Knowledge Classification and Colour Code System
INTRODUCTION
The central purpose of libraries is to provide a service:
Access to information, physical access to a potentially informative document
depends on identifying and locating it.
Libraries exist for the benefit of the mind,
but they have serious practical problems coping with the acquisition, storage,
and handling of the documents and records with which they deal.
OBJECTIVES
The main aim of the bibliographic access includes three central
concerns:
a) Identifying
documents
b) Locating
documents
c) Physical
access to materials
Let us see the objectives and find which area users feel it
difficult, to access the materials from the below questions.
WHY CATALOG
To help users to find a book of which
either (Identifying objective) - the author
- the title
- the subject
- the call number
So with the help of catalog users are able
to identify the document searching
by author, title, and subject etc, can also check the status too of a
particular document.
WHY CLASSIFICATION
In 1873 Mr. Melvil Dewey devised
a system of classifying books. He chose certain main subject and numbers, so
that all nonfiction books on the same subject would be together on the
shelf.
Dewey Decimal System is a tool
used to sort books into groups or categories. We all know the system that
groups books by topic, by dividing them in to 10 basic categories, and each of
those categories is further split in to 10 categories and so on, and it is the
most widely used library organization system in the world.
So classification helps user to identify the subject and to locate
the subject easily on the shelves.
WHY CALL NUMBER
Call number help user to identify a specific copy of a work. A set of letters, numerals or
other symbols (in combination or alone) it may also contain other data such as
date, volume number, and copy number, used by a library to identify a specific copy of a work.
Each book in a library has a unique call number. A call
number is like an address it tells
us where an item is located in the
library.
Understanding call
numbers
It is difficult for users to understand because, every time
it is the spine that one generally looks for and more specifically, its call
number label, with so much pressure on the call number.
To access the document physically user has to browse the
shelves until one narrow it down to the call number. Imagine when a document is
misplaced from its original place on the shelves, that time it is difficult for
both user and staff to find the misplaced copy.
So with the help of call number users may identify and locate the
document, now we are able to identify the area and difficulties involved in
finding the document.
WHY COLOUR CODE
A unique colour for main subjects will always help the main subject of books together on the shelf.
Traditional call number labels with colour code, that makes
it easier for user to locate subject
area and easier for staff to notice misplaced items.
Advantages of
colour code system:
·
Save the time of the user.
·
Always help staff to keep the subject books
together.
·
Colour code makes it easier for user to locate
subject areas and for staff to notice misplaced copy by visually identifying
the subject colours.
·
Easy to sort the main subject books as and when returned,
also staff may not find it difficult to reshelf the books.
·
The most important advantage is solution for
misplaced books on shelf, as it is easy to find without using any technology.
Let us see below how the system works.
Colour Code System an Overview
Main
Subjects
|
Colour & Call No.
|
Colours
|
|
Philosophy &
Psychology
|
Yellow
|
||
100's
|
|||
Religion
|
Blue
|
||
200's
|
|||
Social
Science
|
Grey
|
||
300's
|
|||
Language
|
Lavender
|
||
400's
|
|||
Natural
Science
|
Green
|
||
500's
|
|||
Technology
|
Silver
|
||
600's
|
|||
Fine
Art & Recreation
|
|||
700's
|
|||
Literature
|
Gold
|
||
800's
|
|||
Geography History
Biography
|
Brown
|
||
900's
|
|||
General
Works
|
Red
|
||
000's
|
|||
Some of the colour
given above also matches the subject:
Why yellow for 100’s
(Philosophy and Psychology)
The colour yellow symbolizes
Wisdom, Joy, Happiness, Emotions and better feel etc. like the subject deals
with.
Why green for 500’s (Natural
Science)
As the color green symbolizes nature, life, and powerful
symbol in the eco-friendly movement.
Why orange for 700’s
(Arts)
As orange the colour of creativity and also “get it done
attitude” and the colour also symbolizes playfulness like the subject deals
with
Why gold for 800’s
(literature)
Literature has its own value like gold.
Why brown for 900’s
(Geography, History and Biography)
Brown is the
colour of soil, giving it an earthy.
Conclusion
Save the time of the user. Avoid the wastage of users’ time
involved in search for a particular book by creating effective call number
labels with colour code for main subjects. So that user gets access to the best
source.
Hope nothing in this system that would negatively impact
library classification.