ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses classification as a fundamental human activity to an introduction to the theoretical features of a bibliographic classification and some practical hints on how to apply a classification scheme. Classifications archetype is Linnaeus' systematic ordering of the world of botany. Such classifications work by grouping things together on the basis of their similarities and dissimilarities. The Universal Decimal Classification is a faceted system grafted on to an enumerative base. After fixing the order of classes, the next important function of notation is hospitality: the ability to accommodate new subjects. Many librarians of special collections have developed detailed, specialized classifications - detailed enough for the topics in the classification, translated back into words, to be used as the basis for compiling the subject catalogue. Notation fixes a pre-existing arrangement: that is, it is applied to the schedules of a classification system after the subjects to be included, and their order, has been settled.
