret a call number even from a library they have never visited.
However, medium and large academic libraries have criticised the DDC for producing very
long call numbers for specialist topics, which limits its practicality at scale (Wikipedia, 2024a).
The abridged edition, first produced in 1894, addresses smaller libraries’ difficulty with the full
schedules (Wikipedia, 2024a).
1.3 The Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
The Library of Congress Classification was developed from 1897 onward by James Hanson
and Charles Martel, who drew heavily on Charles Ammi Cutter’s Expansive Classification
(Wikipedia, 2024b). Unlike DDC’s purely numeric notation, LCC uses a combination of let-
ters and numbers: one or two uppercase letters indicate the broad subject class, and numeric
ranges then subdivide it hierarchically. LCC is an enumerative system, meaning it publishes
explicit schedules for each class that are updated as new subjects emerge (Wikipedia, 2024b).
Because its alphanumeric notation accommodates a much larger number of unique call num-
bers, LCC is better suited to large academic and research libraries whose collections span
hundreds of thousands of items.
After converting from DDC to LCC in 2021, West Coast Baptist College’s director of library
services concluded that LCC tends to divide resources more finely, which suits research-level
collections (Wikipedia, 2024c). This practical observation is consistent with the broader liter-
ature: public and school libraries tend to prefer DDC because of its simpler structure, while
university and special libraries migrate to LCC as their collections grow beyond the scope
DDC can practically accommodate (Librarianship Studies, 2026).
1.4 The Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)
A third major scheme, the Universal Decimal Classification, was developed by Belgian bibli-
ographers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine at the end of the nineteenth century and is now
managed by the UDC Consortium. UDC extends the DDC base with a set of auxiliary tables
and facet indicators, enabling very detailed and multi-aspect classification. It is especially
popular in European special libraries and in countries where multilingual collections require
flexible notation (American Library Association, 2024). Unlike DDC and LCC, UDC is explic-
itly designed for faceted and systematic bibliography rather than shelf arrangement alone.
Page 2 of 25
