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S. R. Ranganathan Develops Colon Classification (CC), the First Faceted Classification

1924 to 1933

Between 1924 and 1933 Indian mathematician and librarian Slyall (Sirkazhi) Ramamrita Ranganathan (S. R. Ranganathan) developed Colon classification, the first faceted (or analytico-synthetic) classification system, as a general classification system for libraries. Ranganathan first published the system in his book, Colon Classification issued by the Madras Library Association in 1933. He continued to develop the system through the fifth edition of this work in 1959, and in numerous other books on the subject. 

" ... 'colon classification' comes from the use of colons to separate facets in class numbers. However, many other classification schemes, some of which are completely unrelated, also use colons and other punctuation in various functions. They should not be confused with colon classification.

"In CC, facets describe "personality" (the most specific subject), matter, energy, space, and time (PMEST). These facets are generally associated with every item in a library, and so form a reasonably universal sorting system.[1]

"As an example, the subject "research in the cure of tuberculosis of lungs by x-ray conducted in India in 1950" would be categorized as:

Medicine,Lungs;Tuberculosis:Treatment;X-ray:Research.India'1950

"This is summarized in a specific call number:

"L,45;421:6;253:f.44'N5" (Wikipedia article on Colon classification, accessed 08-21-2016).

See M.P. Satija & Jagtar Singh, "Colon Classification: A Requiem", DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology 33, No. 4 (2013) 265-276.

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